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BookTrust: Parents side-line storytime for social media
A new survey released today by BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity finds that UK mums and dads are spending nearly four times the amount of time (over 1.5 hours) engaging in screen time each day than they are reading with their children (25 mins)
The poll studied 2,000 parents of 4-11 year olds revealing that half of parents confess to either frequently skipping pages when reading with children, finishing reading the story before the end or refusing to read a second story. Of those who admit to skipping pages, half (49%) did so because they were too tired.
To help families find the time to read together this Autumn, BookTrust, alongside presenters Dermot O’Leary, Alex Jones, Mel Giedroyc and a host of other famous faces are calling on parents and carers across the country to take part in the charity’s National Time to Read challenge (18-22 September) to free up ten minutes a day to share a story. Families can get involved on social media #TimetoRead and share their swaps with the nation.
Supporting the campaign, TV personality Dermot O’Leary said ‘’Those moments when my niece and I share a book, letting our imaginations run wild, are pure bliss. Although it can be a struggle to find those magical moments, it is mega important that we all find the time to read with the children in our lives, helping them unlock the joys of reading. I totally support BookTrust’s National Time to Read challenge and will be swapping social media for storytime.’’
As part of its annual Time to Read campaign, BookTrust is delivering over 700,000 copies of Nadia Shireen’s picture book The Bumblebear to every reception age child in England.
BookTrust CEO Diana Gerald said: “Regular reading helps imaginations to grow in the most fun and exciting way. Our survey shows reveals 43% of children enjoy comics and magazines, proving that it’s not just books that get them turning pages, you really can read anything, anytime, anywhere. We hope families across the country will join us in finding ten minutes to read together - it really is all it takes to make a difference.’’
To find out more about BookTrust’s National Time to Read Challenge visit: www.booktrust.org.uk/TimetoRead