Being read to as a child is one of the strongest predictors of later academic success. All over the world, too many children leave primary school unable to read and write fluently. This can have a fundamental impact on their future school, work and life opportunities. The challenge to address this rests partly with schools, but also with families. Children who have been read to before they go to school, and whose family members continue to read to them, are shown to outperform those who have not. Reading for pleasure helps to develop children’s language, literacy, critical thinking, communication, social and emotional skills. Reading at home also reinforces positive relationships within the family. Put simply, being read to from an early age helps children become confident learners.