The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to read aloud to newborns and young children to foster relationships and promote brain development. The updated policy statement emphasizes the importance of shared reading for social-emotional, cognitive, language, and literacy development. The AAP recommends pediatricians to support families with guidance and books at well-child visits, prioritize offering books to children from low-income families, and advocate for diverse, high-quality children’s books. The goal is to establish lifelong benefits from early reading experiences, as research shows that reading proficiency by third grade can predict high school graduation and career success.
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Shared reading starting in infancy promoted as a positive parenting practice with lifelong benefits
