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
195195 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
5,402 Listeners
From Our Own Correspondent
377 Listeners
The Documentary Podcast
1,837 Listeners
Start the Week
159 Listeners
Global News Podcast
7,723 Listeners
Science Weekly
407 Listeners
Thinking Allowed
308 Listeners
Profile
105 Listeners
6 Minute English
1,839 Listeners
Learning English Conversations
1,064 Listeners
The Bottom Line
32 Listeners
More or Less: Behind the Stats
896 Listeners
The Infinite Monkey Cage
1,922 Listeners
Newshour
1,071 Listeners
Moral Maze
61 Listeners
The Audio Long Read
830 Listeners
BBC Inside Science
403 Listeners
The Inquiry
754 Listeners
Curious Cases
821 Listeners
The Briefing Room
75 Listeners
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
106 Listeners
Newscast
674 Listeners
Americast
741 Listeners
You're Dead to Me
2,966 Listeners
Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government
26 Listeners