Children's reading enjoyment reaches a new high

More children than ever are reading for enjoyment, according to the National Literacy Trust's latest research.

Yesterday's (1 June) findings revealed that three-quarters (77.6%) of primary school children enjoy reading - the highest levels the literacy charity have ever recorded.

The report, Celebrating Reading for Enjoyment, based on a survey of more than 41,000 pupils, similarly found the number of teenagers (14-16 years old) who like reading has also reached an all-time high of 43.8%.

The findings further highlight a strong link between reading for pleasure and academic attainment: the data shows that 10-year-olds who enjoy reading have a reading age 1.3 years higher than their peers who don't enjoy reading, rising to 2.1 years for 12-year-olds and 3.3 years for 14-year-olds.

With reading for enjoyment putting students over three years ahead in the classroom, this is concrete evidence showing reading enjoyment is beneficial not only for reading outcomes but also for wider learning at school and beyond.

Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust, said: "When children enjoy reading and have books of their own, they do better at school and later in life, so we must continue to do everything we can to inspire children to fall in love with reading for a lifetime."

At Kumon, we believe reading is the cornerstone to all other education and that nurturing a love of reading from an early age can make a huge difference to a child's education.

Our Recommended Reading List, has over 380 books of all genres and styles, intended to help children of all ages and abilities develop a love of reading. Students are encouraged to choose books which match their reading ability, and work their way through the recommendations as their skills, fluency, and confidence improve.

Whilst there still remains a disparity between the reading enjoyment levels of primary and secondary aged children, the results of this latest report are extremely promising, and it is brilliant to know that more children than ever are experiencing the benefits and joys of reading.

To read the report in full visit the National Literacy Trust's website.