Turning a New Page on Reading and Learning

Turning a New Page on Reading and Learning

There is a tendency for most English children to spend less time reading at home, and it parallels change in the United States. A study published by the US National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) found that young people in America are less and less likely to read for pleasure, and that reading scores are declining there too.

What these reports show is not simply a decline in reading literacy, but a general loss of interest in books amongst young people, including the better readers. It seems that the progress made in reading literacy in primary schools comes to a halt as children become teenagers. Surveys suggest that children read significantly less after the age of eight and this lack of interest in serious reading continues into young adulthood. According to the NEA study, "Both reading ability and the habit of regular reading have greatly declined among college graduates".

It can be difficult to explain this loss of interest in books and reading. Society gives literacy and reading a high approval rating. There are more bookshops now than at any time in the past. Every other town and city seems to have its own literature festival. Book clubs have sprung up throughout Britain. And successive governments have invested significant financial resources in promoting literacy amongst schoolchildren. So why do so many people avoid reading for pleasure?

Many blame the distractions offered by digital technology and video games. They argue that children have more choice about how to spend their free time, and that reading can't help coming in last when it has to compete with TV, computers and mobile phones.

New forms of technology are always being blamed for the problem. But whether or not children find reading books attractive isn't only decided by how much easy access they are allowed to have to TV, computer games, or instant messaging. As well as being turned on by the alternatives, some of them are actually turned off by the idea of reading books.

Surveys carried out by the UK National Foundation for Educational Research found that children's enjoyment of reading had significantly declined over the past few decades, particularly amongst boys. According to the study, pupils are now less likely to enjoy reading stories, poems and information books. They are also less likely go to a library. One international study notes that children in England read for enjoyment less frequently than their peers in many other countries.

Outside the literacy hour, books may not be utilised as frequently as they have in the past. According to the Society of Authors, textbooks often become" answer books for exams". More often than not, when it comes to writing projects, students are instructed to find information on the Internet rather than being directed to get books from the library. By the time they arrive at university, many students have learned the lesson - and decided that compared to finding information on the Net, reading books is a chore.

A good online books retailer that specialises in supplying a wide range of books for schools will be able to meet the needs of enlightened teachers and concerned parents looking for a balanced variety of books. An experienced educational bookseller will have titles designed to provide learning and enjoyment in equal measure - so that children can find out for themselves that reading as a resource and reading for enjoyment and fun may not be mutually exclusive after all.

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