Reading for pleasure has reached crisis point

New research by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) has revealed that the number of children and young people reading for pleasure has reached crisis point, with over half of 8 – 18-year-olds reporting that they don’t enjoy reading in their spare time, 
the highest level since their records began.
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Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to report not reading for pleasure (over 60%), which could lead to an even bigger gap in the outcomes for these children throughout their lives.
With government research showing that reading for pleasure is the most important factor for determining a child’s future success, the NLT’s findings must serve as a huge wake-up call for parents, educators, and government policymakers to take action and support more children to love reading.

Digital Distractions
Screens are embedded in modern family life as a way to relax, play, and be entertained. Reading books as a form of entertainment faces an ongoing battle from a range of digital devices, all competing for children’s (and parents’) attention. 
The Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report 2017, conducted as part of Ofcom’s media literacy programme, highlighted that the number of children aged 3 – 11 who are online is increasing year-on-year, with much of this growth coming from increased use of tablets.

Levels of concern among parents have also increased; more parents than in 2016 said they were concerned about their child’s media use across TV, online, mobile phones and gaming. Though the research was conducted in 2017, the trends it highlights are prevalent today, with children and young people’s media consumption continuing to rise.

The correlation between the increase in younger children accessing screens for longer periods of time and the steady decrease in the number of children reading for pleasure cited in the NLT’s report cannot be ignored.

Founded on 20+ years of child development experience, Green Bean Studios has witnessed firsthand the negative impact that excessive screen time has on young children’s development, bringing with it speech and language delays, behavioural issues, mental health problems, and contributing to the childhood obesity crisis.
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Technology is not the enemy, but balancing screen time with healthy habits, outdoor play, exploring nature, and reading books is essential to combat children’s declining mental and physical health and the risk to their future success posed by not reading for pleasure.

The Role Parents Play in Reading for Pleasure
In a child’s early years, parents, grandparents, and caregivers play arguably the most important role in nurturing reading for pleasure and shaping children’s future reading habits. This is backed up by the National Literacy Trust’s report findings which showed that:

“Within the 8 to 18 age group, 1 in 2 (52.9%) reported they had been encouraged to read by their parents/carers, whilst 3 in 5 (58.4%) had seen their parents/carers read, and 1 in 5 (19.9%) had read with their family.

“Nearly three times as many children and young people who perceived their reading environment to be supportive said they enjoyed reading compared with those who perceived it to be less supportive (63.9% vs. 25.4%), while twice as many read daily in their free time (41.7% vs. 17.7%)”

Sharing their findings on LinkedIn, the National Literacy Trust said:

“Positive reading environments and parental encouragement can have a significant impact on reading enjoyment, so we must act to ensure more children have access to this kind of support.”

The statistics highlight the positive impact parents and caregivers can have on creating an environment which nurtures a love of reading from a young age. Ultimately, if this is achieved during those vital formative years then children have the best chance of turning to books for enjoyment and reading for pleasure throughout their lives. 

It’s all too easy to point fingers and blame the parents when there’s a problem with children. Though parents do have a key role to play in children’s attitudes towards reading, there needs to be a collaborative effort between parents, caregivers, nurseries, schools, communities, and government leaders to get more children reading for pleasure across the UK.

Precious Moments Campaign
Our mission at Green Bean Studios is to reach early years children and encourage them to learn, play, and have fun outdoor adventures. We believe every child should have the best start in life and get the support they need to reach their full potential. We know that nurturing a love of reading from a young age is fundamental to achieving this. 
Green Bean is our lovable household friend who embodies a love of playing and learning in children. This fun character has huge appeal to children and appears in our collectable range of educational books, toys, and games called the Green Bean Collection, encouraging children to love books. 

To support our mission, earlier this year we launched our Precious Moments Ambassadors Campaign, calling for parents, grandparents, and early years educational professionals to partner with us and support children to learn, play, and develop confidently. 

On 7 July 2023, we had our first Precious Moments Ambassadors meeting with a group of grandparents at a private residence in Sale surrounded by beautiful gardens. Over the weekend we also met with a group of educators, professionals working with young children (including SEN specialists), and a number of local parents and their young children.
We recently journeyed alongside a mother whose son was diagnosed with a speech delay. Together we went on a reading journey to recovery using our children’s books which can be found in Waterstones. We share their story with you below, along with a link to our YouTube video in which Ehi, Yether’s mother, shares her experiences.

Yether was 2.5 years old when he was diagnosed with a speech delay. Ehi was heartbroken to see her son struggling with his communication. When she discovered the Green Bean Collection they began their Green Bean reading adventures and within 2.5 years Yether’s communication skills were completely transformed. 
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Yether is now 5 years’ old and you would never guess that he had ever struggled with his speech. Ehi credits the Green Bean Collection books with enabling Yether to overcome his speech delay, helping develop his vocabulary, understanding and confidence in all aspects of communication. 

View on Youtube:  
Every member of the Green Bean Studios team is hugely passionate about our mission and helping more children read for pleasure – we know we are not alone in our strength of feeling on this issue.

Though the National Literacy Trust’s findings on the current state of reading for pleasure amongst children in the UK is alarming, it makes us even more determined to connect and collaborate with parents, communities, and government leaders to get the nation’s children loving reading again.

We welcome people who support our mission and share our values about books, reading, and helping children thrive. Whether you’re a grandparent, parent, caregiver, or educational professional, we need your help to encourage every child to read for pleasure. 

Find out more about our campaign and how to join here:
Words by: Melissa Brannlund
For press enquiries please contact: Sara Donnelly