Our Evidence Base

EVIDENCE BASE

‘Reading for pleasure is more important for the child’s cognitive development (the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding) than their parents’ level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background’.

‘Children who read daily in primary school gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16’.

‘In England and Northern Ireland the (average) hourly wage of workers with the highest levels of literacy is 94% higher than for workers who have the lowest levels of literacy’.

‘People who read books regularly are on average more satisfied with life, happier, and more likely to feel that the things they do in life are worthwhile’.

Many studies show that 10% of pupils who decode well, seem to experience difficulties understanding what they read. This has serious implications because academic attainment and reading comprehension are highly correlated. Weak reading comprehension also has a negative impact on reading enjoyment and writing skills. Tony Whatmuff (July 2016).

https://readingagency.org.uk/news/blog/why-is-reading-for-pleasure-important.html