Only 10% of boys aged 14-16 read daily for pleasure, UK study finds | Education
Less than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 read books every day, according to research that finds reading for pleasure is being pushed out of young people’s lives by schoolwork, screens and sports.
While reading declines for both boys and girls in early adolescence, there are “signs of recovery” among girls in later adolescence, but boys’ participation remains consistently low, according to the National Literacy Trust (NLT).
An NLT survey of 80,000 young people aged 11 to 16 found that almost half (46.9%) of young people aged 8 to 11 enjoy reading. This rate dropped to less than one third (29.5%) in the 11-14 age group and dropped to 28.6% in the 14-16 age group.
The report concludes that daily reading is “rare” by mid-adolescence, with 31.1% of children aged eight to 11 reading a book every day, compared to 17.1% of children aged 11 to 14 and 14% of children aged 14 to 16.
Boys’ reading rates are lower at all ages. More than a third (36%) of girls aged eight to 11 say they read books every day, compared to a quarter (26.3%) of boys of the same age. Between the ages of 14 and 16, this rate dropped to 17.6% for girls and only 9.8% for boys.
NLT chief executive Jonathan Douglas said: “Over the past 20 years, children’s and young people’s reading enjoyment and daily reading habits have fallen sharply to the lowest levels on record, with the decline particularly pronounced for young people.
“As young people get older, reading is increasingly competed with by multiple pressures on their time, changing routines, a wider range of interests and activities, and greater independence. As a result, reading can become easier to displace, especially when it is not rooted in daily life. Young boys’ reading is particularly vulnerable.”
The publication of the report, Reading in Young People: (Re)framing the Challenge, coincides with the National Year of Reading, a year-long UK-wide campaign launched by the Department for Education and NLT to promote reading for pleasure, particularly among children and young people.
The novel When the Sky Falls by author Phil Earle won the British Book Award’s Children’s Book of the Year in 2022, said: “If we are serious about this situation then it won’t mean a year of work, it means a generation of it, with absolute commitment from government, educators, TV companies, radio, streamers, social media organisations, publishers and writers.”
He called for change, saying: “We must remove centuries of snobbery around reading and its use in education. We must let children guide us in what they want to read, and we must address the issue of children’s writers being seen more in the media, giving them a platform where parents, but more importantly, readers can see them.”
“It won’t be easy, and it won’t be fast, but we can keep our readers by reminding them long before they hit puberty that reading isn’t just about novels.”
The NLT study, shared exclusively with the Guardian, includes nearly 50,000 comments that provide insight into the views of 11 to 16-year-olds on reading and how reading does or does not fit into the daily lives of modern teenagers.
There were many positive comments from young men who said they found reading peaceful and mentally restorative. “If I’m upset, I can read a book to calm down,” one contributor said. Another said: “Reading is great for when you’re having a bad day at school. You can just read a book to stop you from worrying.”
They also enjoyed learning by reading. “I like reading because I get better knowledge,” said another.
But often reading for pleasure gets lost in the face of schoolwork. “I don’t have time to enjoy books when I’m already drowned in textbooks,” one said. Many chose to spend time playing sports, playing games and socializing with family and friends. Others liked reading digitally. “I don’t like reading books, but I like reading things on my phone, computer and more,” one said.
Many boys still value reading but find it difficult to fit it into their lives, with some saying they are put off because they find it difficult. “I’m dyslexic and I don’t enjoy it because it’s too hard, my attention span is too short and I find other things more fun,” one said.
Douglas said: “Young people tell us they are more likely to read when it is linked to their interests, such as football, video games and friendships, when they have choice about what and how they read, and when reading fits naturally into their lives.
“Understanding how reading competes with and can complement the ways young people today engage with text will be key to helping more young people develop and maintain a reading habit that can enhance their learning, well-being and self-confidence at a crucial time in their lives.”
