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 Reading interventions have long been linked to improvements in
language and literacy, especially among young children whose parents
have limited income or education. But less is known about the
benefits for more affluent families or the potential for these
efforts to improve social, emotional or behavioral functioning for
kids and their parents.
The current analysis examined data from 18 previously published
studies that included 3,264 families from a variety of backgrounds.
Results showed that kids who participated in reading programs had
better social and emotional skills, behavior and literacy than
children who didn’t.
Parents in the reading programs also had less stress and anxiety and
more confidence in their parenting skills than parents who didn’t
participate in these interventions, researchers report in
Pediatrics.
“Reading to children is not only for having a smart child but also
for having a happy child and a good parent-child relationship as
well,” said lead study author Qian-Wen Xie, of the University of
Hong Kong.
Some parents may not realize it’s important for them to read aloud
with kids from a very young age, Xie said by email. Even when they
know reading matters, parents might be pressed for time, unable to
afford books, or unfamiliar with interactive reading techniques that
can make the biggest impact on cognitive, social, emotional and
behavioral development.
All of the studies included in the analysis randomly assigned some
families to participate in reading programs and others to join
control groups that didn’t receive this help. Some included free
books.
Some programs targeted toddlers and preschoolers, while others
focused on children in elementary school. Often, the reading
interventions were provided to children at risk for behavior
problems or language delays, or kids in low-income households with
parents who had limited education.
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The majority of programs gave parents structured training in how to
read with children, with anywhere from 2 to 28 group or individual
coaching sessions.
One limitation of the analysis was that the studies were too varied
to test the effect of specific aspects of the reading programs.
Researchers couldn’t tell, for example, whether free books or
one-on-one coaching in families’ homes might influence how well the
interventions worked.
Still, the results offer fresh evidence that early literacy programs
have the potential to improve wellbeing for parents and children,
regardless of race, income or gender, said Dr. Caroline Kistin, a
pediatrics researcher at Boston University School of Medicine who
wasn’t involved in the study.
“Shared reading supports child cognitive development, helps children
develop the ability to pay attention and cooperate, and serves as a
bonding opportunity for parents and children,” Kistin said by email.
“The shared experience - spending time together, sitting close to
each other, making connections between the book and daily life - are
critical,” Kistin added. “The findings from this study highlight
that the time spent reading together also improves parents’
wellbeing and is associated with decreased stress, decreased
depression, and increased markers of parental competence.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2pHSWfk Pediatrics, online March 27, 2018.
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