Good readers make better students?

CHILDREN whose parents regularly read to them when they are young are likely to perform better in literacy test, a landmark study says.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies surveyed thousands of children and found that solid foundations for reading at the ages of four and five was linked to higher literacy scores in NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy)

Mini-bookworms who were read to often, surrounded by books at home and visited the library, were the best off, researchers Killian Mullan and Galina Daraganova found.

While the study dealt with children aged four and up, experts say parents can start on the path to developing literacy skills from birth. The research used data from a longitudinal study of nearly 5000 children, using time-diaries when they were aged 4-5 and then 10-11.

It also evaluated the impact of early reading on NAPLAN scores for about half the group in years 3 and 5.

About 50 per cent of young children were read to almost every day, 30 per cent three to five times a week, and one in five just one or two days a week.

But by the time they hit 10 or 11, a hard-core group of one in 10 shun books and don't enjoy reading.

Dr Mullan said it highlighted the importance of a supportive family environment at an early age.

"The early home environment is directly important to literacy scores in NAPLAN in year 3," he said.