A recent survey by the National Literacy Trust, and reported in the Guardian, has found that “children today read less frequently than any previous generation and enjoy reading less than young people did in the past.”
The survey also found a clear difference in gender reading habits. Boys were far less likely to read for pleasure (47%) compared to girls (60%).
The World Book Day organisers have called for parents and teachers to read aloud and share books “for at least 10 minutes a day with friends and family.”
There is considerable research supporting 10 minutes as the minimum ‘read aloud’ session. The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children found that young children (aged 4-5) learn faster and are better socially adjusted when:
- they enjoy being read to by a family member for more than ten minutes a day;
- a family member reads to the child on three or more days per week; and
- there are ten or more children’s books in the family home.
Reference:
Children are reading less than ever before, research reveals (2020, March 1), The Guardian
Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/29/children-reading-less-says-new-research