Fewer children than ever are reading for pleasure. For parents who remember the sense of escape and wonder that came from lying with a good book when they were children, this feels like a tragedy.
The data makes for grim reading, but there are people fighting to turn it around. Saira Aspinall is the Publicity and Partnerships Director of the School Library Association. The organisation is about to launch Reading Reboot - a reading programme that should have a remarkable impact on pupils’ academic success and well-being - simply by showing them how to enjoy pressure-free reading.
In Britain, it is not a requirement for schools to have any library provision of any kind, meaning we can’t rely on the education system to foster a love of books in our kids. So what can we do at home?
In this episode we explore:
The startling decline in children reading – and being read to – for pleasure, and how this is even more severe for boys than girls
The wide-ranging psychological benefits of getting lost in a book for young people
Practical, low-pressure ways you can help your kids develop of love of reading
Why trying to impose ‘the classics’ or your own reading tastes on your kids rarely works
The role reading can play in helping parents in the constant battle with screen time
I hope you enjoy the episode - please share your thoughts below.
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