The Reading Crisis: Why Today's Kids Can't Read

By Heather McLeod

Why are kids these days struggling so much to read and write? Simple answer: they aren’t reading for leisure. Every day we are seeing more and more children who have fallen out of love with reading. Not only that, but they actively avoid picking up a book altogether.  Reading is an essential, basic skill for anyone to successfully function in today's society. It develops communication and literacy skills which are needed in every aspect of life.  However, we are witnessing an increasing number of children sitting below the recommended reading level for their age groups. They are lacking skills they should have developed long ago, and as a result, are suffering greatly in school and other aspects of life.

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One of the biggest contributing factors to why less children are reading is due to the abundance of enticing distractions surrounding them. Before the rise of technology took over our lives, reading was a main form of entertainment for most people. However, nowadays due to gaming, social media and the internet, books have been pushed to the side and left to gather dust. In a recent survey, The National Literacy Trust found that less than 20% of 8-18 year olds read daily in their free time. This low figure is extremely alarming. For many young people, these modern, addictive forms of entertainment are more attractive than reading because they do not require the same level of mental exertion that reading does. These activities pass time far quicker and many children find reading boring in comparison. Too many children only associate reading with school work and tests, meaning that unfortunately children and students don't realise reading is something to be enjoyed. Furthermore, it was found that many children have very limited access to books. In fact, The National Literary Trust reported that as of 2024, 1 in 10 5-8 year olds and 1 in 11 8-18 year olds do not own a single book! This is very surprising and reveals how even today books remain inaccessible for a  significant amount of people.

Now more than ever, school and public libraries are crucial facilities for children and young people who do not have access to books at home. In addition to providing invaluable reading material, libraries also offer access to the internet, as well as being a ‘safe space’ for many children, a calm and comforting place for them to escape to. However there have been outrageous cuts to funding for libraries and they are struggling to keep their doors open due to this lack of support. Many schools also do not have a library because the budget doesn't allow for it. The Guardian reported that 48% of UK schools have no dedicated library space and 62% of UK primary schools currently have no designated library budget to buy books or employ a librarian. I find this appalling as some of my most vivid childhood memories involve going to the library and it was an event I remember looking forward to every week, so for me these are shocking statistics. No wonder children's reading levels are well below their age when their school is unable to provide a library! For many children having access to a library is the only way for them to gain regular access to books. It also seems entirely illogical to me that schools aren't prioritising libraries when it is one of the most important and most beneficial facilities in the entire school not just for improving reading skills, but also IT skills, and being a social space to build friendships.

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The COVID-19 pandemic also was a huge contributor to the decline of reading rates. Lockdown meant that unfortunately no one could visit bookshops or libraries, we were trapped inside our homes all day and children again turned to technology as their primary source of stimulation. Social interaction is also essential for the development of language skills. Lockdown significantly affected children's writing and verbal communication skills, resulting in 1.51million children struggling to  understand language at an age appropriate level. Additionally, isolation and lack of communication also made transitioning back to the classroom very difficult and even though the pandemic is behind us we are still seeing the impact of it. It was found that 106,000 five year olds in England fell behind their expected literacy levels in 2024. It is clear that even now, not being able to interact with others outside of their home during their first few years of life, and not engaging with books regularly, has severely stunted the development of essential skills for our children.

With an increasing number of children choosing screens over stories, more has to be done to get children reading for pleasure again. It has been proven time and time again that reading has a multitude of benefits and is fundamental to the development of the mind. We must eradicate the stereotype that reading is a boring chore and more effort is required to promote reading as an enjoyable activity. Finally, it is vital that we get libraries in every school in order to make books more readily available for every child. By doing this we can reignite their love for reading and more effectively support them along their paths to success.