Children’s reading should prioritise pleasure over learning, says laureate
Summary
Children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce told UK MPs that reading for pleasure should be more important than reading to learn in schools and at home. He said many children no longer enjoy reading because of factors like poverty, the pandemic, and too much focus on tests.Key Facts
- Only one in three children aged 8 to 18 in the UK enjoy reading for fun, a 36% drop since 2005.
- Cottrell-Boyce said that teaching reading skills without encouraging enjoyment can make kids dislike reading.
- He urged the government to support parents and nursery staff in reading aloud to children, building their confidence.
- Poverty, including lack of basic things like a bed, can stop children from having bedtime stories.
- Early childhood is the key time to build a love of reading; later education helps but is less important.
- Early-years workers are often low paid and young, many affected by school closures during the pandemic.
- Cottrell-Boyce believes fixing reading enjoyment is possible by putting pleasure before formal learning.
- The UK is running a national year of reading to try to increase reading for pleasure among children.
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