Reading for Pleasure in Schools post-pandemic - one year on
CLPE's Reading for Pleasure 2021 - 22 report highlights a number of challenges schools are facing in helping children discover a love for reading. Our research reveals that a quarter (25 per cent) of schools have fewer books now than before the pandemic, while more than 60 per cent of classrooms have no access to a budget for new books.
Last year teachers told us that they were worried about children’s access to books and schools were working incredibly hard to get books to children in their homes.
Main finding from this year's report include:
The majority of respondents (73%) of teachers told us that they had more or about the same number of books as last year but that more than 25% of schools (1 in 4) have fewer books in school than they did before the pandemic.
88% of primary schools told us that they have a school library which is a very positive figure. Most schools had more than 500 books in their libraries. Schools in the South West and the East England were less likely to have a school library (82% in both regions). Schools in these regions and schools in Yorkshire and Humber were more likely to have a book stock of fewer than 500 books in their library.
The vast majority of primary school teachers (94.5%) have a book corner in their classrooms. However, in 57% of these schools the book corners contained fewer than 100 books.
84% of classrooms in early years and 73% of classrooms in Year 1 have fewer than 100 books in their book corner. Children in these year groups are much more likely to be in classrooms where there are fewer books.
Children in the North East (80%) were much more likely to be in a classroom with fewer than 100 books.
What does this mean for reading for pleasure in primary schools compared to last year?
Teachers told us they are most concerned about their children's :
- Understanding of language and vocabulary
- Reading fluency
- Inference and deduction
Teachers told us they need further support in the following areas in order to support their childrens' progress:
- Meeting the children with SEN
- Meeting the needs of children with EAL
- Developing motivation for independent reading
- Improving reading fluency
- Meeting the needs of older early readers
Louise Johns-Shepherd, Chief Executive of CLPE comments: “We are delighted to launch our Reading for Pleasure report on the 25th anniversary of World Book Day. To encourage reading for pleasure, classrooms need a wide range of books that encourage engagement whoever you are and whatever your starting point. A stagnant and never-changing book stock is not going to support children to develop this life-changing habit. This is even more important for children who may have less access to books at home – and these children are likely to be those who found it difficult to get hold of books during the lockdowns. Our report shows that teachers know and understand this, resorting to resourcing their classrooms themselves to ensure their children have choice in their reading material.”