According to a report by the National Literacy Trust, the proportion of children in this age group who do not have their own book at home has increased by 1.9% since before the pandemic and is now at its highest point since 2019. The rising cost of living is cited as a key reason for this increase, with 87% of parents saying they now have less disposable income and 64% saying the amount of money they have to spend on books for their child has decreased . Just over half (51%) say books are simply too expensive. According to Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, the report suggests that access to books at home is another consequence of strain on family finances – and one that has worrying implications for children’s futures. Owning books is integral to encouraging children to develop regular reading habits and raising literacy levels, said Douglas, who urged that “getting books to children is more important than ever.” “Low levels of literacy can hold you back in school, exclude you from the labor market, affect your physical and mental health and even your life expectancy,” he added. The report outlines findings from the National Literacy Trust’s annual literacy survey, which explores young children’s engagement with reading and access to reading materials. Only half of the children surveyed said they read every day, with one in 13 saying they don’t read at all. According to the report, a third of parents say reading plays a central role in their child’s daily routine, while 31% say their child reads less outside of school – raising important questions about how the UK can to increase the number of children who read regularly. . Children who have a book of their own at home are six times more likely to read above the expected level for their age, the report says. The new report is published in partnership with McDonald’s, which has donated more than half a million books to children in deprived areas across the country this month, with the aim of ensuring that as many children as possible start the new school year with one of their own. book them. . Donations included The BFG by Roald Dahl, Hair Love by Matthew Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison, and the Little People Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Lisbeth Kaiser. TV host Vernon Kay teamed up with the fast-food chain to raise awareness of the importance of children’s literacy. He said it was “heartbreaking” that so many children in the UK were without books. Kay, who has two daughters with his wife, presenter Tess Daly, said his own children were “lucky to have had lots of books to inspire and engage them as they grow up, but for many children across the UK Vasilesi is unfortunately not the case”.
