Cost of living crisis impacting childrens' access to books, new study finds

The cost of living crisis is having an impact on children’s access to books, new research has found.

Digital bank Chase and the National Literacy Trust surveyed more than 3,000 parents and carers across Great Britain as part of the study, which found that 26% of respondents have asked their children to borrow more books from their school library as 40% said they were struggling financially. Amid the current financial crisis, 10% of parents and carers also said they were too stressed to read to their child.

The study found that 20% of families were spending less on books for their children due to increases in the cost of living. Meanwhile 16% of parents and carers said their child was struggling more at school compared to 12 months ago. This is reinforced by Key Stage 2 SATs results for 2022, which showed that a quarter of 11-year-olds left primary school unable to read at the expected level.

Nielsen BookScan also shows a drop in children’s book sales. In the last 12 weeks of 2022, they were down 3% in volume and 5% in value against the same period in 2021. In the first seven weeks of the year, kids’ sales are just in the black against 2022, with a drop of 1.5% in volume but a rise of 0.3% in value.

The Chase/NLT research has been released to coincide with the second year of the Chase Rewarding Futures school libraries programme, which aims to encourage children to develop an early-life love of reading.

A total of 92% of parents and carers surveyed said having access to a good school library was important and 26% said they were visiting the library more as a family now. Yet, one in seven state primary schools do not have access to a library.

In light of the new research, Chase has committed a further £1m to the Rewarding Futures initiative. This will go towards providing new library spaces for schools in under-served areas and supporting teachers to implement a reading for pleasure strategy in their schools. Penguin Random House will also donate a range of books and educational technology, such as audiobook players, as part of the programme.

Deborah Keay, UK c.m.o at Chase, commented: “We understand that household finances are under pressure and this is having a profound impact on the decisions and compromises parents and carers have to make each day. Now, more than ever before, school libraries are playing a pivotal role in providing children access to a range of literature to support their learning. 

“Our programme aims to support teachers and schools to instil an early love of reading so children have a safe space to let their imaginations run wild and explore other worlds. We know that early reading skill development can unlock a child’s potential and improve their prospects later in life.”

Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: "We know that experiencing poverty and financial strain impacts children’s literacy – with families not being able to afford books and having less time and energy to spend reading, writing, and talking to their children at home. That’s why initiatives like Chase Rewarding Futures are more important now than ever. We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Chase on this transformative programme this year, delivering even more exciting reading spaces, resources and training to primary schools across the UK."

Graham Harley, a teacher at Sighthill Primary School, added: “We believe having a well-stocked, organised and inviting whole-school library is a vital resource that every school in the country should have. If a school is lucky enough to have a newly refurbished library, it allows teachers and support assistants to educate young people in a creative and inspiring environment.

“Libraries can empower pupils and help them discover a love for reading at a young age. This is why having a library directly in your school is so important to us as we strive to support and improve young people’s future learning prospects. At Sighthill Primary School we feel incredibly lucky to have the Chase Rewarding Futures school library programme supporting the implementation of a brand new whole-school library, we’re excited for what the future brings.”