Cliff Notes
- A recent report indicates a sharp decline in children enjoying writing for pleasure, with only one in four aged 8 to 18 reporting such enjoyment – a drastic drop over 15 years.
- The decline is most pronounced among children aged 8 to 11, particularly girls post-COVID, raising concerns about implications for literacy and overall development.
- The National Literacy Trust urges for the incorporation of writing for pleasure into educational frameworks, highlighting its critical role in children’s academic and personal growth.
Sharp drop in children writing for pleasure – as experts reveal potential consequences | UK News
There has been a sharp and sustained decline in the number of children and young people writing for pleasure, a new report has found.
Only one in four children aged 8 to 18 say they enjoy writing in their free time – a dramatic fall in the rate, which has nearly halved over the last 15 years.
The report points to an increasing disengagement from writing, with worrying consequences for literacy, learning outcomes, and children’s wider development.
The levels of enjoyment are falling fastest among those aged 8 to 11, with girls seeing the greatest drop since COVID.
“Writing has slipped to the bottom of the rankings in national academic performance, falling below even mathematics,” says the National Literacy Trust in a report on National Writing Day.
The findings highlight the critical role writing for pleasure plays in children’s academic and personal growth.