Reading
In a world filled with Playstations, i-pods and the internet, our younger generations are growing up surrounded by technology and computers.
However, this appears to be bad news as more and more children are leaving school not being able to read properly.
Britain has fallen from 3rd to 19th in the league table of international comparisons of children’s reading ability. Primary school reading results in the country have improved little in recent years.
Too much TV and time spent playing games on the internet are being blamed for kids not wanting to pick up a good book.
Even with fantastic stories like Harry Potter available it seems like many children can’t be tempted away from shooting baddies and blowing things up on their X-Box.
The government has now launched a national reading campaign and celebrities like Richard Madely and Dolly Parton are on board to help.
Authors, as well as famous folk, turned up to the posh Downing Street launch, which many saw as a sign the Government is aware it has a serious national problem on its hands.
The National Year of Reading aims to get more children and adults enjoying books.
Speaking on the official website Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “The 2008 National Year of Reading will create a powerful focus of opportunities and activities so that children, families and adult learners understand the benefits that reading for pleasure and purpose can bring to change their lives.â€
The government has stated that 15% of children have never been read to by their parents, and the age old tradition of gathering round the teacher for story time at school is a thing of the past.
Now schools are aiming to get the message across that it’s cool to read and are encouraging their pupils to delve into anything.
If you child really can’t be tempted by a trip to the library then even buying them a magazine about their favourite hobby, from football to cars, will get them reading something.
Spending time with your child telling them a story before bedtime is also an excellent way of getting them into books. It also means they will more than likely show some interest in trying to read on their own.
From just a few months of age infants can identify pictures and the sound of your voice, so starting early is always a good idea. As they get older it will stimulate their imagination and also mean they develop language and listening skills that they miss out of by just watching TV. Reading together is a great way to spend time with your children as well as ensuring they have an interest in something other than computer games and kid’s TV.
Female First – Jacqueline Farrer