Irish primary school children are reading at a higher level than their UK counterparts, according to a new study.
The What Kids Are Reading Report surveyed the reading habits of more than one million children across Ireland and the UK.
It found that Irish children are reading more difficult books with a greater level of comprehension than children in the UK.
It also found that children who read every day are three times more likely to read above their expected level than those who don’t.
What Kids Are Reading Report
The study carried out by Renaissance UK analysed the reading habits of 23,732 Irish pupils and 1,135,860 children in the UK.
While kids in the Republic of Ireland were found to be reading more difficult books in primary school than those in the North or in Britain, the differences were found to level out by secondary level.
The researchers said that if Irish children could sustain the high level of reading into secondary school they would have, “by far the best profile of the nations in UK and Ireland.”
Reading for pleasure
Researcher and University of Dundee Professor Keith Topping said reading for pleasure is a “vital component” of literacy success.
“But it is also important to encourage pupils to read more often and to pick books of appropriate reading difficulty for their age,” he said.
“The great news is that pupils’ favourite books tend to be of appropriate reading difficulty.
“It is important that teachers and librarians instil a love of reading in schools by encouraging lively classroom discussions with children about their favourite authors and titles.
“They should also be on hand to advise on books with appropriate challenges bespoke to the child’s interests.
“Parents can also play a role by encouraging children to read at home on a daily basis.”
Harry Potter
The study found that JK Rowling dominates the list of favourite books in primary schools – with Harry Potter taking the seven top spots.
When it comes to the most widely read, Jeff Kinney, David Walliams and Rodrick Hunt make up the top three – with Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson and J.K Rowling also featuring in the top 10.
