NEW YORK (PRNewswire-FirstCall) – The time kids spend reading for fun declines sharply after age 8 and continues to drop off through the
teen years, according to a new national study released today by Yankelovich, a leader in consumer trends tracking, and Scholastic, the
global children’s publishing and media company.
While 40% of kids between the ages of 5 and 8 years old are high-frequency readers (reading for fun every day), only 29 percent of kids ages 9 through 11 years old are high-frequency readers and the percentage continues to decline through age 17. The Kids and Family
Reading Report(TM), a national survey of children ages 5 to17 and their parents, also found that parents can have a direct impact on their kids’
reading attitudes and behaviors, especially by reading more frequently themselves and by helping kids find books they like.
“Parents excel when it comes to introducing their very young children to beautiful picture books and bedtime stories, but when their kids start
leading independently, parents need to become more, not less, involved,”stated Lisa Holton, President Scholastic Book Fairs and Trade Publishing.
“As kids get older, the role parents play changes. We found that not only do parents need to be reading role models, but that they must play a key role in helping their older children select books that capture their imagination and interest.”
Almost three-quarters of parents surveyed (74%) say they value reading as the most important skill for a child to develop — followed by critical
thinking (49%), math (46%), social (46%) and computer (27%) skills. While two-thirds of parents agree that strong reading skills are critical to
future success and 80% say it is very important for kids to read books for fun outside of school, only 21% of parents identify themselves as high
frequency readers (reading every day).
The importance of parents as reading role models is evidenced by the fact that children of high frequency readers are far more likely to read
for fun every day than children whose parents are not high frequency readers. The study found that 53 percent of children whose parents are high-frequency readers are reading books for fun every day; however, among children whose parents are low frequency readers (reading two to three times a month or less), only 15 percent read for fun daily. Parents who are high-frequency readers are more likely to see themselves as primarily responsible for encouraging their children to read than parents who are low-frequency readers (60% versus 46%).
Whether or not parents are high frequency readers themselves, they can positively impact kids’ reading habits. Kids who are high frequency readers are more than twice as likely as low frequency readers to cite their parents as a top source of ideas for good books to read (21% versus 8%). Kids who are low-frequency readers are more inclined to rely on their teachers, friends, librarians and television to help them find books to read than on their parents.
While nearly all kids surveyed enjoy reading books for fun, kids report that the number one reason they do not read more is that they cannot find
books they like. Parents, on the other hand, say they think kids, especially the older ones, are not reading more because of too much homework.
“With all the media that today’s youth are faced with day in and day out, the truth is kids really do enjoy reading books for fun,” stated Dr.
Hal Quinley from Yankelovich. “Parents may be underestimating the difficulty kids have finding books they like. Although kids value their
independence, they seek guidance from parents and that includes the suggestion of a great book to read.”