Over half of parents read to their children for 25 minutes a day

More than half of UK parents are reading to their children for at least 25 minutes a day, a study into family reading habits has revealed.

This positive news comes as the government launches new plans to try and boost literacy standards in school children across the country.

The research, carried out by childcare voucher provider Computershare Voucher Services (CVS), found that 51% of parents are reading to their child for 25 minutes or more each day.

Even more reassuringly, the research found that some enthusiastic parents are reading to their children for more extended periods.

It was found that 20% of parents manage to squeeze in an impressive 42 minutes of reading to their children every day.

'Busy parents face a number of time pressures and it's very positive to see that despite this, a majority are reading with their children regularly - with a quarter even managing over five hours a week,' said Julian Foster, managing director of CVS.

'This is great news, as research suggests that children who are read to on a regular basis before they start school are most likely to succeed, and it is thought to be a key predictor of educational success.'But the findings of the research were not all good news, as it was revealed that one in ten parents are spending less than nine minutes reading to their child daily. This figure increases the more siblings a child has.

Parents who read to their children for 25 minutes or more each day are giving them the best possible to start to their education, according to School's Minister Nick Gibb. Mr Gibb recently said that reading books for half an hour each day could be worth up to 12 months of extra schooling by the time children reach the age of 15.

A report by the Literacy Trust also highlighted the link between reading and educational attainment. It found that eight in 10 children who read over 10 books a month are above average readers, compared to just three in 10 who read infrequently.