The issue of children’s reading
Depending on whether or not you are a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person, you might find the news that, according to a study by the National Literacy Trust, 17% of children would be embarrassed if caught with a book by a friend a little bit disheartening.
On the one hand, it’s extremely sad that any child would feel embarrassed to be seen with a book (books are cool!!), but on the other hand, I suppose we can take heart in the fact that if the statistics are to be believed, 83% of children wouldn’t feel embarrassed if they were chanced upon reading by a friend. While that 17% is undoubtedly important, and no one should ever be embarrassed for reading, it’s still good to see that most kids don’t feel that way.
The National Literacy Trust study also raises a couple of other stats it’s certainly worth being aware of; fewer children are now reading in their own time on a daily basis than in 2005, for instance. Back then, four in ten read every day in their own time. Now it is around three in ten.
Also of note is the fact that more than half of the children said they preferred watching TV to reading, and 22% said they rarely or never read in their own time.
Of course, some children are always going to like reading more than others, while some might see it as a bit of a chore. We could postulate for ages about why children are reading less – they’re doing other things, watching television requires less effort than reading, parents don’t have as much money to spend on books, experiences of reading books at school sometimes leave something to be desired… there are plenty of potential explanations and opinions on the issue, but the one thing we can’t get away from is that it does seem that children are reading less.
And that’s a shame. Anyone who reads regularly knows about the pleasure it can bring, as well as the new viewpoints and experiences and chance to shape worlds and ideas simply by picking up a paperback. Even though there are undoubtedly examples of great kids’ books that helps to get them reading – Harry Potter being the really famous one – it would be great if that reading was sustained.
The great news is that there are lots of wonderful children’s books out there at the moment. The solution might not be as simple as just switching off the telly, but surely making more of an effort to encourage reading and ensuring that children know it is definitely not embarrassing to be caught with a book is something we can all contribute towards.
What do you think? How do you think we can encourage more children to read for enjoyment?
