The paper presents the impact of parents on promoting reading from an early school age. By their own example, parents are the first people to participate and influence a child's mastery of language and speech, which is closely related to the development of reading skills. In the theoretical part, the paper discusses parents who play a significant role in developing primarily the speechlanguage (mother tongue) development that children adopt by imitation. Parents, by their example, influence correct and quality speech. Unlike speech and language, reading is a complex skill with an innate potential that a child is born with, but which needs to be taught for mastery. The work also explains the importance of shared reading, reading aloud, and daily reading, which are fundamental determinants for developing children's reading habits. Parents create a stimulating environment where books are always accessible to children, determine shared time for dialogic reading which creates a special connection, and make reading a fun game that children look forward to every day. The importance of a space specially designed for reading moments is also mentioned, where both the child and adults will feel calm, comfortable, and relaxed, making shared reading time a routine. The paper further discusses the picture book as the first book in a child's life and its role in creating reading habits. Its value is immense from the first day of a child's life, hence the importance of choosing a quality picture book is emphasized. Besides the quality of text and illustration, a picture book must follow the child's developmental possibilities as well as their needs and interests. It is a book that will allow the child to explore and discover the hidden world provided by the story in the picture book. Once a reading routine is established, the child will later independently develop reading habits and the book will become a companion throughout their life. A study was conducted with the aim to examine the reading habits of early schoolaged children. The research showed how the education level of parents affects the development of reading habits. Parents with higher levels of education have more developed reading habits, which also influence the children's reading habits. The conducted research also showed that children seek help with reading, confirming the importance of dialogic reading. Parents in the study stated that they encourage children to read by setting their own example or by creating a stimulating environment. It is important to realize that reading is a reflection of culture, an indispensable determinant that influences the overall development of the child and is the foundation for all the child's future learning through life.