Many parents ‘lack confidence to read books to children’
Many parents are hesitant to read books to their children because they do not have confidence in their own literacy skills, a newspaper has revealed.
According to the Evening Standard, parents can play a "crucial role" in encouraging youngsters to get interested in reading.
However, a study by the publication found that hundreds of thousands of adults in the London area have a reading age of just 11, which means they are reluctant to read books to their children.
This could in turn be impacting on the development of their reading and writing capabilities.
The Evening Standard described the extent of the problem as "shocking" and noted that this could also impact on other areas of their lives, as mobile phone contracts and technical documents may be difficult to interpret.
A major campaign designed to highlight the issue and encourage volunteers to help get youngsters reading has already been launched by the newspaper.
Geordie Greig, editor of the Evening Standard, described reading as an "essential tool for life".
