BlogReading togetherSchool and learning
Ten minutes a night: why reading to your child matters
You do not need a library or perfect English. A few minutes with a book, every night, gives your child more than you might think.
September 17, 20261 min read
Of all the things you can do for your child’s future, reading together might be the simplest. It costs little, it fits into the busiest day, and children love it.
Reading aloud grows your child’s vocabulary and helps them understand how stories and sentences work, long before they can read on their own. But the biggest gift is not the words. It is ten quiet minutes with you, close together, every day.
You do not need to be a great reader
Some fathers avoid reading aloud because they feel their own reading is not strong, or because English is not their first language. Do not let that stop you. Read in whatever language you speak at home. Tell stories from your own childhood. Describe the pictures and ask what your child thinks will happen next. What matters is the time and the talk.
Make it a habit
Pick a time and keep it. Bedtime works well for most families.
Let your child choose the book, even if it is the same one every night.
Use voices. Be the lion, the grandmother, the market woman. Children remember it.
Stop while they still want more.
Books are everywhere
Borrow from schools, churches, mosques and community libraries, or swap with other parents. The African Storybook has thousands of free picture books in African languages that you can read on a phone.
When you are away
If you work far from home, you can still read together. Read over a video call, or record yourself reading a story so your child can listen at bedtime.
Start tonight. Ten minutes. One book. Your child will remember that you were there.
