[Purpose/significance] This paper aims to explore the academic characteristics of parent-child reading and provide better parent-child reading service.[Method/process] This paper uses the ritual view and the concept of transmission in the communication to do some academic analysis, combining practical activities of parent-child reading.[Result/conclusion] Parent-child reading is a kind of knowledge transmission mode coexisting ritual and transmission. In the process of knowledge dissemination, parent-child reading comprehensively utilizes a variety of communication methods to achieve the transfer and acquisition of knowledge, such as intrapersonal communication, interpersonal communication and mass communication. At the same time, parent-child reading bears the ritual function of constructing new order and maintaining common sense. Therefore, this paper finds that, in parent-child reading practice, professional parent-child reading agencies, public libraries, bookstores and parents should strengthen their theoretical cognition of knowledge communication coexisting ritual and transmission, and then, make the appropriate adjustments according to the actual needs to strengthen the promotion and optimization of parent-child reading.