Irish parents ''want more bedtime reading''
Many Irish parents say they want to spend more time reading to their children before bedtime.
A new survey conducted by Bord Gais Energy Book Club found 47 per cent of mums and dads help their youngsters drift off to sleep by reading to them in bed.
However, 43 per cent said they wish they could spend even more time doing this.
St Patrick's College literacy lecturer Dr Eithne Kennedy said reading is a "critical" part of a child's development, as it helps them at school and in everyday life.
"It opens up new worlds, nourishes imagination, creativity, thinking skills, general knowledge and vocabulary," she added.
The study also discovered that printed books are the preferred choice of reading material, with 98 per cent of parents choosing these instead of e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle.
A study from Feather & Black recently revealed reading bedtime stories to their children is 23 per cent of parents' favourite time of day.
Posted by Elizabeth Mewes
