So, our nation is divided between the reads and the read-nots, according to a new report from the BookTrust Charity [see the BBC website for more details]
The study found that on average, the richer someone's background, the more likely they are to read, and a higher proportion of people from poorer backgrounds admitted they never read.
Younger people, men and those with lower levels of qualifications are also less likely to be readers.
More than one in four of adults from the poorest backgrounds 
It adds that adults from the highest socio-economic background own twice as many books on average as those from the lowest backgrounds (376 compared with 156).
All this information in the week following World Book Day. I wondered what the 156 books from the poor home looks like. The eight shelves beside me right now each house around 100 books –that’s 800 in this room alone [not counting the rest of the house] Bob thinks we’ve got in excess of 3000 in total, but he isn’t really sure either. I am passionate about books, and about reading. Reading develops your vocabulary, it helps you to spell, it educates you, and entertains you, it helps you to communicate better…I am so sad that so many people are deprived of the joy of books.
One final thing, to depress you even further about standards of literacy - I saw this sign in a school recently, and when I said “Shame about the mistake”, a colleague said “What mistake?”
Sad that the very people who need to escape into books often don't. The number of books possessed however doesn't necessarily mean much I don't think - I don't feel the need to actually own all the books I read and single handedly keep the library going whereas Mr M buys books and keeps them all so that if we both did the same we would need to move house to accommodate them all! I cannot imagine not reading can you?! That "c" is surprising in a school poster isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI see it! One of my pet hates, along with the misplaced apostrophe....and I dare not count my books, but I would guess that our collection probably runs to the thousands like yours!
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely surprised at the findings, but having worked in deprived areas I wouldn't know how to begin to change things. A friend who works in a 'tough' school in England told me last year that he doesn't have time left to read to his class. They' re Year 6, and obviously include many struggling readers, yet the curriculum and all his work helping them to keep up with that have stopped him from being able to share stories for the sheer pleasure of reading.
ReplyDeleteVery few people seem able to use the correct version of practise/practice. Am I right in thinking that in America the verb can be written with a 'c'? My son plays music and there are many mistakes in letters sent home when this word is used. I always remind myself that the word 'sing' is a verb, so 'practising' is also a verb as it has 'sing' in it. Just my little way of remembering.
ReplyDeleteI use the 'sing is a verb' mnemonic too!
DeleteGood one! I shall remember that in my lessons - thanks!
DeleteI love reading a good book, and so does DD and Baby D.
ReplyDeleteWe're reading The Twits at the moment while they have their bath in the morning. It's good disgusting fun.
x x x
That is acceptable here as we flip from U.S. to English spellings all the time.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Oh my word. What can one say.
ReplyDeleteadvice and advise!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my!
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
Don't suppose all the library closures are helping much either
ReplyDeleteOn the spelling front... My teachers always used to say, 'Alison SHOULD spell better, because she reads so much'. They thought there was a direct link between reading & spelling. As a specialist teacher l can see that they were over-generalising. The link is direct in some people, but not for others. I'm a concerned & vigilant speller now, but still not as good as many of the rest of you. l guess I'm pleading for sympathy for Teacher 2, who didn't spot the mistake.
ReplyDeleteSo is the problem that practise is spelled "practice"? Because of course in the States "practice" is correct. But if it's not that, I'm feeling rather dumb right now (unless the problem is that "spellings" should be singular, which it would be in the States?). Help!
ReplyDeletexofrances
Sorry Frances- here in the UK, we spell the NOUNS with a 'c' [practice, advice, licence] and VERBS with an 's' [practise, advise, license]
DeleteIt is another example of language differences across the Pond. Do the math [or 'maths' as we would say]
L is an amazing reader and has many books (bought second hand) but unfortunately not so good a spelling.
ReplyDeleteI feel that even though you may live in a deprived area you can still read. Libraries are free and full of books but will close if more people don't use them.
Carolx
I see it. Practice-noun. Practise-verb. I remember having that in a test for a temping agency once. In addition, the other day I was really annoyed my spellchecker kept underlining practising in my document.
ReplyDeleteReading has been such a wonderful part of my life always so this saddens me. X
During our recent hous-hunting phase, we viewed a house belonging to a young couple where there wan't a single book to be seen anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThey did however have two enormous televisions, one in the lounge and one in the bedroom.
On demonstrating the storage space in the bedroom cupboards which were custom made to fit the television, the young man slid back one of the doors to reveal a large collection of his wife's designer platform shoes with astonishingly high heels.
House hunting is a real education!
I remember saying to a parent at parents' evening "It's a shame that (insert name) doesn't like reading" and in all honesty, the father replied "Why?"
ReplyDeleteI suppose you always want people to enjoy what you enjoy, but as long as they can do it then maybe they don't have to enjoy it! After all, Mr D enjoys skiing and I don't - but he's never said "It's a shame you don't enjoy skiing"