Ok. I wrote the headline and I live in California. No, we don’t go to the beach everyday but Californian parents must be too busy doing something,  as only 44.6 percent of Californian children between birth and the age of 5 are read to every day by a parent. The national average is 47.8 percent. California brings up the rear, along with a number of Southern and Southern border states. This data comes from a study prepared by the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities.

For children, early exposure to books — including being read to aloud each day — is critical for long-term academic success. Research has shown that up to one-third of American children enter kindergarten underprepared to learn, mostly because their early years leave them without the necessary language and literacy skills.

Not only is reading to your child critical for academic success, the time you can spend with your child sitting on your lap or cuddled next to you as you read them a story, is absolutely priceless. It is even more special when you pull out one of the classic books from your own child and share that with your little one. As you read, you can recall some of the same experiences you had as a child, and now, here you are sharing a new experience with your child.

What’s the bottom line?: If your child is awake right now - stop reading this blog - grab a book and read to your child.