Report finds ‘shocking and dispiriting’ fall in children reading for pleasure
www.theguardian.com
National Literacy Trust finds only 35% of eight to 18-year-olds enjoy reading in their spare time, a sharp drop on last year to the lowest figure yet recorded

Summary

A National Literacy Trust (NLT) survey reveals that children’s enjoyment of reading is at its lowest in 19 years, with only 34.6% of eight- to 18-year-olds saying they enjoy reading in their free time.

This marks an 8.8 percentage point drop from last year, part of a declining trend since 2016.

Reading frequency has also hit a historic low, and a significant gender gap persists, with only 28.2% of boys versus 40.5% of girls enjoying reading.

The NLT calls for a government taskforce to address these declines, warning that “the futures of a generation are being put at risk.”

  • thejml@lemm.eeEnglish
    341·
    2 months ago

    I know personally my enjoyment of reading dropped like a rock in my tweens & teens. Too much schoolwork and over analyzing of books in school got me burned out. I made up for it in my late 20s-30s though.

    My daughter has been better so far in this regard, but now that she’s in high school I can tell she’s getting closer to mirroring my feelings. She’s switched to Manga/graphic novels instead of long form novels and that’s helped a bit, but we’ll see if that keeps up in the years to come.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      2 months ago

      Teenage years are stressful, there’s plenty to hope for that it’ll pass. Look for solid page turners tuned to her interests and drop a copy at the right moment later on.