Parents in Britain are spending less and less quality time with their children - and that's something Jo Frost is determined to change.
Incredibly, children only spend an average of 49 minutes doing things with their family per day - a statistic that Jo believes should shock parents into action.
Of course parents' time is precious, but simple changes can huge benefits for Britain's kids. In the following videos, Jack Sallabank from the National Literacy Trust and Child Development Psychologist Dr Jessica Horst explain these benefits and share their tips for reading as a family.
In today's society, most kids are fascinated by gizmos and gadgets, but the fact is that by simply giving your children a book and ten minutes of your time each night, you will give them the best start in life.
Incredibly, one in three parents don't read to their children before tucking them up at night. Even more astonishing is the fact that a third of children in the UK don't even own a book.
By reading to your children, you'll do wonders for their development. Speaking and listening are the building blocks of literacy, and they have a direct effect on a child's reading and writing ability.
Kids who read with their parents expand their vocabulary and knowledge, which sets them up to do much better in school and therefore improves their prospects later in life. Put it this way: in one study, children given just 30 minutes of one-on-one literacy sessions a day saw their reading age improve by nearly two years in less than five months.
If you want to prove to your child that a book is best:
No distractions: Find a quiet place - that means turning off the TV and radio.
Associations: For a young child, as well as reading the story, talk about the pictures. If there's a picture of a dog, talk about a dog that you know.
Praise: Don't put any pressure on your child to name pictures, but if they copy your words, praise them and repeat the words again.
Little and often: Don't read for too long. Young children get bored quickly, so little and often is best.
Have favourites: Most of us can remember a favourite book from our childhood, and it's good to share favourite books again and again as repetition helps children to understand and remember the language they hear.
Improvise: Non-traditional forms of reading such as websites or comics should also be encouraged as they can help to build confident readers.
It can be as simple and straightforward as asking your child to read out the recipe for a cake you're baking, or the lasagne you're making for dinner. Children love being involved and feeling like they're helping. They won't even realise that they're practising their reading.
