Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Can reading really improve your life?
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Can reading really improve your life?
Most educational research now suggests that reading for pleasure is strongly linked to a child’s future outcome, educational success, and even wellbeing. But the latest studies also show that reading for pleasure is at its lowest level for twenty years.
Why has this happened in a country that's produced more successful children's books than any other? From Paddington, to Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia to Alice in Wonderland, and of course, the Gruffalo, the list is vast. Is a lack of access to school and local libraries the problem, too few books at home or the rise of phones, tablets and game consoles?
What can schools, government, the media and parents do to help foster a love of reading that could help children throughout their lives? Author and former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson investigates.
Presenter: Julia Donaldson
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, author and screenwriter
Joseph Coelho, 2022-24 Children’s Laureate, author and poet
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy), the Open University
Joanna Prior CEO Pan Macmillan Publishing, and Chair of Trustees at the National Literacy Trust
Laura Patel, head of literacy, Sandhill View Academy school, Sunderland
Leia Sands, librarian and committee member, the Great School Libraries campaign
Ben Lawrence, arts and culture editor, The Daily Telegraph
Sonia Thompson, headteacher, St Matthews C of E primary school, Birmingham
View all episodes
By BBC Radio 4
4.6
196196 ratings
Most educational research now suggests that reading for pleasure is strongly linked to a child’s future outcome, educational success, and even wellbeing. But the latest studies also show that reading for pleasure is at its lowest level for twenty years.
Why has this happened in a country that's produced more successful children's books than any other? From Paddington, to Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia to Alice in Wonderland, and of course, the Gruffalo, the list is vast. Is a lack of access to school and local libraries the problem, too few books at home or the rise of phones, tablets and game consoles?
What can schools, government, the media and parents do to help foster a love of reading that could help children throughout their lives? Author and former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson investigates.
Presenter: Julia Donaldson
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham
Contributors:
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, author and screenwriter
Joseph Coelho, 2022-24 Children’s Laureate, author and poet
Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy), the Open University
Joanna Prior CEO Pan Macmillan Publishing, and Chair of Trustees at the National Literacy Trust
Laura Patel, head of literacy, Sandhill View Academy school, Sunderland
Leia Sands, librarian and committee member, the Great School Libraries campaign
Ben Lawrence, arts and culture editor, The Daily Telegraph
Sonia Thompson, headteacher, St Matthews C of E primary school, Birmingham
More shows like Analysis
View all
In Our Time
5,406 Listeners
From Our Own Correspondent
383 Listeners
The Documentary Podcast
1,854 Listeners
F1: Chequered Flag
786 Listeners
Start the Week
157 Listeners
Global News Podcast
7,816 Listeners
Thinking Allowed
311 Listeners
Profile
105 Listeners
6 Minute English
1,782 Listeners
Learning English Conversations
1,070 Listeners
The Bottom Line
35 Listeners
More or Less: Behind the Stats
904 Listeners
A Point of View
74 Listeners
The Infinite Monkey Cage
2,062 Listeners
Newshour
1,059 Listeners
The Life Scientific
245 Listeners
Moral Maze
80 Listeners
The Audio Long Read
819 Listeners
BBC Inside Science
400 Listeners
The Inquiry
755 Listeners
The Briefing Room
81 Listeners
Americast
768 Listeners
You're Dead to Me
3,037 Listeners
Sideways
77 Listeners