We are starting to see the real impact of the pandemic on children’s learning. Research by Juniper Education reports that children who are currently in Year 3 (Year 1 in 2019) have suffered the biggest drops in attainment during the pandemic. Only 68% of Year 3 children were working at the expected level of reading in autumn 2021 following the pandemic, compared to 82% in autumn 2019.
In addition, there is a worrying trend revealed by the National Literacy Trust – where in 2021, only 53% of parents said that they read with their children every day compared to 66% in 2019. The National Literacy Trust has shone a light on the importance of continuing to read together at home, advising that sharing stories and helping children read is one of the key activities parents can do to help.
How do we move forward in the best way? There is no doubt that after the pandemic, parents feel as though they have done their fair share of home-schooling, but even though schools are open, it is up to parents to encourage reading at home – now more than ever.
Reading Chest’s mission is to make reading at home first and foremost fun, but also affordable and easily accessible – with a supply of great books at the right reading level delivered straight to children’s homes.
As we approach the end of the school year and summer holidays, it is the perfect opportunity for parents to step up reading at home. This could be sharing more bedtime stories or getting enthused by your child’s own reading journey. By creating the right environment at home, children will understand that reading is not just something that must be done for school, but it is a fun activity that is done for pleasure. By developing a love for reading – hopefully the gap that has been created by the pandemic can be bridged quickly!