Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage parents to read to their children.

Research has shown that parental involvement in early education as part of daily family life at home has a greater impact on children’s well-being and achievement than any other factor, such as poverty, parental education or, later on, school environment.

Through the book gifting programme, the Department for Education funds the registered charity, Booktrust, to provide support to increase parental engagement and involvement in their child’s educational development. This includes:

1. a ‘Bookstart Baby’ pack to every child up to the age of one year;

2. a ‘Bookstart Treasure Pack’ to three and four-year-olds; and

3. working with children’s centres across England to engage disadvantaged families in their child’s education, providing resources and guidance around sharing books, stories and nursery rhymes.