2019 Egmont Publishing – FK&Y’s ‘Stories and Choices’ research explores the impact of reading aloud to children in-school

Evidence shows that being read to aloud can prompt a greater love of reading and improve children’s emotional wellbeing, but that after the age of eight children are less likely to be read to by parents and teachers.  FK&Y worked closely with St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Stoke-on-Trent for 6 months from September 2018 to February 2019 to explore the impact of reading aloud to children in-school for Egmont’s ‘Stories and Choices’ intervention. Egmont provided St Joseph’s with a generous selection of books for teachers to read to their Key Stage 2 classes (7-11 year old’s) for 20 minutes each day, as well as magazines for children to take home each week. The FK&Y team carried out in-school workshops with all Key Stage 2 children and separate teacher focus groups in 3 stages – before, half way through, and after the intervention, as well as in-home interviews with eight children and their parents pre and post-intervention. The results of the intervention were very positive, with teachers seeing a marked improvement in children’s enthusiasm for reading, and reading ages increasing by 10 months on average – twice what would be expected. As a result of the research, Egmont called on the government to make space for reading on the school curriculum and is urging daily story time to be an intrinsic part of the school day right up until teens. Read the report here. Watch a video of the children talking about the research here.