Reading to Young Children: A Head-Start in Life?

45 Pages Posted: 8 Jun 2013

See all articles by Guyonne R.J. Kalb

Guyonne R.J. Kalb

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research; ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course; IZA

Jan C. van Ours

Tilburg University - Department of Economics; University of Melbourne - Department of Economics

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Abstract

This paper investigates the importance of parents reading to their young children. Using Australian data we find that parental reading to children at age 4 to 5 has positive and significant effects on reading skills and cognitive skills of these children at least up to age 10 or 11. Our findings are robust to a wide range of sensitivity analyses.

Keywords: reading to children, reading skills, other cognitive skills

JEL Classification: C26, I21, J24

Suggested Citation

Kalb, Guyonne R.J. and van Ours, Jan C., Reading to Young Children: A Head-Start in Life?. IZA Discussion Paper No. 7416, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2276308 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2276308

Guyonne R.J. Kalb (Contact Author)

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research ( email )

Level 5, FBE Building, 111 Barry Street
Parkville, Victoria 3010
Australia

ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course ( email )

185 Pelham Street
Carlton, 3053
Australia

IZA ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Jan C. Van Ours

Tilburg University - Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands
+31 13 466 2880 (Phone)
+31 13 466 3042 (Fax)

University of Melbourne - Department of Economics ( email )

Melbourne, 3010
Australia

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