Reading, Singing or Storytelling in Louisiana
Louisiana
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Louisiana Value:
50.0%
Percentage of children ages 0-5 whose family members read, sang or told stories to them every day during the past week (2-year estimate)
Louisiana Rank:
47
Reading, Singing or Storytelling in depth:
Appears In:
Reading, Singing or Storytelling by State
Percentage of children ages 0-5 whose family members read, sang or told stories to them every day during the past week (2-year estimate)
Reading, Singing or Storytelling
- National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), 2020-2021
About Reading, Singing or Storytelling
US Value: 57.2%
Top State(s): New Hampshire: 73.9%
Bottom State(s): Arkansas: 46.4%
Definition: Percentage of children ages 0-5 whose family members read, sang or told stories to them every day during the past week (2-year estimate)
Data Source and Years(s): National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), 2020-2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
In 1985 the Commission on Reading published their landmark report Becoming a Nation of Readers, in which reading aloud to children was described as the most important factor in developing literacy. Research shows that regularly reading aloud to children stimulates brain development, which builds language and literacy skills.
Other language-rich experiences that benefit brain development and future school success include talking and singing to young children. Talking, reading and singing together also strengthen the parent-child bond, which is associated with better physical and mental health.
The percentage of families who read to children every day is higher among:
- Non-Hispanic white families compared with non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic families. Also, a higher percentage of white families sing songs or tell stories to their children everyday compared with non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic families.
- Households with higher incomes compared with households with lower incomes. Similarly, a higher percentage of children from higher-income households have family members who sing songs or tell stories to them compared with children from lower-income households.
Some states have implemented evidence-based initiatives to encourage reading, singing or storytelling among parents. Early Head Start programs help parents and caregivers develop strong bonds with their children and meet early childhood development goals for literacy, cognition, motor skills and more. Other evidence-based programs include Raising a Reader and Reach Out and Read. These programs teach parents to read interactively with their children, connect families to local libraries and provide books to those who need them.
Healthy People 2030 has an objective to increase the proportion of children whose parents read to them at least four days a week.
Anderson, Richard Chase, Elfrieda H. Hebert, Judith A. Scott, and Ian A. G. Wilkinson. 1985. Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading. United States: National Academy of Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED253865.
High, Pamela C., Perri Klass, Elaine Donoghue, Danette Glassy, Beth DelConte, Marian Earls, Dina Lieser, et al. 2014. “Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice.” Pediatrics 134 (2): 404–9. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1384.
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