The sad decline of reading

Spectator

20 hours ago

At secondary school open days, English teachers are always asked the same questions by anxious parents of year six students: How do I get my child to read more? Why has my child suddenly stopped reading? What books would you recommend to make reading less of a chore?
This apprehension is not surprising. Reading enjoyment among children and young people has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, according to research by the National Literacy Trust. The decline is particularly pronounced in teenage boys, of whom only a quarter said they enjoyed reading in their spare time. Adults are equally afflicted: 40 per cent of Britons have not read or listened to a book in the past year, and men account for only 20 per cent of fiction sales in the US, Canada and Britain.
Reading is a habit, and habits need to be practised.