As we celebrate the National Year of Reading and the ten‑year anniversary of the One Education Reading Award, we are reminded that reading is not simply a school subject – it is a lifelong, life‑changing practice. Reading at home in EYFS is paramount to boost phonics, word reading, comprehension and other essential skills. Moreover, research consistently shows that children who choose to read, who feel emotionally connected to books, and who see themselves reflected in texts are more likely to succeed; academically, socially and personally.
Though society is changing and there is so much competing for children’s attention, we have to work hard to help everyone remember why books are so important. New research from the National Literacy Trust shows that socioeconomic pressures on young families, alongside gaps in confidence and knowledge, are contributing to a sustained decline in parents’ engagement with daily activities known to support children’s early literacy development.
A survey of 3,000 UK parents of children aged 0–5 revealed a six year decline in parents chatting, playing and reading with their young children daily at home, with families living in disadvantaged communities most disproportionately affected.
The report found that in 2025:
- Fewer than half (45.9%) of parents said they read with their child daily, falling 9.1% since 2024 and 30.6% since 2019
- Just over half (51.6%) said they play with their child daily, dropping 8.6% in one year and 32.8% since 2019
- Only around one in four parents (27.9%) said they painted, drew or made things together every day
- Chatting daily remained the most common home learning activity (70.2%), but rates declined by 10% in the past year alone and 22% since 2019
As Tracy Jackson CBE, National Literacy Trust Assistant Director of Early Years, explains:
“Parents want the best start in life for their child, and many tell us they recognise how crucial chatting, playing and reading every day is. But families are also under enormous pressure and are asking for more support at home, in their communities and from early years settings to give them the confidence, skills and inspiration to boost their child’s literacy at home.”
We know that early literacy is critical to children’s future success, but also to social mobility, workforce skills and economic resilience. We need to help children and families develop strong foundations for reading, regardless of background.
So what can we, as parents and educators, do to help change this narrative?
Redefining Shared Reading at Home: The Four T’s
Traditionally, “reading at home” has often been presented as listening to a child read aloud or practising phonics skills. Several years ago, I met Dr Rachael Levy who helped us to consider an approach which invites parents and educators to imagine something richer and more human.
In Family Literacies: Reading with Young Children, Levy and Hall present how shared reading in homes can be characterised by The Four T’s: Text. Talk. Time. Togetherness.
This reframes shared reading as a relational, emotional and cultural practice, rather than a performance and ensures that shared reading is not about testing, correcting or rushing but that it is about being together with a text. Although rooted in early childhood, the Four T’s provide a powerful reading framework for all ages, from EYFS through to KS2, and sit at the heart of effective home–school reading partnerships. I will explain this approach further before exploring how we can support reading at home for children in EYFS and KS1, KS2, and beyond.
Time
Time spent reading together is not “extra” and we need to help shift the narrative to see it is essential. Children need unpressured time with stories: time to linger on illustrations, re‑read favourites, ask questions and drift into imagination.
This is particularly important in EYFS, where short, frequent story moments build security and positive associations. However, it remains just as vital in KS1 and KS2, where busy routines can easily crowd reading out.
Talk
Talk is the bridge between text and meaning. Conversations before, during and after reading help children to:
- grow vocabulary
- understand emotions and motives
- make sense of the world
When families talk about texts children learn that stories are meant to be shared, questioned and enjoyed. This talk may look different at different ages: a toddler naming pictures, a KS1 child predicting what might happen next, or a KS2 child debating a character’s decisions but its purpose remains the same: making meaning together.
The text may provoke a conversation that is not related to the text and that is completely ok too ad daily conversations with children are extremely important to their development, self-regulation, executive function and, importantly, a sense of belonging.
Text
In strong home reading cultures, text means far more than one scheme book. It includes: picture books, poems, comics and magazines; non‑fiction, instructions and recipes; texts in different languages and formats; pictures, postcards, leaflets and more!
Crucially, children need access to texts that reflect real lives and diverse experiences. Research into ethnic representation in children’s literature shows that representation matters and children must be able to see themselves in books as well as learn about others. As Rudine Sims Bishop says books can be mirrors: where we see our own lives and experiences; windows; offering views of different worlds; or sliding glass doors where they can be part of the world that has been created. And we need to ensure all of these are available to all children as every child deserves to feel that reading is “for people like me”.
Togetherness
At its core, shared reading is about relationship. The time spent together can bring closeness, belonging and shared attention. Togetherness transforms reading from a task into a treasured part of the day.
This might look like:
- snuggling up at bedtime
- sitting on the sofa in the middle of the day
- laughing together at a familiar story
- listening to stories about memories from the past
- An audiobook listened to together
- a parent reading aloud long after a child can read independently
Togetherness is the glue that binds reading to wellbeing, confidence and connection and it is this sense of shared experience that underpins how children engage with reading as they grow, from the earliest story times through to independent and critical reading in later years.
In our next blog, we will share practical strategies on how teachers can support reading at home in EYFS all the way through to KS4.
If you would like further support on developing reading cultures, engaging families, and fostering reading at home in EYFS, please contact laura.buczko@oneeducation.co.uk
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