Pearson Launches Booktime
19 Oct 06

Listen with Mother was a firm and much-loved fixture in homes from the 1950s with its familiar introduction "Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin...." followed by 15 minutes of stories, songs & nursery rhymes for an audience of over one million. Fast forward 50 years and it appears the story has changed as many parents now struggle to read aloud to their children according to new research¹.

Parents too tired to read: Even though seven out of ten parents appreciate story time is critical to a child’s development, it is often neglected due to the pressures of everyday life. The research of 1,000 UK parents reveals one in five are too tired to read to their off-spring and, for one in seven parents, household chores stand in the way. Lack of time, homework, TV and work pressures also prevent parents reading a book to their children.

The research, entitled Ready for Booktime?, reveals that parents in Yorkshire are the most likely never to have read to their children with one in two (49 per cent) admitting to the fact, followed by parents in Norfolk & Suffolk (43 per cent). This is in stark contrast to parents living in the capital with 41 per cent of Londoners reading every day to their children, followed by those in Scotland (35 per cent) and the North East (32 per cent).

The picture is not all doom and gloom though as the research reveals a lot of parents do read aloud before their children can speak....and some before they’re born. Just under two thirds of UK parents (61 per cent) claim that they started to read aloud to their child before they reached one year. And five per cent of parents stated that the first time they read aloud to their child was while they were in the womb. As to who is the chief storyteller, it tends to be mum with 66 per cent reading the most compared to 14 per cent of dads.

Story time rushed: When storytime does happen, over one quarter of all UK parents (30 per cent) claim they skip pages to get through the book quicker. Fathers rush the most as one in three admit to cutting short storytime compared to one in four mums. In terms of actual time spent, eight per cent of parents will spend four minutes or less reading to their children and 20 per cent will spend five to ten minutes. The average time spent is 10-15 minutes each day according to 32 per cent of parents.

School starts, reading stops: As children get older, parents quickly drop the reading habit, when in fact experts say that it should be actively encouraged. Sixty per cent of parents of four to six year olds read to them every day but by the time they get to seven, this is halved with just 37 per cent of parents reading daily.

Time to turn over a new leaf: Given many experts, parents and carers agree that booktime is critical to a child’s development and success in life, an initiative is being launched today (19 October 2006) to encourage reading aloud to children.

The world’s largest publisher, Pearson, is launching Booktime in partnership with independent educational charity Booktrust. As a result of a successful pilot in January this year, over 250,000 children in around 7,500 UK schools are set to receive a free, illustrated book – Hairy Maclary’s Bone by Lynley Dodd² - which they can take home from school and read aloud with their parents or carers. Parents and carers will also receive a guidance booklet on the benefits of shared reading. This includes a foreword by best-selling author and Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson and is illustrated by well-known children’s illustrator Tony Ross.

Click here to download the podcast of Lynley Dodd reading Hairy Maclary's Bone.

Marjorie Scardino, Chief Executive of Pearson, says: "As the world's largest education company and publisher, we want children to learn to read in a way that makes them want to carry on reading all their lives. But we know that many children don't have sufficient access to books, let alone the privilege of owning them. We hope this will help teachers and parents kickstart a love of reading, which has to be one of the best starts you can give a child in life."

Within the next three years, Pearson will distribute over one million books to children across the UK as they first start school.

Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, says: "Getting more children interested in reading is something that is close to my heart. Being able to read well is the foundation of anyone's education. But what's also important is the joy that reading can bring both children and adults throughout their lives. That is why initiatives, such as Booktime, that encourage more reading are so important. I wish the programme every success."

Lynley Dodd, author of the much loved Hairy Maclary books, has waived royalties for the initiative. Hairy Maclary’s Bone, the book chosen to launch the initiative, was picked because of its brilliant use of rhyme, loveable dog characters and colourful illustrations. Lynley says: "I have known many little dogs like Hairy Maclary over the years, all of them bumptious and bustly with springs in their knees. His cheeky character seemed to demand that his stories should be written in verse. It is immensely satisfying to have him involved in a project which has the aim of encouraging children to become hooked on books and reading.”

Director of Booktrust Chris Meade adds: “Booktrust exists to help readers of all ages and cultures to discover and enjoy reading. Booktrust is delighted to be working with Pearson on Booktime, a fantastic means to help children enjoy the pleasure of books at a key moment in their lives. I’m sure Booktime will encourage families to make more time for reading together, and impact on the number of children who stay hooked on books as they grow up.”

Find out more at http://booktime.pearson.com

¹ Pearson Ready for Booktime? independent nation wide research conducted by Tickbox.net (19 Sept 2006 - 2 Oct 2006). Total sample of 1,514 UK adults, (1,022 of these responses were from parents).
² Hairy Maclary’s Bone by award-winning author Lynley Dodd. Published by Puffin Books.

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