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New research from BookTrust has suggested that a lack of time and confidence are the main barriers preventing parents from low-income backgrounds from reading with their children.
According to the findings, of 2,148 parents and carers of children aged zero to seven, living in low income households in the UK between April and June 2022, 23% did not share books with their children before their first birthday, but the majority of respondents (95%) saw reading as an important thing to do.
In the study, entitled Children’s reading habits in the early years, the term “low-income” indicates families living in relative poverty as defined by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Of those surveyed, 20% of parents and carers said they don’t read with their child due to lack of time, while 28% said they don’t find reading with their child easy and 21% of parents and carers said they don’t feel confident choosing books that their child will enjoy.
Where families are regularly reading and sharing stories together, the research suggests this peaks when children are between two and four years old. However, according to BookTrust, the frequency of children being read to daily after the age of four drastically reduces and continues to decline throughout childhood.
BookTrust states: “Sharing books, stories and rhymes as a basis for playing, talking, singing and exploring in their early years provides the biggest boost to children developmentally, enhancing cognitive, physical, social and emotional growth and development during a period of significant brain growth. Shared reading also supports bonding between children and their parents, carers or other family members; and boosts parental positivity and improves children’s sleep."
Of the findings, Diana Gerald, chief executive of BookTrust, said: “Reading has the potential to change lives and our aim at BookTrust is to get all children reading regularly and by choice. As this research shows, families recognise the importance of reading in their children’s early years. Much of this can be attributed to the hard work of early years practitioners, libraries, health visitors who we work closely with to inspire families to read and share books and stories together early on."
Gerald said that parents and carers tell the children’s reading charity that a lack of time or confidence choosing books are the “main barriers” they face that prevent them from reading more. “While this research will continue to shape and inform the support and resources that BookTrust provides for children and families across England, Wales and Northern Ireland – at a time when the disadvantage gap is growing between children from low income backgrounds and their more affluent peers – there must be a greater emphasis and focus on establishing children’s reading habits early on in life, especially for those children who stand to benefit the most from the life changing benefits of reading.”
The full research can be read here.