If we continue to sit there passively watching whilst reading and literature dies a slow death, we will be all the worse for it. To read that books are extinct from up to 4 million British homes is quite distressing.
Almost 4 million UK children do not own a book, research suggests.
The latest report by the National Literacy Trust discloses that one in three does not have a book of their own.
The number has increased from seven years ago, the last time the poll was conducted, when it stood at one in 10 youngsters, meaning the number of children without books has tripled.
The latest survey, which was based on a survey of 18,000 children aged between eight and 16, shows that boys are more likely to be without books than girls.
Why parents buy the latest phone for their young children before something they really do need like a library of books is something I’ll never understand.
Tags: Books, Boys, Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals, Children, Department for Education, Education, George Monbiot, Girls, Jilly Cooper, Jonathan Douglas, life, Literacy, Mark Taylor, National Literacy Trust, Parenting, Poll, Reading, Study, Survey, UK
Topical Teaching 
December 6, 2011 at 6:38 am |
While I was teaching in a high school with 99% indigenous children it was recognised that most of these came from bookless homes. The Federal Government sponsored a scheme which provided free books to families. I don’t know if it is still in operation but I do know that the children were happy to receive a book (of their own choice). Unless there are books in the home children grow up without appreciating the need to learn to read. I have heard of children in 3rd world countries not even having books in their schools except the free New Testament provided to students by Gideons International. Where this happens the New Testament is used as a school textbook to teach reading. How can children learn to read without books? Will electronic media ever take the place of the written word?