A “generational shift” in children reading for pleasure appears to be taking place, the chair of the Commons Education Select Committee has warned, as MPs launch an inquiry into the decline.
The committee will question experts on the relationship between children reading for pleasure and their mental health, as well as their screen time.
Committee chair Helen Hayes said that reading for pleasure has been considered essential for learning and understanding the world but “now we appear to be witnessing a generational shift”.
She added that the committee “wants to understand the forces at play and what the consequences could be for children’s lives - crucially, we will look across the academic space, and at good practice in schools and communities, for solutions”.
The committee will also look at how more promotion of reading for pleasure could help the attainment of disadvantaged children and children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The committee has launched a call for evidence from experts and academics, which closes on Friday 9 January.
Fewer children reading for pleasure
National Literacy Trust research earlier this year found that only 33 per cent of young people aged 8 to 18 said they read in their spare time. This has fallen from 51 per cent in 2005 and is the lowest level seen in 20 years.
The proportion of younger children (aged 5 to 8) who say they read for pleasure daily has fallen by 9.1 percentage points since 2019.
The survey also identified a widening gender gap, with girls more likely than boys to say they read for pleasure daily.
The government has announced a plan to introduce a statutory reading test for Year 8 students that aims to ensure that any reading problems are identified, so that support can be put in place.
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