‘It’s sharing a point in time’: the temporal dimensions of shared reading in families

Abstract

Applying sociological conceptualisations of temporality in the context of families, this article explores shared reading between parents and young children. The research draws on interviews with a sample of 29 parents/carers with pre-school children (predominantly mothers) from diverse backgrounds. Reading with young children provides an illustration of multiple, varied and enmeshed familial temporalities. It fulfils a purpose for families, cementing and maintaining relationships over time. Data show that reading in families is framed by measurable time, for example, as a finite resource or as shaped by routines. In theorizing reading as temporal, simultaneously as a commodity and as relational, illuminate a specific family practice. The relational framework deployed demonstrates that these familial temporalities are enmeshed and fluid. Findings point towards the value of applying sociological perspectives on family practices in educational research. Conclusions offer insights which have the potential to consolidate understandings and support for home literacy practices.