Latest News & Blog
Have your say on current issues

A recent research highlights the alarming fact that the only reading material taken up by many students outside of class, are text messages.

The study carried out by the National Literacy Trust, found that just under half of young people enjoy reading either very much or quite a lot, while nearly 4 in 10 enjoy reading a bit and 1 in 10 do not enjoy reading at all.

Highlighting that “technology–based materials dominate as reading choices”; text messages, magazines, emails and social networking websites were listed among the top leisure reading choices of Britain’s youth by the study and warned that children who read text messages but not fiction books were twice as likely to be below average readers compared to those who also read fiction.

Magazines were the most widely read printed materials outside of the classroom, with 58.1 percent saying that they read a magazine at least once a month. Around 45.8 percent read fiction books once per month, while 35.2 percent were reading non-fiction.

The online survey which questioned 18,141 children aged 8 to 17 in November and December 2010, revealed a varied nation of young readers with 1 in 6 reporting that they don’t read a single book in a month, while 1 in 10 say they read more than 10 books in a month.

The National Literacy Trust Director, Jonathan Douglas, voiced his fears over the 1 in 6 children who don’t read a book a month could grow up to be the 1 in 6 adults who struggle with literacy and possess reading skills equivalent to that of an eleven-year-old, or below.

“Getting these children reading and helping them to love reading is the way to turn their lives around and give them new opportunities and aspirations. This is the work of the National Literacy Trust.

“We are working tirelessly to ensure that all children develop a love of reading and the skills they need for success throughout life,” he said, calling on the public to donate to the cause.

A stark contrast was noted when students were asked what they thought a “reader” reads and what they read. It showed that 81.3 percent suggested books but only 45.8 percent actually read books, while 54.6 percent said newspapers, although only 33.7 percent took a newspaper to hand. Approximately 32.6 percent said text messages were considered reading material, with 59.8 percent admitting to texting.

 

The study also exposed a call for concern over the attitudes of young people when it came to reading; 2 in 10 said they would be embarrassed if their friends saw them read outside of class.

The findings follow an appeal made by Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, who called on all pupils to read 50 books a year as part of a national drive to improve literacy standards.

In late March this year, he said pupils should complete the equivalent of about a novel a week and that the academic demands placed on English schoolchildren had been “too low for too long”.

“We should be saying that our children should be reading 50 books a year, not just one or two for GCSE,” he said.

The efforts are part of staying true to a pledge made in April last year by Mr Gove, during election campaigning where he vowed to eliminate illiteracy by the time he leaves office.

Last year, it was revealed that the reading standards of children in Britain had stumbled from 17th to 25th in the world, in a publication of a major international league table.

Ministers have already outlined plans to introduce a reading test for children in England at the age of six to identify those struggling to read at the start of primary school.

A pilot system is already underway in 200 schools, which subjects Year 1 students to a new phonics-based screening check administered by teachers. Described as a progress check, the test is designed to find out which pupils need extra support.

Under the practice, a standard will be set and children's parents would be alerted on whether or not their child meets that standard and how their performance compares to the year group as a whole.

Children who fail to meet the requirement will be offered assistance in the final half of the summer term and will re-do the test at the end of the autumn term in Year 2.