Learning & Development
Journal Article
Parent-Child Shared Book Reading With Preschoolers During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
Date
August 31, 2026
NIEER’s new research publication in JAMA Network Open, "Parent-Child Shared Book Reading With Preschoolers During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic" authored by Kwanghee Jung and Steve Barnett, finds that parent-child shared reading declined during and after the pandemic.
Key findings from the nationally representative data include:
✅ Parent-reported shared reading dropped during the pandemic and remained lower through 2024, despite some rebound.
✅ Each additional 10 physical books in the home was associated with 8 percent higher odds of frequent reading. Access to eBooks had no statistically significant association.
✅ Screen time was negatively associated with reading frequency, suggesting digital media may displace interactive home learning routines.
✅ Black and Hispanic parents reported less frequent reading than other parents, but the Black-White difference is statistically insignificant after adjusting for other socioeconomic characteristics.
The Authors
Kwanghee Jung, PhD, an assistant research professor, brings to NIEER expertise in quantitative data analysis and is working on studies that analyze the effect of participation in state-funded preschool on children’s learning and development.
W. Steven (Steve) Barnett, PhD, is a Board of Governors Professor and the founder and Senior Co-Director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University. Dr. Barnett’s work primarily focuses on public policies regarding early childhood education, child care, and child development.
About NIEER
The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at the Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, conducts and disseminates independent research and analysis to inform early childhood education policy.
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