Parental Reading and Singing to California’s Young Children – Trends, Predictors, and Association with the Talk. Read. Sing.® Campaign

Talking, reading, and singing to children are critical to their development of literacy and language skills. Reading aloud to children when they are 5 years old or younger is associated with enhanced social and emotional development and improved behaviors and attention. This study -- which uses California Health Interview Survey data from 2005-2009 -- found:

• trends in parents' reading and singing to their children from birth to 5 trends in parents' reading and singing to their children from birth to 5 years of age
• identified characteristics associated with reading and singing to children from birth to 5 years of age
• assessed the reach of the Talk. Read. Sing. campaign, as well as the relationship between the campaign awareness and reading and singing to children from birth to 5 years of age.

This policy brief was made possible by funds received from First 5 California.