Long-distance read-along by video call

01What you need

• Two copies of the same book, one per home: free from the library, or about $5–$10 usedFree
• A phone, tablet or laptop with video calling at each endHave
• Something to prop the screen up so hands are free for the bookHave
• A bookmark in each copyHave

Where: Your kid's usual reading spot and yours, connected by any video-call app you both already use.

02Steps

1. Set the nights with your co-parent

   YouMessage your co-parent with a specific, short ask: "Would Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:15 work for a 15-minute read-along call with Jamie? I'll keep it short so it doesn't run into bedtime." Put the agreed nights on a shared calendar. Fewer calls that always happen beat many that sometimes don't.

2. Pick the book together and get two copies

   TogetherOn a call or a visit, let your kid choose from two or three books you suggest. Picture books for little kids; for 6 and up, a chapter book you can stretch over weeks. Get one copy for each home from the library or a used-book shop. Write "Read-along book" inside both.

3. Open with a two-minute hello

   TogetherStart the same way every time: "Hey, bookworm. One good thing from today?" You answer too. Keep it to two minutes so you get to the book while they're still fresh.

4. Read 10 minutes, taking turns

   TogetherRead a few pages, then hand it over: "Your turn, read me the next page." Little kids can turn pages, point at the pictures and say the repeated lines. Hold your book up to the camera for pictures. Stop once or twice to ask, "What do you think happens next?"

5. End on time, on a good note

   TogetherStop at a cliffhanger, not a meltdown. Use the same closing line every time: "Bookmark on page 42. Same time Thursday. Love you." Then hang up first, cheerfully, so the call ends before anyone's tired.

6. Bring the book into visits

   TogetherWhen you're together in person, read a chapter side by side, or start the next book there. Finished a book? Mark it on a list you both keep, and pick the next one together.

03If it stalls

• If your kid wanders off camera, keep reading in your best voices for a minute. Kids often drift back for the funny part. If they don't, say, "Looks like a short one tonight. See you Thursday," and end warmly.
• If a call gets missed, don't make it your kid's fault or bring it up at the other house. Message your co-parent: "Missed tonight, no problem. Can we do Friday at 7:15 this week?"
• If your older kid has outgrown read-aloud, switch roles: they read to you, or you each read the same chapter on your own and talk about it on the call.
• If your kid gets sad when the call ends, keep the goodbye short and the same every time, and remind them of the next call: "Thursday, page 42."

04Variations

05Sources

• Going out of your way, no matter the distance. AAP notes that calls and video chats can keep parents and children close but often feel unsatisfying, and says it is vital that children know their parents will go out of their way, no matter the distance, to include them in their lives as fully and often as possible. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026
• Keep reading after they can read; let them read to you. AAP advises continuing to read to and with children after they learn to read, and suggests sometimes asking a school-age child to read a book to you. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026
• Back-and-forth around screen reading. AAP says shared reading builds close relationships and recommends back-and-forth interaction with children around digital reading activities, since screens on their own tend to be passive. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026
• Video chat with a parent who is away. An AAP pediatrician writing on screen time for young children says limits don't mean they shouldn't video-chat with a distant grandparent or a deployed parent. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026