Almost four million children in the UK do not own a book, according to a report by the National Literacy Trust.
Seven years ago 1 child in 10 did not have a book of their own, while today that figures stands at 1 child in 3.
A shocking statistic and one which brings sadness to those who love books and see reading as a way to educate our children and give them access not only to the accumulation of knowledge, but to a higher level of understanding of the world around them.
It begs the question, what can we do?
Schools and parents are of course in the frontline here but what can we do as a community? Libraries are under threat; computers have taken over the leisure time that children used to have for outdoor play and reading. Parents have to be good role models and be seen to be reading.
As a private English and Maths tutor with Step Up Learning, I have run over a 600 reading assessments in the past 7 years and there is always a correlation between the amount a child reads and whether their reading age is ahead or behind their actual age.
I would like to see a daily “quiet time” with no TV or computers (and phones off!).
Are some parents presenting the wrong role model for their children? What can we do to reverse this shocking statistic?
I would love to know what you think.
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