A recent study by the National Literacy Trust revealed that one in three kids has never seen their dad pick up a book to read and one in seven has never been to a bookstore. Whether you like to read or not, a parent’s reading habits can have a strong impact on a child.

The survey of 21,000 kids aged 8-16 showed a declining involvement of fathers in a child’s reading. Fathers are said to be “important reading role models for their children,” but research shows little evidence to support that. However, it can be noted that those who have trouble reading were four times more likely to mention that they received no encouragement from dad. The percentage of children who said they were not encouraged to read by their father increased from 29 to 34 percent between 2005 and 2011.

“Young people encouraged by a family member are twice as likely to read outside of class every day as those who receive no encouragement,and those who see their parents read regularly also report more positive reading attitudes, increased reading frequency and enjoyment,  the study said.”

Time spent at work didn’t fully explain the statistics, as fathers who were unemployed were more likely not to read to their children. The study added that literacy support does not require a high level of academics and can be as simple as talking about reading or being seen reading. Television presenter, Richard Madeley of “Richard and Judy,” supports the National Literacy Trust’s cause and says he often read to his own children.

“I started reading to my children when they were just babies, putting on the different voices and having fun with the stories. My kids have grown up to be big book fans and I think this was partly down to me enjoying books with them from an early age.”

Read the full article and see more findings from the study on the Daily Mail website.

BMWK– How are you encouraging your kids to read? How often do they witness you reading?