Today is World Book Day with loads of events in schools, libraries, bookshops, online promotions, even a new office and warehouse announcement from a major publisher in Glasgow.
Thankfully, there are reports that some schools are encouraging parents to ditch the dressing up theme in order to reduce costs for families. This is a welcome development. The emphasis should always be on books and encouraging reading. My local primary school saw a steady stream of mini Harry Potters (can’t they think of anything else) and princesses today. The parents I spoke to tell me either that he/she doesn’t like to read: they would rather watch on a tablet or TV or there weren’t any books in the house! I know of many adults like that too.
The World Book Day charity is supporting parents with easy solutions to unlock the benefits of reading for fun for children. Numerous studies show that reading for enjoyment has life-changing benefits, but research also confirms reading it is at its lowest levels since records began in 2005 – with only 1 in 3 UK children saying they enjoy it (National Literacy Trust).
New research among 1,066 children aged 8-14 years old and their parents reveals that children are much less likely to grow up as readers if their parents don’t read. Parents who don’t consider themselves as readers are much less likely to read with their children, with only 59% saying they do, compared to 71% of those who identify as readers. Additionally, parents who were not encouraged by their own parents to read, are twice as likely to say they don’t encourage their child to read.
There is a generational decline in reading for fun. Reading avoidance is being passed down, with the children of non-readers almost twice as likely to hold negative attitudes towards reading. Almost a third of this group say they avoid reading as much as possible, and that they don’t read for fun as books are boring. On the converse, three-quarters of children who think their parents enjoy reading for fun want to read more themselves. In a world of multiple distractions over half (56%) of parents of 11-14-year-olds say their child would rather go online than read, rising to 94% among kids who are non-readers. Over a quarter (26%) of kids also say they would read more if books were as engaging as computer games.
Sadly, unless there is a massive shift in reading, the children of Gen Z are even less likely to know what a book is, let alone read one is!
deilibri 