As concerns rise over literacy levels in the UK, it seems that digital platforms are having a positive effect on children’s reading habits, according to a new report. The study, study published by the National Literacy Trust, indicates that Girls in the UK have more firmly embraced digital literacy and formats such as Facebook, email […]
As concerns rise over literacy levels in the UK, it seems that digital platforms are having a positive effect on children’s reading habits, according to a new report.
The study, study published by the National Literacy Trust, indicates that Girls in the UK have more firmly embraced digital literacy and formats such as Facebook, email and text message, while boys are more comfortable with traditional printed media such as comics, manuals and newspapers,
The data is based on responses from 32,000 pupils at more than 130 schools in the UK.
It also suggest that girls continue to outpace boys in their enthusiasm for reading outside school at all age levels, with black girls in particular showing a prodigious appetite for literature.
Girls studying for GCSEs, for example, were more likely to read emails and social network sites than boys of the same age – and were also more likely to read fiction, suggesting that the growth of digital media has not diminished the popularity of literature.
Boys studying for GCSEs were more likely than girls to read print products such as comics, with 38% saying they read newspapers at least once a month compared with 30% of girls of the same age.
Overall the study found that 54.4 per cent of respondents liked to read, extending a trend of rising engagement which first became apparent five years ago, when the comparable figure stood at just 49.1 per cent.
In addition, 41.4 per cent said they read daily outside the classroom, a marked increase on last year’s 32.2 per cent, although the most significant surge came via those of secondary school age where the proportion of daily readers jumped from 24.6 to 38.2 per cent.
