40,000 children do NOT own a single book
SHOCK FIGURES SHOW ONE IN EIGHT DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE A BOOK OF THEIR OWN
MORE than 40,000 schoolchildren in Greater Manchester don’t own a single book.
The shocking figures have been revealed by the National Literacy Trust, which has found that one in eight of the most disadvantaged children say they don’t have a book of their own at home.
As well as youngsters missing out on valuable family time, the research report ‘Book ownership and reading outcomes’ has found that children who say they don’t own a single book have much poorer educational outcomes.
Children who say they own a book are 15 times more likely to read above the level expected for their age than their peers who don’t - and are four times less likely to read below the expected level.
The figures relate to children aged eight to 18.
Of the 40,367 without a book 6,187 in the city of Manchester and the rest in Greater Manchester those receiving free school meals, boys of all ages and teenagers are the most likely to say they have no books of their own.
The National Literacy Trust is a charity partner of Read Manchester, a campaign with Manchester City Council to promote reading and boost literacy in the city.
Last summer the campaign saw ‘BookBenches’ decorated with literary designs painted by local schools and community groups popping up across the city.
Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Books have the power to transform children’s lives, which is why it is so alarming to discover that more than 40,000 children in Greater Manchester don’t have a single book to call their own.
“Getting books in to the hands of children and helping them discover a love of reading is at the very heart of our Read Manchester campaign.”
The report marked the launch of the charity’s Christmas Stories campaign, which aimed to give some of the UK’s most disadvantaged children their very first book this Christmas.
Best-selling author and illustrator, Cressida Cowell, The National Literacy Trust Ambassador, said: “Not only do books enable children to discover new worlds, meet new people and learn about the past, but they also have the power to transform lives.
For information visit literacytrust. org.uk and for more details about Read Manchester visit readmanchester.org.uk.