NEW YORK, March 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic
(NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and
media company, today released results from the seventh edition of
its Kids & Family Reading Report™, a biennial
national survey of parents' and children's reading attitudes and
behaviors. Those surveyed include more than 1,000 pairs of children
ages 6–17 and their parents, as well as 678 parents of kids ages
0–5.
The research reveals the diversity parents and children seek in
books, explores how reading helps children understand their world
and indicates the importance of book access and reading role
models. To download the full report, visit
www.scholastic.com/readingreport.
"For more than a decade, the Kids & Family Reading
Report has helped us understand what kids and parents want and
need from books. This seventh edition highlights the importance of
children feeling seen and heard, and acknowledges the
social-emotional value of reading. The child with access to reading
is a child better prepared to navigate the challenges of an
unpredictable future," said Richard
Robinson, Scholastic CEO and Chairman. "What is striking in
this year's report, however, is how many children are losing their
connection to books and reading at a relatively early age. If we
are to turn around the decline in children's reading frequency at
age 8 and 9, and reignite their love for reading, we must continue
the critical work of connecting kids with stories that spark their
innate curiosity, in whatever format they prefer."
Finding Their Story: A Precarious "Decline by
Nine"
The study found the percentage of kids defined as frequent
readers (reading books for fun 5–7 days a week) drops from 57%
among 8-year-olds to 35% among 9-year-olds. The data also shows a
drop between ages eight and nine in the number of kids who say they
love reading (from 40% to 28%), as well as the percentage of kids
who think reading books for fun is important (from 65% to 57%). The
Kids & Family Reading Report has shown a child's
attitude towards reading enjoyment and importance is a predictor of
reading frequency, which makes the trends in this year's report so
striking.
Reading helps kids navigate the world. The
vast majority of parents (88%) believe that reading fiction and
nonfiction is a good way for their child to better understand the
world. Three in four children agree. More than half of kids (53%)
and parents (55%) also agree a book has helped them or their child
through a difficult time. Nevertheless, the data cited above shows
that a young reader's journey is at risk.
Families expect more from children's
books. In the past two years, both kids and
parents are less likely to say that when picking a children's book
to read for fun, the type of book doesn't matter, it just has to be
a good story (down 17 points among kids; 21 points among
parents).
- More kids want books that make them laugh (up 10 points to
52%), help them explore new worlds (up nine points to 40%) and
become familiar with new topics (up seven points to 26%).
- More parents want these types of books, as well as those which
help their child learn about the lives of others (up 12 points to
48%) and books that make their child think and feel (up nine points
to 51%).
"It is worrisome that the Kids & Family Reading
Report shows us that many kids are losing their connection to
reading when they need it most, in third grade. But the research
also has a powerful message from kids that they want to read, but
not just any book," said Lauren
Tarshis, SVP & Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Scholastic
Magazines and author of the bestselling I Survived series.
"I am constantly inspired to see how kids are ready and eager to
engage in stories that will open their eyes and their hearts and
challenge them to think in new ways. We must help kids find
fascinating, meaningful stories about relatable characters."
Finding Their Story: Diversity in Children's Books in
Demand
The survey underscores the importance of diversity and how
broadly it is defined. A majority of parents and a near
majority of kids ages 9–17 say diversity in children's books
includes people and experiences different than their own –
representations of various cultures, customs, religions, settings
and living situations. For others, diversity in children's books
includes differently-abled people, people of color and LGBTQ
people.
- Many want diversity in books. About half of kids
ages 9–17 and parents with kids ages 6–17 agree "I wish there were
more books available that include diversity;" among kids and
parents who agree that diversity in children's books is important,
these percentages rise to 76% of kids and 69% of parents. Black and
Hispanic families overall have the strongest views on the
importance of and need for books with diversity.
- Demand is on the rise. Kids ages 12–17 and
parents of children of all ages are more likely today than they
were in 2016 to want books that include diverse storylines,
characters or settings (18% of kids, up five points; 31% of parents
with kids ages 6–17, up five points; parents of children ages 5 and
under up 9 points to 36%).
- Characters build character. This year's survey
asked parents to prioritize the qualities they hope their children
develop. Responsibility, self-confidence, honesty, respectfulness
and kindness top the list. Parents know that cultivating these
qualities can be challenging, and they overwhelmingly believe
reading can help: 95% agree that characters in books can help
inspire the development of these qualities in their child.
According to Andrea Davis
Pinkney, VP, Executive Editor at Scholastic, bestselling
children's book author and Coretta Scott
King Book Award winner, "The Kids & Family Reading
Report puts even more power behind our belief that diversity in
books matters. When kids don't see books that reflect diverse
experiences, they're not emboldened to expand their thinking. But
when a young reader finds a story that positively reflects his or
her own story -- or presents the stories of people not like
themselves -- that child becomes encouraged to read more.
This has a direct impact on how kids view their place in the world,
and helps them develop empathy and open-mindedness. Tomorrow's
leaders need to see themselves in books. The report empowers us to
help kids do that."
Finding Their Story: Access matters
The report shows clear parallels between access to books and
reading role models and kids' reading frequency.
- Kids need help finding books. While four in 10
kids agree that they have trouble finding books that they like,
this is far higher among infrequent readers than frequent readers
(59% vs. 32%) and is true of roughly half of kids by age nine.
- Reading role models show kids the way. Frequent
readers are more likely to be surrounded by people who they
perceive to enjoy reading: 82% say a lot or nearly everyone they
know enjoys reading, versus infrequent readers at 34%. And much
like reading frequency, there's a clear decline as children age:
77% of kids ages 6–8 say a lot or nearly everyone they know enjoys
reading, but this drops as children age to 48% among 15–17
year-olds.
- Books at home and in the classroom provide
access. Frequent readers have an average of 139 books for
children in their homes vs. 74 in infrequent readers' homes. In
school, classroom libraries are only available for 43% of
school-aged children and only one-third say they have a classroom
library that has enough of the types of books they'd like to
read.
- When kids choose, kids read. Regardless of
reading frequency or children's ages, the majority of kids (89%)
agree their favorite books are the ones that they have picked out
themselves.
"Parents, grandparents, older siblings, teachers,
principals—everyone in a child's life—can be a reading role model.
It's up to us all to provide the opportunity for choice, be readers
ourselves, ask and answer questions about what a child is reading,
read aloud together (regardless of age!), and more," said
Michael Haggen, Chief Academic
Officer for Scholastic Education. "When a child knows that the
people surrounding them value reading, we will have a greater
culture of literacy in our homes and in our schools."
Background on the Kids & Family Reading
Report™
The Kids & Family Reading Report is a biennial report from
Scholastic and is managed by the independent research firm YouGov.
Results are from a nationally representative survey with a total
sample size of 2,758 parents and children, including 678 parents of
children ages 0-5; 1,040 parents of children ages 6-17; plus one
child age 6–17 from the same household. The survey was conducted
between September 6, 2018 and
October 4, 2018. The first
installment of the seventh edition focused on the rising prevalence
and awareness of reading aloud with children. A forthcoming
installment will focus on summer reading.
For the full methodology and reports, see
www.scholastic.com/readingreport.
For more information about Scholastic, visit our media room at
http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.
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SOURCE Scholastic