This study explores young people's attitudes towards reading, their reading preferences, and what would motivate them to read more. The data for this study is based on 1512 pupils from three primary, one middle and two secondary schools in England who participated in a survey during spring 2005.

2. Key findings

2.1 Reading enjoyment, proficiency and attitudes

• The majority of pupils enjoyed reading quite a lot or very much; girls were significantly more likely to enjoy reading than boys.
• There is a significant link between reading enjoyment and whether pupils think they are good readers. Girls were significantly more likely than boys to rate themselves as good readers. Interestingly, older pupils were less likely to rate themselves as good readers.
• Most pupils showed positive attitudes towards reading, with the majority agreeing that reading is fun and important. However, a minority of boys and secondary pupils believed that reading is boring and that they cannot find books that interest them. Boys were also more likely to believe that reading is for girls. Overall, pupils with positive attitudes towards reading tended to enjoy reading more and have a higher opinion of their perceived reading capability.

2.2 Reading materials

• Pupils said they enjoy a wide range of reading materials, with magazines, text messages and websites being the most popular. However, there were significant differences in preferred reading materials dependent on age and gender. Girls were more likely to read magazines, fiction, text messages and emails, while boys were more likely to read websites, newspapers, graphic novels and comics. Secondary pupils were significantly more likely to read websites, newspapers and magazines, while primary pupils enjoyed reading jokes, non-fiction books and fiction.
• Almost half the pupils enjoyed reading fiction. When specifically asked what types of fiction they preferred, adventure, comedy and horror/ghost stories came out as their favourites. Girls were more likely to read romance books, animal-related stories and poetry, while boys were more likely to read science -fiction, comedy and crime/detective stories. Significant age differences also emerged with primary pupils more likely to read adventure stories, horror/ghost stories and animal-related stories, and secondary pupils more likely to read comedy and realistic teenage fiction.
• Preferred non-fiction subjects were computing/games, music and information about hobbies. Again, there were significant gender differences in the types of non-fiction being read. Girls were more likely to read (auto) biographies, How to… books and fashion magazines, while boys were more likely to read science-related, sports-related and computer-related texts. Primary pupils were more likely to read encyclopaedias, How to… books, fashion materials and cookbooks.
• When asked about their favourite reading places, the majority of pupils preferred reading at home, followed by school lessons and the school library. Girls and primary pupils were more likely to read in a variety of settings.

2.3 Reading incentives

• A range of activities would encourage primary pupils to read more, including prizes, trips related to their interests, meeting the author/celebrity and their own webpage. Girls were more likely to be motivated to read more if they met authors/celebrities, got stickers or had friends that were readers, while boys stated that having their own webpages would entice them to read more. Primary pupils were more likely to state that teacher's praise, certificates, meeting authors/celebrities and winning competitions would be good motivators, while secondary pupils indicated that none of the mentioned incentives would get them to read more.
• Most pupils also believed that designing websites/magazines, playing reading games and mentoring younger pupils would engage them and others in reading. Writing book reviews and talking about books were the least favourite activities. Girls and primary pupils were more likely to believe that reading groups with friends, talking about their favourite book and choosing library stock would make them and others want to read more. Boys were more likely to believe that reading games would make them and others want to read more, while secondary pupils were more likely to state that none of these activities would make them and others want to read more.

2.4 The role of the home

• Most pupils stated that it was their mother, followed by their father and teacher who had taught them to read. Girls were more likely to state that their mother, grandparent, friend or teacher had taught them to read. Primary pupils were more likely to report that a friend, a librarian or an adult female other than their mother had taught them to read.
• Most pupils also stated that they would like to read to or discuss reading with their mothers, followed by their fathers and a friend. Girls were more likely to want to discuss books with their mothers and friends, while boys would like to discuss books and reading with their father. Primary pupils were generally more likely to state that they would like to discuss reading with a variety of people.

3. Conclusion

Overall, the findings from the present study suggest that pupils' reading is rich and diverse, but that the particulars vary according to gender or age. Schools and the home therefore need to ensure that they tap into this richness in order to hook boys and girls into reading. Although it might be difficult to generalise these findings since only six schools were involved, these results show that reading promotion activities need to capitalise on the interest and competitive nature of the pupils to engage them in reading. Secondary pupils stating that reading promotions would not motivate them to read more also suggests that children need to be engaged in reading and literacy activities early in life to create a nation of lifelong, enthusiastic readers.