News
Research suggests book ownership is key in children’s educational success
1 Jul 2010
A headline statistic from National Literacy Trust research published on Wednesday 2 June 2010: 86% of young people in the UK own a mobile phone, only 73% have books of their own. The study of over 17,000 young people also revealed a strong link between young people’s reading ability and their access to books at home: 80% of children who read above the expected level for their age have books of their own; this figure drops to 58% for children reading below their expected level.
The reports also found that young people who did not own their own books were nearly twice as likely to agree with negative statements about reading, for example “Reading is more for girls than boys”, “Reading is hard” and ”I only read when I have to”. They were also three times more likely to agree with the statements “Reading is boring” and “I only read in class”.
A recent study looking at educational attainment concluded that the number of books in the home has as great an impact on children’s attainment as parental education levels. The 20 year study by Mariah Evans and her colleagues at Nevada, UCLA and Australian National University found that having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater the benefit. Researchers found that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home, with Evans stating: “The results of this study indicate that getting some books into [the] home is an inexpensive way that we can help… children succeed.”
The National Young Readers’ Programme has provided over 35,000 books for children in areas of disadvantage across the UK this year. Along with free books, the programme also helps children and young people to acquire the skills they need to develop as a reader, from knowing how to choose a book that engages them, to where they can find books once the project is over.
To find out more about the National Young Readers’ Programme click here.
