Once upon a time, Daddy Gruffalo couldn't be bothered to read Baby Gruffalo a story at bedtime. But it was no big deal. The end.

A new report suggests the bedtime story is becoming a thing of the past, writes TANYA THOMPSON. But does it really matter?

IT IS a touching scene that is played out between parent and child every night: the bedtime story, the comforting ritual that is said to have reassured and inspired generations of children all over the world.

But now the art of storytelling is under threat as time-poor parents, with ever longer working hours, say they are simply too busy to read to their offspring.

A survey of 1,500 parents by the pre-school toddler activity group Talking Tots found the phenomenon was being lost. In the study, half of all parents said they never read more than one book at bedtime, while one in ten said their child never read a bedtime story – instead, falling asleep watching a DVD or listening to an audio book.

The research follows a string of similar reports that say watching TV has edged in front of a bedtime story as the most common pre-sleep habit among children. A study from the National Year of Reading suggests only half of parents read to their children every day.

But is reading to children really an essential part of their cognitive development, or is our worry over the fading practice simply a result of parental guilt?

The decline of bedtime storytelling has appalled both psychologists and children's authors who see it as an essential part of a youngster's formative years.

Vivian French, the Edinburgh-based author whose Tiara Club series of children's books sold 2.5 million copies worldwide, said: "If a parent can't be bothered to read a book to their children, what does that say to them? I was read to every single night … and I have four daughters and I read to every single one of them, every single night. I don't think there's any doubt that it helps children. It's so important – it's all about reinforcement and reiteration. It gives them confidence.

"Books encourage their imagination and they're a safe way of exploring experiences. Nothing beats that human contact and it's such an important message to say, 'I'm taking time to share a book with you'. This is something children can take with them for the rest of their lives."

Before French became a writer, she worked with children in social care and was struck by the profound effect reading with them had on their outlook. She is convinced too much television and not enough reading can suppress a child's development.

"If you put a child in front of the TV, they are not sharing and interacting," she said. "They can't ask questions and it stifles the imagination."

While authors are understandably passionate about the benefits of reading, others argue there is a danger that we are getting caught up in the nostalgia of our childhood, harking back to an age when the pace of life was slower and we simply had more time to spend with our families.

Some of us have friends and colleagues who say their parents never read to them, and, although this may sound slightly odd, are we honestly saying they were disadvantaged? And does flicking on an audio tape of Paddington Bear or Angelina Ballerina condemn your child to a life of underachievement?

According to the academics, the problem with such an issue is it is almost impossible to quantify, and there is no way of proving what the effects would be on a child's long-term development. While some developmental psychologists insist children thrive when they are read to regularly, there seems little overwhelming evidence to support this.

Evelyn McGregor, a child psychologist and lecturer at Edinburgh University, is about to embark on a survey of parents' reading to their children at home. She believes reading on a one-to-one basis helps develop their language skills, which could give them a head start at school.

"It's about encouraging them to see that books are rewarding," she said. "TV goes at its own rate and the child just has to follow it. It's not a social thing. Children can't interact with the TV. They can absorb a certain amount but it lacks that interaction they would have from a parent or another adult.

"If you had only TV and no books, that might be a problem."

The issue was fiercely debated in a recent episode of the BBC series Dragons' Den, in which a contestant was asking for a major investment in a company that had created a type of "i-Teddy", a toy that allowed children to access a range of films, music and bedtime stories.

Duncan Bannatyne, the Scots entrepreneur was outraged by the idea and flatly refused to invest, insisting it was his job to read to his children and no-one else's. But the invention was praised by two of the other panellists, Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, who stumped up £140,000 to help develop the project. The i-Teddy, a traditional-style stuffed bear with a built-in computer, is aimed at pre-school children, and business experts say there is a demand for the toy, which is expected to make millions.

With time constraints increasing, plenty of parents have sat on the edge of the bed, speed-reading their way through their child's favourite book, with one eye on the clock, while dreading the inevitable question: "Mummy, can I have another story?"

But does it really make us bad parents if we don't read three stories a night and occasionally slump in front of the TV with our kids to watch the X Factor?

Professor Cary Cooper, a psychologist from Lancaster University, says it is all about striking the right balance.

"I don't think the reading itself is important – it's more about the personal disposable time people spend with their kids," he said.

"A recent survey showed one-third of parents spend only one hour a night with their kids. The point is people are so stressed out, they don't have the patience and the time to sit and read with their children, which is worrying.

"The relationship with the kids is what's important. It's about being there and bonding with them so you can be a part of their childhood experience. That seems more important than whether we're reading to them.

"After all, you could read to them quickly, put no effort into it and not listen to them."

Prof Cooper has some sympathy with modern parents and the pressures they face on a daily basis. "These surveys dump a lot of guilt on parents," he said. "They work long hours, they're exhausted, and then they're told they're not reading to their kids enough and it will affect their education. Well, I'd like to see the evidence on that.

"I don't know of any concrete evidence and we don't want to keep bashing parents. The main thing is spending time with your children. Whether that's playing football with them or taking them to the park, it's all quality time, so they can talk to their parents and develop a good relationship."

TOP TEN

1 The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. Follow the mouse into the deep, dark wood and discover what happens when it comes face to face with an owl, a snake and a hungry gruffalo.

2 We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Follow the family's excitement as they wade through the grass and splash through the river in search of a bear.

3 Thomas the Tank Engine. Based on The Railway Series of books by the Rev W Awdry, the stories are set on the fictional island of Sodor.

4 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Its imaginative illustration charts the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through the week.

5 The Little Princess by Tony Ross. A series of books about a one- or two-year-old princess and the phases she goes through in life.

6 Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. A letter to a zoo asking for a pet results in a succession of animals being dispatched – until a suitable one arrives.

7 Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare find love is not easy to measure.

8 Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. A witch and her cat are struck by disaster in the shape of a red dragon and a broken broom.

9 Mister Men by Roger Hargreaves. What child cannot relate to the trips and falls of Mr Bump, or smile along with a character called Mr Happy?

10 Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child. The stories are narrated by Charlie, seven, and focus on the antics of his imaginative four-year-old sister, Lola.

• The top ten is based on a survey by Talking Tots.