Our Chief Executive, Justine Daniels, has shared her thoughts in light of today's NLT report which states that children’s enjoyment of listening to audio and podcasts has overtaken their enjoyment of reading.
National Literacy Trust are today reporting that more children and young people aged 8-18 enjoyed listening to audio and podcasts (42.3%) than those who said they enjoyed reading (34.6%). The report goes on to say that listening to an audiobook or podcast helped them relax or feel better when stressed or anxious, allowed them to use their imaginations and stimulated an interest in reading books. This chimes with our experience. Read for Good has always advocated that listening to books and stories is a valid way to support reading. Our work in children’s hospitals brilliantly combines a fabulous bookcase full of all the latest award-winners, best-sellers and family favourites with the magic of specialist Read for Good Storytellers who tell, create and share stories with children and their families. The impact of Storytelling combined with the invitation to choose a book of their own is powerful. Children in hospital are often too ill, too anxious or too sad to even think about reading a book. Using their unique, gentle, listening approach, our Storytellers chat to the child about what they love. They will pick up on what the child says and cues in the room – the dinosaurs on their pyjamas, the special teddy bear at their side, the picture drawn by their little sister on their table – and this is the start of having fun with stories. The energy in the room has transformed. This can re-awaken something in that child (and often their mum and dad too), reminding them of the person they are, away from the all-consuming illness that so often defines a child in hospital. These moments draw a child in – first listening, then giggling, then participating, until they are telling their own full-blown story full of adventure, characters and fun. From this, our Storytellers invite children to choose their very own book from the Read for Good bookcase, sustaining the enjoyment and impact long beyond the visit. Listening and sharing stories is a vital part of a child recognising themselves as a reader. It’s an important tool that teachers can use to bring their pupils together in a shared, cultural experience, and that parents can use to create special moments with their child. If we want our children to love books, stories and reading, then as adults we must share stories with them, letting them enjoy the uniquely relaxing experience of listening to a story, letting their imagination paint the pictures, free from the effort of trying to read and helping children to see themselves as readers.