Research evidence on reading for pleasure Education standards research team May 2012

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Research evidence 
on reading for 
pleasure 
Education standards research team 
May 2012 

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2 
Contents 
Introduction 
3
 
Key findings 
3
 
The evidence on reading for pleasure 
3
 
What works in promoting reading for pleasure? 
6
 
Definitions 
8
 
The evidence on reading for pleasure 
9
 
Benefits of reading for pleasure 
9
 
Trends in reading for pleasure 
13
 
Changes in numbers of children reading for pleasure over time 
15
 
Children’s perceptions of readers 
15
 
Types of reading 
16
 
Reasons children read 
17
 
Gender differences in reading for pleasure 
18
 
What works in promoting reading for pleasure? 
21
 
Strategies for improving independent reading 
21
 
Online reading habits 
24
 
The role of librarians in reading for pleasure 
26
 
Library use and reading for pleasure 
26
 
References 
28
 

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3 
Introduction 
The first section of this briefing note highlights research evidence on reading for 
pleasure from domestic and international literature; exploring evidence on the 
trends and benefits of independent reading amongst both primary and 
secondary- aged children, as well as why children read. The second section of 
this briefing covers the evidence on what works in terms of promoting reading 
for pleasure. 
Key findings 
The evidence on reading for pleasure