A survey of 17,000 schoolchildren by the National Literacy Trust found that “85.5% of pupils had their own mobile phone, compared with 72.6% who had their own books,” the Telegraph reported. The disclosure follows the publication of a study which found that keeping just 20 books in the home could boost children’s chances of doing well at school. Jonathan Douglas, National Literacy Trust director, said: “Our research illustrates the clear link with literacy resources at home and a child’s reading ability, as well the vital importance of family encouragement.”
There is also ample evidence that parents who promote reading as a valuable and worthwhile activity have children who are motivated to read for pleasure. “Involvement with reading activities at home has significant positive influences not only on reading achievement, language comprehension and expressive language skills, but also on pupils’ interest in reading, attitudes towards reading and attentiveness in the classroom.”
Questions to think about:
~ Who is buying the mobile phones for children?
~ How many book do you buy or borrow from the library in a given month?
~ How did we come to accept that children “need” mobile phones more than they need books?
