Only 10% of boys aged 14-16 read daily for pleasure, National Literacy Trust finds

Fewer than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 in the UK read daily, according to research, which found reading for pleasure was being crowded out of teenage lives by schoolwork, screens and sports.While reading declines for both boys and girls in early adolescence, there are “signs of recovery” among girls in later teenage years, but boys’ engagement remains persistently low, according to the National Literacy Trust (NLT).An NLT survey of 80,000 young people aged 11 to 16 found almost half (46.9%) of eight- to 11-year-olds enjoyed reading. That fell to less than a third (29.5%) among 11- to 14-year-olds and slipped even further to 28.6% for 14- to 16-year-olds.By mid-adolescence, daily reading is “uncommon”, the report concludes, with 31.1% of children aged eight to 11 reading daily, dropping to 17.1% between the ages of 11 and 14, and 14% of those aged 14 to 16.Reading rates are lower for boys at every age. Over a third of girls (36%) aged eight to 11 said they read daily, compared with about a quarter (26.3%) of boys of the same age. By the age of 14 to 16, this had fallen to 17.6% of girls and just 9.8% of boys.Jonathan Douglas, the NLT chief executive, said: “Over the past 20 years, children and young people’s enjoyment of reading and their daily reading habits have fallen steeply to their lowest levels on record, with the drop especially pronounced for teenagers.“As young people grow older, reading increasingly competes with a multitude of pressures on their time, changing routines, a wider range of interests and activities and greater independence. As a result, reading can become easier to displace, particularly when it is not rooted in daily life. Teenage boys’ reading is especially fragile.”The publication of the report, called Teenage reading: (Re)framing the challenge, coincides with the National Year of Reading, a year-long UK-wide campaign, led by the Department for Education and the NLT, to boost reading for pleasure, particularly among children and young people.The author Phil Earle, whose novel When the Sky Falls won the British Book Award’s Children’s Book of the Year in 2022, said: “If we are serious about this situation then it won’t mean a year of work, it means a generation of it, with absolute commitment from government, educators, TV companies, radio, streamers, social media organisations, publishers and writers.”He called for change, saying: “We need to banish centuries of snobbery about reading and its use in education. We need to let the children guide us on what they want to read, and we need to address the age-old issue of children’s authors being seen more across the media, giving them a platform that is visible to parents, but more importantly, to the readers themselves.“It won’t be easy, and it won’t be quick, but we can retain our readers by reminding them way before they’re teenagers that reading isn’t just about novels too.”The NLT study, shared exclusively with the Guardian, includes almost 50, from 11- to 16-year-olds providing insights into their views on reading and how it fits – or does not fit – into modern teenagers’ everyday lives.There are many positive comments from teenage boys, who said they found reading peaceful and mentally restorative. “If I’m upset, I can read a book to calm down,” said one contributor. “Reading is great for when you have a bad day at school. You can just read a book to … stop you from being worried,” said another.They also enjoyed learning through reading. “I like reading because I gain better knowledge,” said another.Often, however, reading for pleasure loses out to schoolwork. “I don’t have the time to enjoy books when I am already drowning in textbooks,” said one. Many preferred spending time on sport, gaming and socialising with family and friends. Others liked reading digitally. “I don’t enjoy reading a book, but I enjoy reading things on my phone, computer and more,” said one.Many boys still value reading, though they may find it difficult to fit it into their lives, while others said they were put off because they found it difficult. “I am dyslexic and don’t enjoy it as it’s too hard, my attention span is too short and I find other things more entertaining,” said one.Douglas said: “Teenagers themselves told us they are more likely to read when it connects to their interests, such as football, video games and friendship, when they have choice over what and how they read, and when reading fits naturally into their lives.“Recognising how reading competes with, and can complement, the many ways young people engage with text today will be key to helping more teenagers develop and sustain a reading habit which can boost their learning, wellbeing and confidence at a pivotal moment in their lives.”