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https://theconversation.com/children-arent-reading-for-pleasure-according-to-new-research-heres-how-you-can-help-them-love-books-243108>
"The National Literacy Trust’s annual literacy survey 2025 reveals that one in
three children and young people do not enjoy reading, with only 35% of eight to
18-year-olds stating that they enjoy reading in their spare time.
This is the lowest figure recorded since 2005 when the National Literacy Trust
started to gather this data. This report reveals that children and young
people’s enjoyment of reading is now at a crisis point.
Many literacy researchers like me are just not surprised by this data. Given
the lack of funding and closure of our local libraries. Not to mention the
narrow approach to the curriculum for reading in schools, which is targeted
specifically at struggling readers. This includes the systematic synthetic
phonics (SSP) scheme, which teach children to read by breaking words down into
their individual sounds and is pushed too early. As well as the dreaded phonics
screening check, which tests your child’s phonics knowledge, standardising
testing.
The joy of reading, alongside the awe and wonder from engaging in meaningful
reading activities is slowly being taken away from our children in schools with
overcrowded timetables and an overreliance on reading books matched to
systematic synthetic phonics schemes. In addition, it now appears that reading
at home seems to have become a luxury we can’t afford."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
