The National Literacy Trust’s report: Children and Young People’s Reading 2023 is very interesting.
It is substantial research with over 71,300 eight to 18 year olds across 285 schools across the UK.
The authors state that reading for enjoyment is at “a crisis point”, with 2 in 5 saying they enjoyed reading. This is seen as a wake-up call. It needs to be, because as researchers point out, positive attitudes are linked to higher levels of reading achievement.
Specific headings for the research are:
- Reading enjoyment in free time
- Enjoying reading in free time versus at school
- Daily reading in free time
- What children and young people were reading in their free time in 2023
- What motivated them to read
- What would make them want to read
- What are their perceptions of their reading environment
The research digs deeper into details relating to gender, age-range, region and free school meal provision.
This uncovers some complex but fascinating insights.
For example, in 2023 fewer 11 to 14 and 14 to 16 year olds enjoyed reading than those of primary school age.
But whilst the number of 8 to 11 year olds enjoying reading has dropped by 11.3% since 2005, the percentage of 14 to 16 year olds enjoying reading has increased by 27.5%.
Clark, C. Pickton, I. and Galway, M. (2023). Children and young people’s reading. London: National Literacy Trust.