Parents are passing down their favourite childhood books to the next generation

Classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell, and Elmer by David McKee are being reread by parents but this time with their children. A recent survey of 2,000 parents with pre-school-aged children has shown that 58 per cent have a list of books they want their youngsters to delve into, including tales they cherished in their own childhood.

Following the research, childcare organisation Busy Bees has curated a 'top 40 books' that parents can refer to when looking for inspiration on what to read next. The lengthy list is in conjunction with the debut of its innovative curriculum, Bee Curious, which aims to ignite a lifelong enthusiasm for learning in children through interactive play and storytelling techniques.

Gill Jones MBE, who serves as the group chief quality officer at Busy Bees, remarked: "Storytelling is crucial for children's development, helping them to learn about the world around them and build important communication skills. The results from this research show just how important storytelling is during children's early years and beyond, with parents understanding the vital role it plays in early development."

She went on to outline the basis of Busy Bees' distinctive approach: "Our unique approach is based on the latest scientific research and focuses on learning from stories and vocabulary, as well as increasingly important subjects such as mathematics to help prepare young minds for school and give them the best start possible."

The survey revealed that while bedtime is the favoured moment for a reading session with a child, a substantial four in 10 (39 per cent) of parents tend to read to their children both during the day and before bed. Parents will typically spend an average 21 minutes per day reading to their children, with 97 per cent cherishing this quality bonding time, highlighting that it's not just educational but also enhances the parent-child relationship.

mum reading to her child — Three quarters of parents reported that their child has a favourite book they want to hear over and over again (Image: Getty Images)

Additionally, 72 per cent of parents report that their kid has a preferred book they wish to hear repeatedly. While this repetition is essential in developing their children's language skills, it elicits mixed reactions from parents: 27 percent enjoy it, but almost half (49 percent) are guilty of skipping sections to speed up the reading.

In search of novelty, 35 percent of parents find it challenging to discover new stories for their children. To resolve this, nearly half (45 percent) visit the library, while a third (31 percent) ask for recommendations from nurseries or childminders.

But alongside it's 'top 40', Busy Bees has launched a 'book-u-lator', a tool designed to alleviate the struggle of selecting new reading material for children. Gill said: "We hope the tool we've created offers those looking for inspiration some ideas for different books to read with their little ones, outside of the classics."

"The new curriculum brings together 40 years of experience, global best practice and the latest scientific research to nurture natural curiosity and give children a head start for school. All of our early years educators have been trained to support children's individual development, allowing them to provide quality, playful teaching."

Parents are passing down their favourite childhood books to the next generation

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