Kindergarten readiness: five-year-olds read to almost every day are further ahead — in feelings as well as letters
What helps kindergarten readiness at home? In 2025 the OECD's International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study assessed more than 23,000 five-year-olds in eight countries and regions. Here is how much higher children scored when a parent read to them from a book five or more days a week, compared with less than once a week, after taking family background into account.
Score-point difference for children read to 5+ days a week, compared with less than once a week, after accounting for socio-economic status (IELS 2025 average). Source: OECD (2026), Building Strong Foundations for Life: Results from the 2025 Early Learning and Child Well-being Study, Figure 5.4 (IELS 2025 Database, Table B.5.16) · CC BY 4.0. This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries. Chart: Raising Stoics — free to embed with credit.
What the data shows
- Children read to from a book five or more days a week scored 32 points higher in early literacy and 23 points higher in early numeracy than children read to less than once a week — roughly a third and a quarter of a standard deviation.
- It isn't only letters and numbers: they also scored 17 points higher at identifying emotions, 14 higher in mental flexibility and 9 higher in working memory. For working out why someone feels a certain way (emotional attribution) the difference was small and not statistically clear.
- Reading one to four days a week sits in between — for example +12.5 points in literacy and +9.3 in identifying emotions.
- From the same report: talking with the child about how they feel is the most common home activity (76% of parents do it at least three days a week); 54% read from a book that often. 46% of five-year-olds use a digital device every day, and links between device use and scores were weak and mostly not significant.
What it means for parents
This is a link, not proof — families who read most days differ in other ways too, even after the study takes income and education into account. But it's one of the easiest habits to keep, and the emotion result is a reason to talk about the characters as you read: "How do you think she feels? What would you do?" Most days is the pattern that stands out; you don't need a reading program.
What is kindergarten readiness?
Kindergarten readiness usually means the mix of skills that help a child cope with, and learn in, a classroom. It's much broader than knowing letters and numbers.
Social and emotional skills: getting along with other children, taking turns, managing frustration, coping when a parent leaves, and asking an adult for help.
Self-regulation: sitting and listening for a short time, following simple instructions, waiting, and stopping an activity when asked.
Language and communication: talking in sentences, understanding stories, saying what they need.
Early literacy and numeracy: enjoying books, recognizing some letters, counting small groups, noticing shapes and patterns.
Self-care: using the toilet, washing hands, putting on a coat, opening a lunchbox.
Many teachers say the social and self-regulation skills matter most in the first weeks. A child who can wait for a turn and cope with a small disappointment is ready to learn letters; a child who knows every letter but can't manage the classroom often struggles. The OECD study above measured both sides and found that reading at home was linked to both.
Is my child ready for kindergarten? A practical checklist
There's no single test, and children develop unevenly. But a few everyday questions give a good picture.
Can they separate from you for a few hours without long-lasting distress? Can they play alongside and with other children, and take turns with some help? Can they follow a simple two-step instruction, like "hang up your coat and come to the rug"? Can they sit for a short story or activity? Can they say when they need the toilet, are hungry or are hurt? Can they manage basic self-care — toilet, hand-washing, shoes and coat with a little help? Do they enjoy books and have some interest in letters, numbers or counting?
A child doesn't need to tick every box. Most start kindergarten still working on several. If there are big gaps across many areas, or you're unsure, talk to the preschool teacher, who sees your child with a group of same-aged children every day.
In the US, whether to delay kindergarten by a year — sometimes called redshirting — is a common question, especially for children with summer birthdays. Research on it is mixed, and the answer depends on the child. A conversation with the preschool and the school is usually more useful than any general rule.
How to read with your child so it counts
The OECD finding is about frequency: reading most days. But how you read also matters, and there's good evidence for a simple approach.
It's often called dialogic reading — shared reading where the child becomes more of a storyteller over time. Instead of reading straight through, you pause and invite them in.
Ask what's happening: "What do you think he's doing?" Ask what might happen next: "What will she do now?" Ask about feelings: "How do you think the bear feels? How can you tell?" Link it to their life: "Remember when you felt like that?" Expand what they say: if they say "dog," you say "Yes, a big brown dog, running fast."
Several randomized studies have found that this kind of reading helps young children's vocabulary and language more than simply reading aloud.
The emotion questions are worth highlighting, given the OECD result on identifying emotions. Picture books are one of the easiest places to practice reading faces and situations, at a moment when nobody is upset.
Keep it enjoyable. Ten minutes on most days, with books your child chooses as well as ones you choose, adds up to far more than an occasional long session.
Show the data as a table
| Skill | Value |
|---|---|
| Emergent literacy | 32 pts |
| Emergent numeracy | 23 pts |
| Emotion identification | 16.7 pts |
| Mental flexibility | 14.4 pts |
| Working memory | 9.1 pts |
| Emotional attribution | 4.7 pts |
Source and method
Source: OECD (2026), Building Strong Foundations for Life: Results from the 2025 Early Learning and Child Well-being Study, Figure 5.4 (IELS 2025 Database, Table B.5.16). License: CC BY 4.0. This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries.
Values from the OECD's StatLink data for Figure 5.4 (IELS 2025 Database, Table B.5.16): the IELS average across participating countries and regions, score-point difference for children whose parents read to them from a book five or more days a week (and one to four days) compared with less than once a week, after accounting for the IELS index of socio-economic status. The 95% ranges are our approximation (estimate ± 1.96 × the standard error in the same file); the OECD marks significance on its own chart. The report warns that parent questionnaire response rates were low in some countries, including England and the Netherlands. Hangzhou (China) took part, but its results were not yet published.
FAQ
What are kindergarten readiness skills?
They span several areas: social and emotional skills like taking turns and coping with separation; self-regulation, such as listening and following simple instructions; language; early literacy and numeracy, like enjoying books and counting; and self-care, like using the toilet and putting on a coat. Teachers often see the social and self-regulation skills as the most important at the start.
Why is reading to children important?
Reading together builds vocabulary, listening and early literacy, and — as the OECD's 2025 study suggests — is also linked to children's ability to recognize emotions and to some thinking skills. It's also time together, which matters in itself. The benefits come mostly from reading regularly, ideally most days, and from talking about the story, not just reading the words.
When should you start teaching your child to read?
Formal teaching of reading usually starts in kindergarten or first grade, around five to six, and there's no benefit in pushing it earlier. Before that, the most useful things are reading aloud often, talking about stories, playing with rhymes and sounds, and letting children notice letters in everyday life. Children who enjoy books tend to learn to read more easily.
How many books should I read to my child a day?
There's no magic number. The OECD data point to frequency — reading on five or more days a week stood out — more than volume. One or two picture books a day, read with pauses and questions, is plenty for most four- to six-year-olds. Rereading favorites counts: repetition is how young children learn.
Does my child need to read before kindergarten?
No. Most children learn to read in kindergarten and first grade, and US kindergartens don't expect children to arrive reading. What helps more is a child who enjoys books, recognizes some letters, can listen to a story and talk about it, and can cope with the social side of a classroom. Pushing early reading rarely gives a lasting advantage.
Is it too late to start reading to my 5-year-old?
Not at all. Starting now still helps: the OECD comparison is about how often five-year-olds are read to, not when it began. Pick short, fun picture books, read at a regular time — bedtime works for many families — and ask a question or two about the story. Children who come to books later often catch up quickly once reading becomes a daily habit.
The course is built around picture books you read together, with questions about how the characters feel.