Dads want to read more to kids: survey

Graham Macky loves reading stories to his children Jack (left), 8 and Georgia (right), 6. Photo / Ben Fraser

A survey suggests only a small percentage of New Zealand fathers read to their children at night - but some Rotorua dads say they are the main bedtime readers and wouldn't have it any other way.

A Paper Plus Group survey based on the reading habits of New Zealand parents, says only 6 per cent of households named dads as the main reader of stories.

Three out of four dads surveyed said they wanted to read more to their children but lacked the time.

While the survey suggests mothers are the main story reader in the household, 94 per cent of fathers who responded were reading to their children at least once a week.

Rotorua dad Graham Macky does most of the reading with his two children. "I think reading to your kids is a pretty important ritual and one that continues as they grow older.

"When they were younger I used to do most the reading but now we pick a book and share the load. It's good to give them the practise and when they get stuck on a word, it's good to be able to help them sound it out rather than just telling them what it says.

"Reading is a good bonding experience so I love being able to sit down and do it with them at night."

Bill Hedges said while it seemed like a small thing, reading stories to his children was crucial for setting them up later in life. "Those young years are the most important period of development so reading to your children, whether you're mum or dad, is vital. "I was the main worker so when I read them stories was the time I got to bond with them. As they got older, they may have started reading on their own, but we kept that bond going.

"After a while I decided to leave my job and go out on my own because I didn't want to miss my children growing up. Doing that may have limited my opportunities in some areas but when I look at all the time I've spent with my kids, I wouldn't want it any other way."

Massey University literacy education Professor Tom Nicholson said books, as well as dads as reading role models, were "hugely important" to a child's development. "Having a male role-model when it comes to reading can have a really positive effect on a child. When fathers take an active role in their child's reading and education, he or she is more likely to do better at school."

Tips for reading

* Make the first line of the story sound really exciting
* Change your voice according to the characters and the action
* Pause at the end of sentences for dramatic effect
* Slow down as you reach the end of the story

- Tom Nicholson, Professor of Literacy Education at Massey University.