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From Stories at Bedtime to a Love of Reading: Parental Practices and Beliefs about Reading with Infants

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Title: From Stories at Bedtime to a Love of Reading: Parental Practices and Beliefs about Reading with Infants
Language: English
Authors: Suzanne M. Egan (ORCID 0000-0001-7238-6529), Mary Moloney, Jennifer Pope, Deirdre Breatnach, Clara Hoyne
Source: Journal of Early Childhood Literacy. 2025 25(1):158-184.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 27
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Reading Aloud to Others, Infants, Parents, Parent Attitudes, Story Reading, Barriers, Psychological Patterns, Childrens Literature, Books, Correlation, Incidence, Child Development, Social Development, Emotional Development, Parent Child Relationship, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Ireland
DOI: 10.1177/14687984221123710
ISSN: 1468-7984
1741-2919
Abstract: Although it is well established that reading with young children supports early language and literacy development, few studies have focused on the importance of parental beliefs about reading with infants. The current study, which sheds light on parental beliefs had three main aims. The first was to examine practices of shared reading in infancy (birth to 1 year old), while the second, sought to examine parents' views on benefits of and potential barriers to reading with infants. The third aim was to explore how parents' beliefs about reading, and their own enjoyment of reading, may influence the early home literacy environment they create for their infants. Drawing upon a mixed methods approach, comprising surveys and interviews with parents of infants (n = 31), this paper highlights the importance of parents' own enjoyment of reading. The findings, which are considered from a bioecological perspective, indicate that parents' enjoyment of reading was significantly and positively associated with the number of children's books in their home, and the frequency of reading with their infant, as well as their hope for their child's future enjoyment of reading. Parents noted that one of the main benefits of reading with their infants related to socio-emotional development and the one-to-one time, rather than the language and literacy benefits, which constitute the focus of much research in this area. The findings further point to an intergenerational transfer of a love of reading.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1466333
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: From Stories at Bedtime to a Love of Reading: Parental Practices and Beliefs about Reading with Infants
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Suzanne+M%2E+Egan%22">Suzanne M. Egan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7238-6529">0000-0001-7238-6529</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mary+Moloney%22">Mary Moloney</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+Pope%22">Jennifer Pope</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Deirdre+Breatnach%22">Deirdre Breatnach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Clara+Hoyne%22">Clara Hoyne</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Early+Childhood+Literacy%22"><i>Journal of Early Childhood Literacy</i></searchLink>. 2025 25(1):158-184.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 27
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Aloud+to+Others%22">Reading Aloud to Others</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infants%22">Infants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Attitudes%22">Parent Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Story+Reading%22">Story Reading</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Childrens+Literature%22">Childrens Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Books%22">Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Incidence%22">Incidence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Development%22">Child Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Development%22">Social Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Development%22">Emotional Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ireland%22">Ireland</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1177/14687984221123710
– Name: ISSN
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  Data: 1468-7984<br />1741-2919
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Although it is well established that reading with young children supports early language and literacy development, few studies have focused on the importance of parental beliefs about reading with infants. The current study, which sheds light on parental beliefs had three main aims. The first was to examine practices of shared reading in infancy (birth to 1 year old), while the second, sought to examine parents' views on benefits of and potential barriers to reading with infants. The third aim was to explore how parents' beliefs about reading, and their own enjoyment of reading, may influence the early home literacy environment they create for their infants. Drawing upon a mixed methods approach, comprising surveys and interviews with parents of infants (n = 31), this paper highlights the importance of parents' own enjoyment of reading. The findings, which are considered from a bioecological perspective, indicate that parents' enjoyment of reading was significantly and positively associated with the number of children's books in their home, and the frequency of reading with their infant, as well as their hope for their child's future enjoyment of reading. Parents noted that one of the main benefits of reading with their infants related to socio-emotional development and the one-to-one time, rather than the language and literacy benefits, which constitute the focus of much research in this area. The findings further point to an intergenerational transfer of a love of reading.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1466333
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        Value: 10.1177/14687984221123710
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 27
        StartPage: 158
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Reading Aloud to Others
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Infants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parent Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Story Reading
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Childrens Literature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Books
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Correlation
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      – SubjectFull: Incidence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Development
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      – SubjectFull: Social Development
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      – SubjectFull: Emotional Development
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ireland
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: From Stories at Bedtime to a Love of Reading: Parental Practices and Beliefs about Reading with Infants
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            NameFull: Clara Hoyne
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              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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