UK consumer report finds fewer preschoolers being read to by parents

A UK report has revealed just 51% of preschool-age children are read to on a daily basis, a drop from 69% in 2013, reports the Bookseller.

The survey, which was run by Nielsen Book Research and co-funded by Egmont Publishing, revealed 58% of parents of children aged three to four struggled to read with their children daily, with 19% citing a lack of energy as the cause, and 16% responding that their child prefers other activities.

Nearly half of the parents surveyed (46%) reported being ‘overwhelmed’ by the choice in children’s books, and 21% said they ‘don’t feel comfortable in bookshops’. Conversely, 61% of parents said they were concerned about how much time their child was spending in front of a screen.

Egmont Publishing consumer insight director Alison David said, ‘We know that parents are increasingly concerned about screen time, especially the popularity of YouTube among young children. Our research tells us we need to give children a real range of print alternatives to choose from, whether that’s a magazine, a graphic novel, a comic or a picture book. A sense of agency, and being given the freedom to pick their own reading material, is far more effective in creating lifelong readers than a strict reading list.’

The annual Understanding the Children’s Book Consumer survey interviewed 1596 parents of 0- to 13-year-olds, and 417 14- to 17-year-olds in the UK last year.

Category: International news