An expert from Save My Exams, a leading online education platform, has reacted to findings from the National Literacy Trust that just 34% of young people said that they enjoy reading in their free time.
The NLT found that reading enjoyment levels have decreased by 8.8% over the past year alone amongst children and young people aged 8 to 18, with only 20% reporting that they read something daily in their free time in 2024.
Reacting to the damning report published by the National Literacy Trust, Constance Mantle, CEO at SaveMyExams, commented:
“Reading is a critical part of education, contributing heavily to vocabulary growth, communication skills, critical thinking, personal development and more broadly, knowledge of the world. Ultimately making these findings from the National Literacy Trust extremely concerning.
“These skills are imperative in adulthood, allowing for people to become more socially aware. Reading exposes young people to differing perspectives, and triggers questions, analysis and scepticism.
“Reading can promote curiosity and invoke inspiration, as students discover topics and subjects that can support future careers and interests. It has a huge impact on language skills and vocabulary growth, which is imperative to childhood development – which is why these findings are so worrying.
“Furthermore, reading introduces children to new ideas and concepts, which are fundamental to self-expression, as well the understanding of values, morals and different characteristics.
“Reading is a key component to academic success, playing a significant role in the examination of students across all subjects, but particularly across English and the humanities.”
