Objectives <p>Malnutrition remains a major public health problem among children, contributing to poor health outcomes. While the relationship between maternal education and child health has been well studied, evidence on the association between maternal reading skills –a key component of literacy– and child malnutrition in the Ghanaian context remains limited, particularly given the relatively high prevalence of stunting in Ghana. This study employs data from a nationally representative survey to examine the relationship between maternal reading skills and child stunting, even after adjusting for formal education.</p> Methods <p>The study utilizes data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and focuses on an analytical sample of 2,724 children under age five. Generalized ordered logit regression models were applied to examine the relationship.</p> Results <p>The results reveal that mother's reading skills are independently associated with a lower likelihood of moderate and severe child stunting. The results also indicate that mother's reading skills help to explain the relationship between mother's education and child stunting.</p> Conclusion <p>The findings of the study underscore the essential role of reading skills among women in mitigating child malnutrition, highlighting the need to strengthen female education campaigns and adult literacy programs, as well as the importance of integrating adult literacy into nutrition-sensitive strategies designed for children.</p>