Children's enjoyment in reading hits 'lowest level' since surveys began
Author Cressida Cowell says it's vital that action is taken to address the decline, as ITV News' Social Affairs Correspondent Sarah Corker reports
Children's reading in the UK has hit a "crisis" point, with the number enjoying it in their free time dropping to just one in three, a report suggests.
The number of under-18's who say they enjoy reading has hit its "lowest level" since surveys by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) began in 2005, with results among secondary school pupils among the worst.
Findings also highlighted that the gender gap among children who say they take pleasure in reading has widened significantly this year, because the number of boys who reported enjoying reading dropped.
Fewer than three in 10 (28.2%) boys in the eight to 18 age group said they enjoyed reading in their free time, compared with two in five (40.5%) girls – a gap of 12.3 percentage points.
Last year, the same gender gap was less than half that size, standing at 4.8 percentage points.
The report said there was “a particular crisis” among secondary school pupils, with the fall in reading enjoyment being more pronounced for young people over the age of 11, than for those aged eight to 11.
'I just think there are so many more distractions in the world,' Emily Caine, Headteacher at Armley Primary School in Leeds told ITV News' Sarah Corker that books becoming less accessible and a rise in the internet has made it harder for children to enjoy reading
At Armley Park Primary School in Leeds, there’s been a real push to improve literacy. Four years ago they won 800 books through a National Literacy Trust competition, supported by Premier League footballer Marcus Rashford.
Headteacher Emily Caine told ITV News that having their own library has made a huge difference.
She said: "They gave us the infrastructure for the library, the furniture, the books, and the children were so enthused. We were then part of the book club and got sent books ever term. It’s help develop that love of reading.
"At that point we didn’t have very much money as a school, we couldn’t have afforded that library, and still 4 years on its what kids remember about school.
"The more you read, the more vocabulary you come across. That does massively change your outlook."
Overall, 76,131 children and young people aged between five and 18 were surveyed by the charity, from 405 schools across the UK, from January to March 2024.
Only one in five (20.5%) of those surveyed said they read something daily in their free time, compared with 28.0% in 2023.
The report said it was the “lowest daily reading level” since the survey began nearly two decades ago.
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“The declining levels of reading enjoyment and reading frequency are, frankly, shocking and dispiriting,” the report concluded.
It added: “Perhaps a packed curriculum, high academic expectations, and the perception of a challenging future all contribute to children having less time for reading for enjoyment and less mental space to do it.
“It’s likely, too, that the recent pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated these challenges, with many children and young people struggling to access high-quality reading materials.”
The charity is calling on the government to urgently form a reading taskforce and action plan with multi-sector partners to address declining rates of reading enjoyment.
The government’s curriculum and assessment review should prioritise reading for pleasure alongside the skills that are vital in the development of confident, motivated readers, it added.
Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the NLT told ITV News 'children need to find themselves represented in the text they read, regardless of ethnicity, social background or gender they can find themselves in those books'
Mr Douglas added: “With children and young people’s enjoyment of reading at an all-time low, and high numbers leaving primary and secondary school without the reading skills they need to thrive, the futures of a generation are being put at risk.
“So many families, schools, libraries, charities, publishers, businesses, and more are already inspiring children’s reading in such diverse and innovative ways.
“But to truly make reading for pleasure a national priority, we are urging the government to form a reading taskforce and action plan with multi-sector partners – amplifying our collective reach and influence, strengthening our impact and reimagining solutions to this complex crisis.”
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