--- title: "Why Your Bedtime Story Matters More Than You Think: 7 Benefits of Fathers Reading to Their Children" description: Dads who read to their children boost language, vocabulary and school results. Seven benefits, and how to make story time count. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-06T08:00:00.064Z updated: 2026-11-06T17:47:32.287Z canonical: https://richdadmagazine.com/article/benefits-of-fathers-reading-to-children image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-10565632.webp categories: Fatherhood, Family & Relationships content_type: Guide publication: Rich Dad Magazine schema_type: Article --- When you pick up a picture book at bedtime, you give your child something that a mother's reading alone does not supply. Children whose fathers read to them at age two show stronger language skills at age four, and the effect holds even after the mother's reading and the family's circumstances are taken into account. Fathers still read less than mothers. A YouGov survey for the National Literacy Trust found that 71% of mothers felt they had the most influence on their child's literacy, compared with 36% of fathers. 2026 is the National Year of Reading, a campaign run by the Department for Education with the National Literacy Trust, which makes this a good year to claim story time as your own. ## Stronger Language Skills by Age Four A study of 405 two-parent families in Melbourne recorded how often each parent read to their child at age two, then tested the child's language two years later. Children whose fathers read to them had better language development at four. The father's reading improved spoken language rather than early reading skills such as recognising letters, so the benefit shows up first in how your child talks. ## Harder Words and Bigger Ideas In a study of 500 low-income fathers in the United States, children whose dads read to them often had better language a year later and better literacy two years later. The mothers' reading in the same families did not show the same effect. Recordings of the reading sessions showed that fathers used more abstract and complex language than mothers. When you use a word your toddler does not yet know, you stretch your child's thinking further than a simpler word would. ## Stories Linked to Your Child's Own Life Fathers tend to connect a book to the world outside it. If a page shows a swimming pool, a dad is more likely to bring up the day the family went swimming together. A link like this asks your child to recall a memory and compare it with the story, which is harder mental work than naming a picture. ## Better Results at Primary School Research from the Universities of Leeds and Manchester in 2023 found that fathers who read, draw and play with their young children give them an educational advantage at primary school. Ten minutes with a book at bedtime counts towards that advantage. ## A Male Reading Role Model for Your Son If the only people your son sees reading are his mother and his female teachers, he can come to see books as something women do. The National Literacy Trust reports that children with male reading role models are more likely to reach better levels of literacy than their peers. When you read in front of your son, and read to him, you show him that books belong to men too. ## Your Daughter Gains Even More In the American study of fathers reading, girls benefited the most from their father's story time. [Your daughter gains a reader who uses different language from her mother](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/girl-dads-study-daughters-fathers-partners) and who connects the story to her own experiences. ## Ten Minutes That Belong to the Two of You Sharing a book also [builds your relationship](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/editor-s-letter-outdoor-adventures-bond-and-the-best-gift-you-can-give-your-children-is-your-time). You sit close, you laugh at the same page and you end the day on a shared story. Humour adds to the effect, and [making your children laugh](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/humour-laughter-father-child-bond) is one of the most reliable ways to grow closer to them. ## How to Make Story Time Yours - Start before your child turns two, when the effect on language is strongest. - Ask 'What does this remind you of?' at least once in every book. - Read the long word on the page rather than swapping it for an easy one. - Act the story out with voices and sound effects, which many fathers do without thinking. - Let your children see you reading your own books, not only theirs. - Keep reading aloud after your child can read alone, as some children are disappointed when the bedtime story stops. - Put a book on this year's Christmas list for each of your children.