Parents and carers in London say insufficient time outside of work or household tasks is the biggest barrier to them reading for pleasure with their children, according to a new national survey by Oxford University Press (OUP). Across the capital, 24% of those surveyed pointed towards a lack of time as the main obstacle, compared to the national average of 22%. A preference for screen time and gadgets among children also rated highly, with 23% of those surveyed in London saying it got in the way of them reading with their children.

Nationwide, the research published by OUP has revealed that over a quarter of children wish their parents read with them more often. Reading together is popular with adults too, with 84% of parents and carers also saying that they enjoy reading with their children. However, it can be a struggle, and 59% of parents wish they read more with their children. 43% of parents said it’s difficult to get their child to concentrate while reading together, and other challenges include avoiding distractions from screens and gadgets, not having enough time in the day or being able to establish a regular reading routine. Parents who read regularly themselves report that their children are also likely to be regular readers, with 73% agreeing that children seeing them reading was a powerful motivation to read as well.

80% of parents and carers said that they read with their child at least 2-3 times per week, but 1 in 4 weren’t sure how often they should be reading with children. Teachers understand that reading at home with adults is important for children to become regular readers, and 80% said they would like them to be reading together at least 4 to 5 days per week. Regular, shorter reading sessions can have a positive impact and most teachers’ preference was for parents to read with their children for at least 5-10 minutes per day.

The research polled 2000 parents with children aged 3-11, over 1000 children who took part via a CHILDWISE omnibus survey, and over 300 primary school teachers. Key findings also reveal that 86% of parents believe reading will have a positive impact on their child’s academic success later in life, and 80% believe that reading to their child improves the child’s wellbeing and mental health.

The research is unveiled as part of the launch of OUP’s Raise a Reader initiative: a three-year national campaign to help provide children and young people with the tools and opportunities to become lifelong readers in the wake of the pandemic.

Helen Freeman, Director of Oxford Children’s and Raise a Reader Project Director, said:

‘The research is especially timely in the wake of the pandemic, which exacerbated the learning gap particularly in children from low socioeconomic status families. We know from our previous OUP Word Gap research that children with poor vocabulary skills at age five are four times more likely to have reading difficulties in adulthood, twice as likely to be unemployed when they reach adulthood, and three times more likely to have mental health problems. Therefore, it’s more important than ever we ensure every child and young person has the tools and opportunities to become lifelong readers, and we’re proud to be working with the NLT to provide dedicated reading spaces across schools in Oxfordshire’s most disadvantaged and under-served communities. Other exciting plans include taking our brilliantly kitted-out Raise a Reader campervan to communities across England; giving out free books, sharing resources, arranging author events and having OUP reading experts on hand to help give tips on how to raise a reader for life. As our previous research shows: creating a love of reading at home, an activity that can be enjoyed by parents and children alike, will be a fundamental and powerful tool to help close the learning gap opened up by the pandemic.’

Despite the challenges, the survey showed that parents appreciated the far-reaching and long-term benefits of reading at home with their children:

– 97% considered it important for their children to be confident readers

– 85% agreed that ‘reading helps my child do better at school’

– More than 7 in 10 believe that being read to helps their child to go to sleep better, builds empathy and helps them to form friendships

Children also recognise the broader benefits of reading. Those questioned identified a broad range of aspects that they enjoyed about reading: with comments such as:

– “it teaches me how to read the world around me”

– “it can help me see how other people see the world”

– “it helps me to have a more creative mind”

– “expanding vocabulary”

To address the results of the research, OUP will be taking Raise a Reader to the communities, with a tour in November, visiting ten locations across England with lower levels of literacy. The reading roadshow will invite parents and children to visit a bespoke Raise a Reader campervan, packed full of free books, engaging activities, and reading resources. The tour will offer parents advice and resources helping break down the barriers to reading for pleasure, and the campervan will tour through cities visiting schools and stopping off to support libraries and bookshops. Oxford authors and illustrators will join the tour at each stop, including Winnie & Wilbur illustrator Korky Paul, husband-and-wife creators of The Perfect Fit, Naomi and James Jones, plus Paul Westmoreland, the author of OUP’s major young fiction autumn launch Rudy and the Wolf Cub. OUP will also provide support via a free downloadable digital toolkit.

As part of the launch of the Raise a Reader campaign, OUP has also announced a collaboration with the National Literacy Trust and has joined the Primary School Library Alliance as a flagship partner. The ‘Oxfordshire Raise a Reader Programme’ will champion reading across 10 Oxfordshire schools in the first year with the goal of raising a generation of readers in schools and families in Oxfordshire’s most disadvantaged and under-served communities. Schools will receive a donation of 500 books each (300 books donated by OUP and 200 donated by independent publishers), as well as a range of soft furnishings and books storage, in order to create their own dedicated reading spaces. Schools will also have access to in-person specialist training to help develop effective whole-school reading strategies as well as receiving a subscription to Oxford Reading Buddy, a digital reading service of nearly 500 books, and the opportunity to host exciting author visits.

Author, Creator and Raise a Reader Ambassador, Louise Pentland said:

‘I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Raise a Reader. Reading and children’s literacy has been a passion project of mine for many years – it’s fundamental and these latest stats only prove how important it really is. Ultimately the goal is to help as many children as possible become lifelong readers – and there are many ways to do this – from education, to access, to understanding. Reading for pleasure has quite simply been a magical part of my life, and my children’s lives – so to help open this door to other children [and adults] simply fills me with joy.’

TV & Radio Broadcaster and Raise a Reader Ambassador, Sonali Shah, said:

‘I’m delighted to be supporting Raise a Reader. Reading means so much to me and my own family – it can bring joy, escapism and comfort, it’s a wonderful activity to do together and I really love taking time out of our busy lives to share that precious reading time with my children. I try to get my kids reading whenever and however I can – whether it’s while we’re travelling somewhere, relaxing before bedtime or by letting them feel independent by choosing what book we read – even if we’ve read it dozens of times before! There are so many ways to raise a reader for life – do what’s right for you and your family, have confidence and most of all, have fun!’

Author and TV personality Alesha Dixon is supporting the Raise a Reader campaign:

‘Reading has been a passion for me ever since I was a girl at school, and becoming a mum has been an inspiration to pass that love of books on to my own children. I’m proud to support the Raise a Reader initiative so that all children will have the opportunity to get as excited about reading as I am!’