News

Boys’ love of reading disappears dramatically as they become teens

English
Only a third of teenage boys in the UK say they enjoy reading, a new study by the National Literacy Trust has found.

The charity, which is dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK, discovered a considerable drop in boys’ enjoyment of reading as they get older. While more than 72 per cent of boys aged eight to 11 said they enjoyed reading, this fell to just under 36 per cent for boys aged 14 to 16.

The charity’s Annual Literacy Survey for 2016, based on data from more than 42,000 pupils aged eight to 18, showed that girls’ reading enjoyment also dropped during their teens but not so dramatically. Nearly 83 per cent of girls aged eight to 11 were passionate about reading compared to 53 per cent of 14 to 16-year-olds.

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