"Reading is in crisis. Picking up a book for pleasure among children and young people in the UK is at its lowest level in 20 years. According to the National Literacy Trust, only one in three eight- to 18-yearolds enjoy reading in their spare time a 36% drop in two decades. The decline is worst among teenage boys and the poorest children."
"This is where initiatives like the National Year of Reading 2026 which will distribute 72,000 new books to children with the greatest need for them come in. The first Children's Booker prize, aimed at readers aged eight to 12, will be launched in 2026 and awarded annually from 2027. The inaugural award will be chaired by the children's laureate Frank CottrellBoyce and include young judges on the panel. The shortlisted and winning titles will be given to thousands of children."
Reading to children from a young age leads to greater happiness, educational success, empathy and social mobility. Child and adolescent leisure reading in the UK is at its lowest level in 20 years, with only one in three eight- to 18-year-olds enjoying reading in spare time, a 36% drop over two decades. The decline is strongest among teenage boys and the poorest children, and a quarter of primary pupils left without adequate reading skills. Half of adults do not read regularly and many parents do not enjoy reading to children. National responses include National Year of Reading 2026 with 72,000 books distributed, a Children's Booker prize for ages eight to 12, and proposals for automatic library cards for newborns. Shared reading during a child's first 1,000 days supports cognitive and emotional development, bonding and attachment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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