Daily reading doubles children’s concentration, new study finds

Children who read every day can concentrate on reading for more than twice as long as those who read less than once a week, according to a new study published by Nosy Crow.

The research, commissioned for this National Year of Reading, suggests the benefits of regular reading go far beyond books. Children who read daily were found to have longer attention spans across a range of activities.

Researchers found that children aged zero-12 who read every day were able to focus on independent reading for 109 per cent longer than those who read less than once a week. Daily readers also demonstrated greater concentration when listening to audiobooks, completing homework and taking part in creative activities.

Reading linked to longer focus across learning and play

According to the study, daily readers could focus on arts and crafts for 49 per cent longer and homework for 39 per cent longer than children who read less than once a week. They were also able to maintain attention for longer when doing puzzles, listening to stories, playing sports and playing with friends.

The only activity where frequent readers showed a shorter attention span was mobile phone use. Children who read less than once a week were able to focus on scrolling on mobile devices for 23 per cent longer than daily readers.

Researchers say the findings point to a possible link between building reading stamina and developing the concentration required for a wide range of creative, educational and social activities.

Parents play a crucial role in encouraging reading

The study also found that children’s reading habits are strongly influenced by support from adults at home.

Girls were more likely than boys to read independently every day. However, boys and girls were equally likely to read daily when reading with an adult. Researchers said this underlines the importance of parents and carers in helping children develop positive reading habits.

The study revealed that independent reading peaked at age 10 before declining in later years.

Reading with a parent or carer was most common among children aged three and four. By the age of 12, only eight per cent of children were reading daily with an adult at home.

More than a third of parents and carers surveyed said they were concerned about their child’s ability to concentrate on reading. Reading before bed and choosing books based on children’s interests was identified as the most effective ways of improving focus.

Reading boosts wellbeing and creativity

Parents and carers also linked independent reading with positive emotional wellbeing. Children were most commonly described as feeling happy, calm, relaxed, focused and inspired after reading.

By contrast, while children were also reported to feel happy after using mobile phones and tablets, parents were significantly more likely to describe them as feeling overstimulated afterwards.

Kate Wilson, MD and co-founder of Nosy Crow, said:

“As well as this being the National Year of Reading, 2026 is also Nosy Crow’s 15th Anniversary. To mark these events we are delighted to share the findings of our report which digs deeper into the importance of independent reading as a foundation for a range of other skills. Our findings are hopeful and definitely warrant further study. It is encouraging to see a clear correlation between building reading stamina by reading every day, and a wide range of creative, play and learning activities. For parents and carers seeking to support their children with building their reading stamina – whether they’re at the beginning of their reading journey, or somewhere along the way – we’ve created a free resource with our top tips to support reading at home.”

Compared with children who read less than once per week, children who read independently every day can focus on:

• Listening to an audiobook for 70 per cent longer
• Taking part in arts and crafts for 49 per cent longer
• Doing a puzzle for 45 per cent longer
• Completing homework for 39 per cent longer
• Listening to an adult read a story for 33 per cent longer
• Playing an imaginative game for 22 per cent longer
• Playing sports for 18 per cent longer
• Playing with another child for 12 per cent longer
• Playing with a toy for 10 per cent longer

Other key findings

• Children who read daily can focus on independent reading for 109 per cent longer than those who read less than once a week.
• Adult support narrows the gender gap: boys and girls are equally likely to read daily with an adult, although girls are 23 per cent more likely to read independently every day.
• Reading habits peak early: independent reading is most common at age 10, while reading with a parent or carer peaks at ages three and four before declining sharply through the later primary years.
• Around one in four children (26 per cent) read independently every day, while four in five (80 per cent) read independently at least weekly.
• More than one-third of parents and carers (34 per cent) are concerned about their child’s ability to concentrate on reading.
• Parents identified reading books on topics children enjoy and reading before bed as the most effective ways to support concentration.

10 tips to support children with reading at home for the National Year of Reading:

1.         Read a little

Don’t expect your toddler to listen to books for hours on end. Don’t even expect your your seven year-old to immerse themselves silently in a 200 page novel until lunchtime. Let them read, or read to them, or listen to an audio book, in short bursts, if that’s what they want.

2.          Read together

In experiments we see that when a parent reads to a child, their brainwaves synchronise: it’s a truly bonding experience. Evidence supports the benefits of reading to older children too. Other carers – grandparents, aunts and uncles – can make reading aloud part of their special time with a child of any age. Older siblings can have fun showing off their reading skills and connecting with their younger sibling by reading to them.

3.          Read what they choose

Let the child choose. If you have books at home, make sure they’re easy to get at from babyhood up. Read aloud what they want to have read aloud, even if you’re bored and it’s the 10th read that day. If you go to a library or a bookshop, let the child select the book they want to read. It’s empowering and means they’re invested in their own choice. Try not to judge or dismiss any of their choices as too hard, or too easy, or too silly. Funny books can really capture children’s attention.

4.          Read until they’ve had enough

It’s fine not to finish a book. If reading a particular book really isn’t engaging a child, try to find out why so that your conversation with them about what the book they choose next is more informed. Put the unfinished book to one side, give it to another child or to your school, or return it to the library.

5.          Read in series

Children often like what is familiar. It’s fine for them to power through whole series of books to the exclusion of everything else. This is particularly important when they are learning to read independently, which is hard work. The next book in the series gives the child the guarantee that the effort of decoding the letters on the page will give them the same sort of pleasure of the last book in the series that they enjoyed. That’s a great incentive.

6.          Read it again

Sometimes a child likes the experience of reading a familiar book, whether that’s a board book or a novel, so much that they go back to it over and over again. That’s more than fine. It is great practice and a huge comfort. In an unpredictable world, stories and characters in books stay the same, but there’s an opportunity to find a new detail every time. Knowing the words of a picture book story by heart, for example, can really help a child make the bridge into understanding that the letters in the page correspond to the words they are saying.

7.          Read by listening

Audiobooks are books too, and they’re available in lots of formats to buy and from the library. You can listen to an audiobook in the car or around the house. You could even switch back and forward from the print version to the audio version.

8.          Read and talk

When you’re reading aloud to your child, don’t necessarily just stick to the word on the page. If you’re reading a board book to a baby, you can break off to ask, “Where’s the cat? What noise does a cat make?”.  When you’re reading to a 9 year-old and something unexpected happens in the plot, you can ask, “Did you see that coming?!” It makes reading the jumping-off point for a conversation, for connection. If your child asks you a question arising from their own silent reading, explore the topic together.

9.          Read to learn

Some children love stories and reading. Some love football or cars or space or animals. Lean into their enthusiasm as a way of encouraging reading by helping them find books that help them to discover more about the thing they love.

10.        Read yourself

Children learn by watching parents. If a child sees you enjoying reading, they associate it with calm, pleasure, and doing a grown-up thing. It inspires them to read for pleasure too.