The single most powerful thing a caregiver can do with a child, according to the research, is also the simplest.
Grounded in: five_practices.Reading, engagement_constructs.home_literacy_environment
Script
The single most powerful thing a caregiver can do with a child, according to a new Mathematica study for IMLS, is also the simplest.
Shared reading frequency showed up in more than a third of the 84 prioritized research manuscripts — more than any other home literacy practice.
Storytime isn't reading to children; it's where caregivers learn how to read with them — how to pause, ask questions, and make the book a conversation.
In the same 15 minutes, a child builds vocabulary, phonological awareness, and a relationship with books that doesn't feel like work.
Libraries design storytime for caregivers as participants, not audience — programs like Prime Time Family Reading and Growing Readers Together teach the Five Practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.
Your local library is running one this week, probably free, and it's the oldest literacy program in the building.
Source: Mathematica for IMLS, February 2026.
Read the full Mathematica study (link)
Approach
Zoom into the single most-cited practice. Warm, parent-voiced. Ends on 'your library runs one this week.'
Find a storytime at your local library.
Source: "Child Reading Literacy and the Role of Public Libraries: A Review of Secondary Sources" by Mathematica for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), 2026-03-23.
Download the full report (PDF) · IMLS publication page
Download the full report (PDF) · IMLS publication page
This publication is authored by Mathematica. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Institute of Museum and Library Services or the U.S. Government.