Reading Programs May Teach Parents and Kids More Than Literacy

Social reading helps children pay attention and cooperate, and offers an opportunity to bond

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Programs that encourage parents to read with their kids may teach more than just book smarts. A new study suggests they may also be associated with better behavior and emotional health.

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.