We all know reading with young children matters. But the reality is, it’s not happening as often as it used to.

A 2024 report by the National Literacy Trust (NLT), which surveyed around 2,000 UK parents of children aged 0–5, showed that only half said they’d read with their child at least once a day in the past week. Just a few years ago, those numbers were about 15% higher.

It’s not just toddlers missing out, either. The same organization found that over half of children and teens aged 8–18 don’t enjoy reading in their free time.

So what makes reading with young children so important—and how can parents make the most of it? To find out, Bored Panda spoke with Meera Mehta, a speech and language therapist and founder of Speech and Language Techniques, an independent therapy practice in London.

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Meera later moved to the UK to study speech and language therapy at the University of Sheffield. Her journey was driven by a genuine desire to make a difference both in her own life and in the lives of children and families who need support with communication.

“At the heart of everything I do is a deep passion for helping others,” she told us. Now, with over a decade of experience working in the UK and Kenya, Meera continues to bring that same care and dedication to every family she works with.

“As a speech-language therapist, I cannot overstate how powerful reading to children can be—not only for language development but for building the foundation of lifelong communication skills,” she said.

According to Meera, these are some of the main reasons why reading regularly with young children can make a lasting difference:

Supporting the growth of vocabulary

Children learn new words through repeated, meaningful exposure. Books introduce vocabulary that may not come up in everyday conversations—words like “enormous,” “beneath,” or “adventure.” “These rich, descriptive words help expand a child’s expressive and receptive vocabulary,” Meera explained.

Supporting speech sound development

Listening to well-formed speech in stories helps children learn how words are pronounced and how sounds are properly articulated. Rhyming books and repetition are especially helpful—they give kids the chance to hear and practice the sounds of language, building phonological awareness, which plays a key role in both speaking confidently and learning to read.

Developing listening and comprehension skills

Storytime also helps children learn how to follow a narrative, make predictions, understand cause and effect, and build listening stamina. “These skills are crucial not only in academics but also in everyday communication and social interactions,” she said.

Encouraging joint attention and interaction

Reading together naturally creates moments for back-and-forth conversation. Asking questions like “What do you think will happen next?” or “How do you think the character feels?” sparks critical thinking and expressive language.

Building social and emotional connection

Books create a safe, gentle way to talk about emotions, relationships, and the world around us. “As therapists, we often use stories to help children understand feelings, resolve conflicts, and navigate social situations,” Meera shared.

Preventing language delays

Reading regularly from a young age can also help prevent or reduce language delays. Children who are read to consistently are more likely to meet developmental milestones on time and enter school with stronger communication skills.

One thing to keep in mind is that while reading is wonderful on its own, how and when we read to children also plays a big part in how much they get out of it. And when it comes to timing, the truth might surprise you.

“As a speech therapist, one of the most common questions I’m asked is, ‘When should I start reading to my child?’” Meera shared. “And my answer is always the same: it’s never too early, even from the womb.”

Yes, really.

“By around 25 to 28 weeks of pregnancy, your baby’s hearing is developed enough to recognize sounds, including your voice,” Meera explained. “Research has shown that babies in the womb can hear, process, and remember rhythmic sounds like speech and music.”

Reading aloud during pregnancy helps your baby become familiar with the rhythm and melody of your voice. It supports early auditory recognition, strengthens the bond between parent and child, and lays the foundation for brain development.

Even if they don’t understand the words, the consistent sound of your voice brings comfort and begins the learning journey long before birth.

And just because your baby is out of the womb doesn’t mean the reading should stop. It’s actually just the beginning.

Newborns are naturally soothed by your voice, and reading aloud helps them tune into the rhythm and emotion in your speech. Even though they don’t understand the words yet, they’re already learning to listen and focus. At this stage, it’s not about the story, it’s about the connection. Whether it’s a black-and-white board book, a magazine, or even your own novel, what matters most is that they hear your voice.

As babies grow, especially between 6 and 12 months, they start to engage more actively. They begin looking at pictures, turning pages, and responding to familiar patterns. Rhyming and repetition help them recognize sounds, and some may even start babbling along—an early step toward speech.

By the time children are around 4 to 8 years old, they’re entering a crucial stage in their language and communication development. According to Meera, this is when they start moving from learning to read to reading to learn.

Books that introduce new vocabulary, use rich and descriptive language, and invite natural questions can make a big impact. Think of prompts like, “What does that mean?” or “Have you ever heard that word before?” There’s also no need to shy away from longer or unfamiliar words. “Just explain them in a simple way,” Meera encouraged.

That’s exactly the age group we had in mind when creating Bored Panda’s very first children’s book. In the story, Panda loses power and suddenly has no screen to rely on. Bored and unsure what to do, he eventually discovers that boredom isn’t such a bad thing, it’s where imagination has the space to grow.

Reading at this age should also be an interactive experience. According to Meera, encouraging children to engage with the story helps build critical thinking, oral language, and narrative skills.

“Ask open-ended questions like, ‘What do you think will happen next?’ or ‘Why do you think the character did that?’” she suggested. Letting kids predict, explain, and retell the story in their own words supports both speaking and reading comprehension.

She also recommends exposing kids to different types of texts. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, even comics—each one helps children experience language in a different way. Fiction builds imagination, nonfiction introduces facts and real-world language, and poetry supports rhythm and sound awareness. Graphic novels, meanwhile, can be especially effective for visual learners or reluctant readers.

Comprehension is just as important as decoding the words on the page. “Ask questions that go beyond ‘What happened?’ like, ‘How do you think the character felt?’ or ‘What would you do in that situation?’” Meera explained. “Kids with strong oral comprehension are more likely to become strong readers, even if their decoding takes time.”

“Model clear speech and expressive language,” Meera advised. If a child struggles with certain sounds or grammar, storytime becomes a natural opportunity for gentle correction and repetition. And don’t worry about reading the same book again and again—“Repetition strengthens language pathways,” she said.

To help guide the kinds of questions you ask while reading, Meera suggests looking into the Blanks Levels of Questioning, developed by psychologist Dr. Marion Blank. This framework is widely used by speech therapists and educators to support children’s understanding by matching questions to their developmental level.

Here’s a quick overview of the four levels:

Level 1 – Matching Perception (around 2–3 years and up):

Focuses on naming and identifying. Try: “What is this?” or “Show me the cat.”

Great for building early attention and vocabulary.

Level 2 – Simple Understanding (3–4 years and up):

Encourages description and basic reasoning. Ask: “What is the boy doing?” or “Which one is bigger?”

Helps kids describe, classify, and recognize features.

Level 3 – Early Reasoning (4–5 years and up):

Builds prediction and inference. Questions like: “What will happen next?” or “Why is he wearing a coat?”

Supports comprehension and problem-solving.

Level 4 – Higher-Level Thinking (5–6 years and up):

Encourages abstract reasoning. Try: “Why did she do that?” or “What might happen if...?”

Fosters flexible thinking and deeper understanding.

“Reading at this age isn't just about books—it's about building a child’s voice, confidence, and connection to language,” Meera said. “Whether they’re reading to you, you’re reading to them, or you’re just talking about a book—it all counts.”