Effects of telework and digitalization on shared reading between parents and children

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. There are several benefits associated with shared reading. The time families invest to read with their children may be influenced by different demographic (e.g., family type and structure) and personal factors (e.g., time availability). Society experiments subsequent changes and the time dedicated to shared reading at home may be influenced by them. This study has two main objectives: first, it analyzes differences in shared reading time by considering those demographic variables that other studies have identified as relevant (e.g., parents’ sex, children’s age, number of children); secondly, it aims to analyze the differences in shared reading time regarding two variables strongly affected by the pandemic, that is, the employment status and reading medium (paper reading vs. digital reading). METHOD. The responses of 659 parents to a survey about reading habits before and after confinement were analysed through a descriptive-comparative analysis of demographic variables, parents’ employment status and reading support. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. The main results indicate that families spent increasing amounts of time on shared reading throughout confinement. In this sense, mothers spent more time reading with their children than fathers before and during confinement. Regarding the reading medium, paper continued to be used more widely for shared reading during confinement, although the time dedicated to shared reading using a digital device increased compared to its use before confinement. Finally, parents who teleworked did not invest more time on shared reading than those who worked outside the home, so that, contrary to expectations, teleworking during the pandemic did not allow for a better family-profession reconciliation or greater dedication to children’s literacy.