Business
New Data from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™ Finds Kids are Reading Less as They Age, with Adolescents the Most at Risk of Missing Out on the Benefits of Reading
Children's use of screens has risen sharply since 2018, with a significant increase among 6–11-year-olds participating in digital activities Data highlights
About this update from Scholastic Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"Children's use of screens has risen sharply since 2018, with a significant increase among 6–11-year-olds participating in digital activities\nData highlights importance of access to books kids want and parent support\nNEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children's publishing, education and media company, released new data from the Kids & Family Reading Report™: 8th Edition, building on more than a decade's worth of research highlighting the views of both kids and parents on reading books for fun and the influences that impact kids' reading frequency. Notable findings from the data illustrate how kids' reading enjoyment, frequency, and perceived importance continue to decline with age, with marked declines by age 9 that do not rebound, in parallel with a stark rise in digital activities. This data is especially worrisome on the heels of the recent NAEP report card that shows a steep drop in reading scores, as well as the growing research on the mental health benefits of reading.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \nTo learn more about the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, visit www.scholastic.com/readingreport.\n\"The data is alarming – fewer children today identify as frequent readers, and reading frequency plummets as kids age. And yet, there's beauty in the data as it shows how access to books and a community of reading role models can bolster excitement for reading in a child's life, which in turn can ignite a greater interest in the skills of reading so that they can explore more stories,\" said Peter Warwick, Scholastic President and CEO. \"With the best books that pique kids' interests and cultivate a joy for reading—a hallmark of our iconic Book Clubs and Fairs experiences—we can transform the nearly half of kids who are moderately frequent readers into frequent readers and set them on the path of a lifelong reading journey.\"\nAs survey findings revealed, the biggest predictors of reading frequency are the child's enjoyment of reading and belief in its importance, and being surrounded by reading role models including a parent who believes reading is important and provides books for their child. In a recent interview in The Washington Post, Sasha Quinton, President Scholastic School Reading Events, provides recommendations from personal experience on how parents can use the la...