Reading for pleasure?: A summary of the findings from a survey of the reading habits of year 5 pupils

The paper presents the findings from a study of the reading habits and preferences of 132 mainstream pupils in Year 5 of the English education system. It examines whether or not the pupils enjoyed reading, and if so, why. It discusses what they read, by whom, and for how long. It compares these findings with the pupils’ television viewing and computer use. The study found that more females than males liked reading. Pupils mainly read for enjoyment or relaxation. Books were preferred to comics or magazines. The preferred type of story was adventure. The favourite author for females was Jacqueline Wilson, but for males there was no favourite. On a typical day, about half the sample read at home; all watched television; a quarter of the males, and less than a quarter of the females used a home computer. One fifth of the sample had read a book on a computer. The paper concludes that it is essential that schools and libraries prioritise reading for pleasure, if pupils are to be both competent and willing readers.