CMC 2017 - Research 5 - Can Reading Improve Children’s Self Esteem?

Researchers FK&Y and publisher Egmont discover that an intervention to encourage children to read with their parents not only prompts a love of reading but also has a marked effect on children’s self-esteem.

Presented by Barbie Clarke, Family Kids & Youth and Alison David, Egmont

There is frequently voiced concern that children’s ability to read is declining as their use of tablets and other digital devices increases. Latest research from Neilson shows that while the children’s book market in 2016 was up again year-on-year (+2%), the downward trend of parents reading to their children less continues. In 2016 there was a noticeable drop year-on-year in parents reading to pre-schoolers, and a drop in children from age 5 reading to themselves.

Over 12 months a challenge has been given to 15 diverse families, who would not normally read together, to find out whether they would be ‘open’ to this, and what effect this had on children. Following last year’s ‘Don’t Children Read Anymore? Digital vs Print Research’, Family Kids & Youth and Egmont Publishing teamed up once again, this time to find out whether an intervention, designed to encourage children to read with their parents, would result in a greater love of reading.

We found an increased level of confidence and sense of autonomy on the part of the children who took part. This was reflected in feedback from schools, which, importantly, had a big impact on the children’s self-esteem.