Children spending less time reading for pleasure

Children in England are abandoning books for computer games , an international study has found.

UK children read for pleasure less often than children in other countries, and the time they spend reading outside school has fallen since 2001.

More than one in three ten year olds spends more than three hours a day playing computer games says the study .

The biggest fall is among children who read well – not poor readers.

Children, Schools And Families secretary Ed Balls said that next year’s National Year of Reading aimed to instil a passion for reading in children of all ages.

“Today’s ten year olds have more choice than in 2001 about how they spend their free time; most of them have their own TVs and mobiles.

“That’s why I’m calling today for everyone’s help to get our children reading more and to kick-start a new national debate about the value of reading. We all need to help our children of all ages to see that reading can bring fun to their lives, feed their imagination, and develop their curiosity about the world."

Readers and Reading: the National Report for England 2006