Summer Reading Challenge

19 July 2019

Why is reading for pleasure important?

  • Currently, 1 in 5 children in England cannot read well by the age of 11. We know that reading for fun improves literacy.
  • Reading for pleasure is more important to children’s academic success than their parents’ level of education or socio-economic status.
  • Embedding a love of reading in children can help their wellbeing later in life. 19% of adult readers say that reading stops them feeling lonely.
  • Studies have found that those who read for pleasure have higher levels of empathy, greater self-esteem and are better able to cope with difficult situations.
  • The Summer Reading Challenge gets around 700,000 children into libraries each year to keep up their reading skills and confidence during the long holidays.

It’s fun, it’s free and it’s local!