Published on: 14 March 2023
A new interactive resource published today by BookTrust sets out the extensive and wide-ranging benefits that reading can bring children, in a simple and accessible way.
Download the Benefits of Reading resource (PDF)
Drawing on evidence from extensive academic and peer-reviewed research, BookTrust's new resource provides a deeply compelling case for how supporting children to read has the potential to transform children's life chances and give them the best start in life.
Whilst the evidence base to support the benefits of reading is extensive and growing, wider society often focuses on how reading can improve children's literacy and academic performance.
By publishing its new resource, BookTrust aims to showcase the numerous and equally important ways in which reading can positively impact a child's life.
The evidence also highlights how children from disadvantaged backgrounds stand to gain the most from developing a reading habit and underpins why BookTrust's new strategy focuses on providing extra support to these families through its wide range of books, resources and programmes.
In the resource, BookTrust has grouped the benefits of reading into four core themes setting out how children who read are more likely to:
Download the interactive resource here (PDF)
Diana Gerald, Chief Executive of BookTrust said:
'At BookTrust, our mission is to get every child reading regularly and by choice because as this new resource shows, reading is proven to have a positive impact on children's lives and their futures.
'By reviewing and distilling the evidence base into easily understood and digestible messages, we are aiming to publish a definitive summary that clearly sets out how children's lives can be improved in a wide range of different ways, if they are supported, inspired and encouraged to read.
'This rich evidence base is the driving force behind our work with partners, to develop new and improved ways of supporting children on their reading journeys. It also underpins our focus on reaching the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children and families through our work.
'By sharing this new tool, we hope to spread the message to anyone interested in children's development and progress about why investing in and supporting children to read is critical to give children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the best start in life.'
Find out more about BookTrust's strategy
Ebooks are books in electronic format.
Ebooks for children have words and pictures, just like traditional print books. They might also have interactive elements like recorded narration, music, sound effects, animations, games, inbuilt dictionaries and so on.
You read ebooks on ereaders like Kindle or Kobo, on computers, or by using apps on tablets and smartphones.
Like print books, well-designed ebooks can help children learn language and develop social, listening and thinking skills.
Ebooks can also be a different and fun way for children to enjoy reading, experience stories and learn information. For example:
Ebooks can help beginning readers and children who struggle to read independently, including children with learning difficulties. For example, these children can listen to narration while they follow the words. They can also use interactive features to better understand stories.
Ebooks can sometimes motivate reluctant readers.
You can start reading print books with babies as early as you like – the earlier the better. But it’s best to avoid reading ebooks with children under 2 years. Ebooks are unlikely to have benefits for this age group and aren’t recommended.
Ebooks can distract children from reading if animations, sound effects and games don’t work well with the text. For example, if ebooks have games that don’t really relate to their stories, children might just want to play the games rather than read the stories.
Sometimes interactive features can make it harder for children to understand stories. For example, this can happen if there are sounds that don’t relate to the story.
Reading and storytelling with your child promotes brain development and imagination, teaches your child about language and emotions, and strengthens your relationship. That’s why it’s good to read with your child every day. It’s fine to share a mix of print and ebooks.
When you’re choosing ebooks for your child, look for the same qualities that you’d look for in print books.
These qualities include:
It’s also important to look at features like sound, animation and games. These should work well with the text to illustrate the story and help children understand the story or learn something new.
You can also check whether you can customise the ebook. For example, it’s good to turn off the narration so you can read the book and talk about it with your child. A read-only mode is good too – this allows your child to listen to the story without the interactive features.
Your child will get the most from ebooks when you read ebooks together. These ideas can help:
Reading ebooks together gives you the chance to help your child learn to use ebooks in a positive way. For example, you can show your child how to swipe, scroll, click on words to hear their meanings, turn narration on and off, and use other interactive features appropriately.
Traditional print books are best for bedtime because they help your child relax and get ready for sleep.
If you want to use ebooks close to bedtime, it’s best to avoid noisy and exciting ebooks, which might overstimulate your child.
It’s also a good idea to use an ereading device that lets you minimise blue light. Blue light can make it harder for your child to get to sleep because it tricks their brain into thinking it’s daytime. Some devices have a ‘night shift’ or ‘night light’ setting that changes the light the device emits. You can also download blue light filters.
Ereaders come in 2 types:
These questions can help you choose the right device for your child and family.
What do you want to use the device for?
Kindle or Kobo devices are just for reading and come in black and white only. They’re usually not as responsive to touch as tablets. You can do more things on a tablet. For example, you can play games, use apps, access social media, watch videos and so on.
How old is your child?
Young children whose fine motor skills are still developing might find it easier to use ‘tap and swipe’ touchscreens on tablets. The controls on devices like Kindle and Kobo are harder for very young children to use.
Will you be using the device to do a lot of reading?
Devices like Kindle and Kobo have screens that are more comfortable to read because they use a technology that mimics ink on paper. Tablets have backlit screens that are associated with increased eye strain. If you’re using a tablet, smartphone or computer, it’s a good idea to turn down the brightness to prevent eye strain.
Do you want to borrow ebooks from your local library?
If you want to borrow ebooks from your local library, you can do this with tablets or Kobo. Kindle uses a file format that isn’t supported by Australian library systems.
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