Research from the National Literacy Trust (Picton & Clark, 2023) shows that 8.6% of children and young people aged 5 to 18 do not own a book.
However, when it comes to those who are disadvantaged, this figure rises to 12.4% – and things are getting worse.
The annual research has revealed that the numbers of disadvantaged children without a single book has been growing since 2020 (from 7.9% to 12.4%).
It comes after NLT research earlier this year featuring more than 3,000 parents and carers found that 20% said they have had to cut back on books for their children as a result of the cost of living crisis – rising to 36% of those parents who are struggling financially (NLT, 2023).
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here