Some parents really have to encourage their kids to read, but other kids seem to live with their nose in a book. And being an avid young reader has a powerful positive impact, according to new research.
A survey of 15-hundred parents and 500 elementary school teachers finds:
- The average child reads five books a month, both inside and outside of school, with 54% reading a new book at least weekly.
- Kids who read “often” and “very often” tend to have a more active imagination than those who rarely or never read (95% compared to 57%).
- More than nine in 10 (91%) of five to 12-year-olds who are avid readers are also happier than kids who “rarely” or “never” read (36%).
- Similarly, 92% of kids who read frequently are more physically active than kids who don’t (40%).
- More than half (52%) of kiddos who read more also tend to take a more proactive approach to resolving negative situations and problems themselves.
- Teachers say students spend an average of 35 minutes reading throughout the school day, aside from textbooks.
- But 40% of teachers don’t feel their students spend enough time reading in a typical school day.
- To encourage their students to read more outside of school, teachers encourage them to visit the local library (66%), reward them with in-class points (60%), encourage them to use digital reading platforms (49%) and have in-class reading contests (31%).
- Things parents do to motivate their kids to read more include having more books around the house (26%), taking them to the library (23%), bringing books in the car (13%), letting them read on a phone or tablet (11%) and bringing books on vacation (10%).
Source: SWNS Digital
Scott's Thoughts:
- If letting a kid read on a phone or tablet gets them to actually read more books, who cares about screen time rules?
- I have always wondered about the effects on the eyes regarding reading on tablets versus paper.
- I did not read that much when I was young. Nor now. I wish I had read more.