1KHO 638: If You Want Your Children to Read You Have to Limit Screen Time | Dr. Daniel Willingham, Why Don't Students Like School?

What if the biggest predictor of your child becoming a lifelong reader has nothing to do with phonics programs, library incentives, or natural talent and everything to do with protecting space in their day? Cognitive psychologist Dr. Daniel Willingham joins Ginny to reveal the surprising truth about how kids learn, why background knowledge matters more than ever, and why reading aloud long past early childhood gives kids an academic and emotional advantage. With warmth and clarity, Dr. Willingham explains the “fourth grade slump,” the power of expertise, and how AI is reshaping the skills our kids will need most in the future. This episode offers a hopeful and doable path for families who want to reclaim reading in a screen-saturated world. You’ll learn why limiting screens is the single most effective way to help kids choose reading for pleasure. Dr. Willingham shares why children don’t need perfection, programs, or pressure; they need a home where learning is valued, distractions are dialed down, and reading is woven into the family rhythm. Encouraging, practical, and deeply grounding, this conversation shows that every parent can raise a reader starting today. Have fun. Start now. Get your copy of Why Don't Students Like School here Get your copy of Outsmart Your Brain here Get your copy of Raising Kids Who Read here Please support our advertising partners who help keep the show going! ⁠Wayfair⁠ : Get organized, refreshed, and back to routine for way less. Head to ⁠Wayfair.com⁠ right now to shop all things home. ⁠SelectQuote⁠ : Get the RIGHT life insurance for YOUR FAMILY, for LESS, at ⁠selectquote.com/1000hours⁠ BetterHelp: Our listeners get 10% off their first month at ⁠BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS.⁠ Quince: Go to ⁠Quince.com/outside⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. NIV Application Bible: Find out more at ⁠NIVapplicationbible.com⁠ . Omaha Steaks: Visit ⁠OmahaSteaks.com ⁠ for 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, usepromo code FUN at checkout. Mercy Ships: Please donate today at ⁠ MercyShips.org/podcast⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices