1st November 2012 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A new survey has revealed that nearly a third of parents in the UK read their children a bedtime story once a week or less. Out of 2,000 parents asked, one in ten said that they did not read to their child more than once every six months. On the flip side, the You Gov Poll did reveal that half the respondents did read to their child every day. Over all the results did suggest that children spent far more time at home watching TV or using the computer, as they did reading books.
My first tutoring job when I was a 6th former, was picking up 2 young children from school and reading with them at home. It was part of our daily routine, along with an afternoon snack, and one which was enjoyable for everyone. I would listen to them read, and, if I was required to stay late, I would read them a bedtime story.
The You Gov survey results are worrying, not just for the facts about how many parents read to their children, but for what it says about how reading is viewed in the home. The key to ensuring children develop their reading and writing skills is to make reading an enjoyable and routine part of the day, and not something which is seen as homework to do before the reward of TV. Similarly, parents should not make reading a bedtime story a rare treat, but an enjoyable end of day routine.