I felt a pang one day when my 13-year-old daughter joked that she had a “stay-at-home grandma.” The implication — and the truth — was that my mom is a constant presence in her life and in our home. She’s there nearly 24/7, much more likely than my husband or me to fix dinner or drive our daughter to soccer practice.
My mom does many of the things I sometimes think I “should” be doing. But the reality is, I often prioritize writing books, giving speeches, and building coalitions for literacy over the daily labor and logistics of running a household. My work takes me into the world, but it’s also a way of showing up for my daughter. It models using your gifts, living with purpose, and caring for those you love in the midst of it all.
Our family is far from the exception. In fact, our society has entered the age of “peak grandparenting.” as writer Faith Hill reported in The Atlantic recently: Today’s grandmas and grandpas are more active, healthier, and more hands-on in their grandchildren’s lives than any previous generation. About 42% of working parents say they rely on their moms or mothers-in-law for childcare. And, in many families, grandparents have become household fixtures — co-parents in all but name.
This shift has placed grandparents in a key position to influence kids’ early learning and literacy, which has enormous implications for their life trajectories.
Deep grandparent involvement comes with its challenges, of course. There could be tensions over anything from overstepped boundaries or unclear expectations to generational differences or parenting style mismatches. For my family, though — like many others — the pros outweigh the cons. My husband and I get the support we need. My daughter gets a steady, loving presence. And my mom gets the joy (and brain boost!) of keeping pace with a teenager.
As a parent educator and early-literacy advocate, I’m especially grateful for the ways my mom has nurtured our daughter’s language and reading development through the years. She’s read aloud and kept up a steady stream of talk during cooking, errands, and everyday moments, nurturing the language skills that support kids’ understanding and expression. She’s also made bookstore runs, including the time when I pre-ordered the ebook of a highly anticipated new release — but she knew my daughter had her heart set on the hardcover.
Why grandparents are vital influences on reading
As reading achievement stalls nationwide — with fewer than one in three fourth graders reading proficiently — kids need all the support they can get. This is especially true in the early years, when language and literacy skills are taking root. That overlap of kids who need more literacy support and grandparents with the time, presence, and perspective to give it, presents a golden opportunity.
Unlike many parents, who are sprinting through packed days and endless demands, grandparents often have the flexibility to slow down and savor interactions like neighborhood strolls together, library visits, and leisurely conversations. These are prime learning opportunities, opening chances for dialogue, storytelling, and shared reading — the very things that build the vocabulary, background knowledge, and pre-literacy skills kids need to read well down the road.
The conversations grandparents spark during hours spent with small children — as well as the questions they ask their grandchildren — create opportunities for kids to think deeply, and practice expressing themselves. In contrast to childcare centers, grandparents bring individual attention, personalized responsiveness, and family heritage and values into play. This strengthens language, vocabulary, and overall knowledge, even in infancy and toddlerhood.
Having grown up in a less-digital age, grandparents often spark a culture of reading, sometimes through book gifts and cozy rituals that feel like family heirlooms. I’m reminded of Linda, one of my newsletter subscribers. Her own childhood was steeped in stories — The Bobbsey Twins, The Girl of the Limberlost — and cherished library trips with her dad. Now, she’s passing that love of reading down to her grandchildren.
For her granddaughter’s fifth birthday, Linda blended the old-school with the new: an audio player containing the complete Beatrix Potter series. The moment it was set up, her granddaughter pulled up two tiny chairs — one for herself, one for her little sister — and pressed play. That’s family literacy at its finest.
How grandparents can raise readers — wherever they are
Grandparents like Linda and my own mother remind us that small gestures rooted in love and intention can have a big impact. To all the grandparents out there, I suggest trying to engage in one of the following simple literacy-supporting interactions with your grandchildren whenever and wherever you can. Each is a powerful way to nurture connection and reading — near or far:
- Tell family stories. Recount memories from your childhood — and ask about theirs. This builds narrative skills, relationships, and memory.
- Play with sounds. Games like “I spy,” goofy languages like pig Latin, and tongue twisters help kids hear how language works.
- Point out print. Letters are everywhere — on signs, packages, and menus. Bring kids’ attention to them by making words a topic of conversation.
- Ask questions. Spark curiosity and build comprehension when you’re reading aloud with prompts like, “What do you think will happen next?”
- Sing, recite, and rhyme. Nursery rhymes, songs, and silly chants build rhythm, fluency, and joyful language play.
- Read and reread favorite books. Familiar stories deepen vocabulary and build reading confidence.
- Start a book club. Pick a book to read with your grandchild and talk about it together in person, by phone, or over Zoom.
- Send voice memos. Record yourself reading a short story or sharing a treasured memory. Kids love to hear familiar voices again and again — even when you’re apart.
- Mail poems or postcards. Add a playful prompt so your grandchild can draw, write, or reply back. Even if you live together, surprise mail delights.
- Share old family photos. Use them as prompts to share stories and conversation starters: “Who’s this?” “What do you think was happening here?”
The bottom line? Whether side by side or screen to screen, grandparents who show up with love and language help raise thriving readers — and that benefits all of us.
Maya Payne Smart is an early literacy advocate, a parent educator committed to closing the reading achievement gap, and the author “Reading for Our Lives: The Urgency of Early Literacy and the Action Plan to Help Your Child” (Avery/Penguin Random House). She serves as affiliated faculty at Marquette University and holds degrees from Harvard and Northwestern. Find her at MayaSmart.com and follow her on Instagram.
