ChatGPT, cooking and Christopher Walken: how parents got their kids to love reading in 2025
Fewer children are reading for fun - but parents are trying everything from AI to dramatic voices to keep them engaged
TL;DR
- Reading test scores are down, and fewer undergraduates are reading full books.
- A survey shows less than half of Gen Z parents find reading to their children fun, and almost one in three view it as a task rather than an enjoyable experience.
- Only a third of children aged five to 10 frequently read for fun, a decrease from over half in 2012.
- Parents are using AI tools like ChatGPT to generate personalized bedtime stories, often with custom accents and characters, which can increase engagement.
- Using cookbooks for reading is suggested as a way to 'sneak in reading' by engaging children in following instructions to create something.
- Actors are using dramatic voices and character impressions to narrate books, making stories more engaging and memorable for children.
- Librarians recommend modeling reading behavior, encouraging children to make stories meaningful, and establishing dedicated times and spaces for reading.