The research, which studied 12,500 British children, found that good parenting, such as reading daily to children or setting regular bedtimes, advances the development of five-year-olds, regardless of whether they come from poor or rich families.
But only 45 per cent of three-year-olds from the poorest fifth of families were read to daily, compared to 78 per cent of those from the richest fifth.
Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, warned the research is "a tragic indictment on modern society" since too many children's prospects depend on their family background.
"These findings are at once both shocking and encouraging - revealing the stark educational disadvantage experienced by children from poorer homes before they have even stepped into the school classroom, but also the potential for good parenting to overcome some of the negative impacts that poverty can have on children's early development," he said.
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