What home-based activity is most important for preschool children's success in reading?

Parents reading to children aloud is the most important home-based activity for preschool children's success in reading because it directly engages them with the text and helps develop foundational literacy skills. This activity fosters a love for reading, enhances vocabulary, and encourages comprehension skills as children listen to stories being read.

When parents read aloud, they model fluent reading and expose children to the rhythm and patterns of language. It also creates an interactive environment where children can ask questions, predict what happens next, and relate the stories to their own experiences, all of which are vital for cognitive development and understanding narrative structures.

While memorizing nursery rhymes can support phonemic awareness and families talking about school can help set positive attitudes towards education, and teaching the alphabet provides essential knowledge about letters, these activities do not replace the comprehensive benefits gained from shared reading experiences that improve both motivation and literacy skills.