Reading for Pleasure
While learning discrete reading skills is vital, recent research into reading shows that developing positive attitudes towards reading can also play a key role in children’s development
Young people who enjoy reading very much are three times as likely to read above the level expected for their age as young people who do not enjoy reading at all. Children’s and Young People’s Reading in 2015, National Literacy Trust, 20161
Research also shows that reading for pleasure has a positive impact on children’s attainment in reading assessments. Children who read for pleasure have enhanced levels of text comprehension, an increased knowledge of grammar and show improvement in their writing. Research has found children who read often at the age of ten perform better than their peers in tests of spelling, vocabulary and even mathematics when tested at the age of sixteen. They also have more positive attitudes towards reading than their peers.
Developing a love of reading can be more important for a child’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic background. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 20025
The advantages of reading for pleasure go beyond academic achievement: Other benefits include an increased breadth of vocabulary, pleasure in reading in later life, a better understanding of other cultures, better general knowledge and even ‘a greater insight into human nature’. Reading for Pleasure: A research overview, National Literacy Trust, 2006