Children with a positive attitude to reading are more likely to practice the reading skills they are learning at school. Children who are read to every day at age three have a vocabulary at age five which is nearly two months more advanced than those who are not. A child taken to the library on a monthly basis from ages three to five is two and a half months ahead of an equivalent child at age five who did not visit the library so regularly. 3 There is also evidence that reading for pleasure can benefit children and young people beyond the classroom and into their adult life, in turn enriching the world around us.
According to the International Reading Association4 : Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives. They will need literacy to cope with the flood of information they will find everywhere they turn. They will need literacy to feed their imaginations so they can create the world of the future. In a complex and sometimes even dangerous world, their ability to read can be crucial. Poor reading skills correlate heavily with lack of employment, lower wages, and fewer opportunities for advancement. Significantly worse reading skills are found among prisoners than in the general adult population5. Research also indicates that reading and taking part in social reading activities such as reading groups help people relax, support learning, combat isolation and build social capital, help develop confidence and self-esteem and promote enjoyment and well-being6. Reading can provide an escape from day-to-day concerns and can be a wonderful way of relaxing and relieving stress. There is a developing evidence base for the health and well-being benefits of reading, with evidence suggesting a correlation between reading and a variety of physical and mental health outcomes7. For example, the NHS has introduced a ‘Reading and You’ scheme, which encourages mental health patients to read more as part of their therapy for reducing stress and overcoming anxiety, depression and social isolation.