I’m a day late, I know. That’s how life goes sometimes, especially when you’ve got ADHD. But I couldn’t resist writing about World Book Day anyway, because, as I’m sure you know, I love books. Books allow you to step into whole other worlds, explore new cultures, experience different lives to your own, travel to new places, have exciting adventures, travel through time, and forget about real life.
When you think about World Book Day, you might think about all the different costumes – and it sure is exciting to scroll through your feed and see what your friends’ kids are dressed up as and to see children on their way to school dressed as a variety of characters. But World Book Day is about more than costumes.
Reading for pleasure is at an all-time low, with only 1 in 3 children saying that they enjoy reading. Reading enjoyment is at its lowest in nearly 20 years. Yet, “reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success, even over family income or parents’ educational background’ (National Literacy Trust). It has positive effects on mental health and well-being, reduces stress levels, improves sleep and provides positive role models away from the negativity/toxicity of social media. Reading can change the course of a child’s future.
National Literacy Trust also found that reading helps children to relax, feel happy, learn new things, understand the views of others, learn about other cultures and be confident. You can find out how you can help their campaign to #GrowAGenerationOfReaders here.
