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Original poster

Kids living in houses without books?

153 replies

ButterfliesAreWeird · 13/12/2017 20:31

My son just received another of those books we get given by the government (funded by them atleast). My Mother said that they started this scheme because around 1 in 4 children were starting school without a single book in their household. Is this right? That sounds like a lot, but then again it would need to be for them to start handing out books I guess.

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 13/12/2017 22:47

I liked whoosh around the mulberry bush, that's one we got from a charity shop but was originally bookstart. Unfortunately I can't remember the exact 4 we got but there was def at least one more with repetition and rhythm which I always think are key. And a counting one whoch was a bit weird (one gorilla? I think) but the illustrations were fabulous, which is also a big draw.

BertieBotts · 13/12/2017 22:48

The deep bookcases are great for children's books which are too wide for many bookcases.

SleepingStandingUp · 13/12/2017 23:09

When you can buy second hand books for 10p or 20p or there's library's around I find this really sad. DH and I both grew up in working class homes and are both huge book / comic worms. DS is 2.5 and has over 100 books and loves them. He repeatedly brings books over to be read to (non verbal so can't read his own). I always buy books for babies and my niece and nephews have books every Christmas off me.

Did buy books for a Christmas present for psmepne my DH works with - a cute board boom of peter rabbit and one that plays music and got a comment of "oh, you brought him an educational present! Shock.

Erm, no - I got a fun present!!!

Witchend · 14/12/2017 09:56

I was told once that the average* number of books in a house with children was 1. Not really sure if I believe it, but it was said by someone fairly reputable and who wouldn't have an obvious reason for stretching the truth.

  • I assume this must be mode type average, as I can't imagine it being median, nor mean on the basis that we have well over 5000, so for every one of us there would have to be 4999 houses with none.
Chaosofcalm · 14/12/2017 10:12

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/more-770000-uk-children-dont-have-any-books-their-own%3famp

Does book start still exist? DD (19 months) has never been given any bookstart books but we have lots of children’s books at home.

We have 3 book shelves of adult books but they are all upstairs so a causal visitor would not notice it.

I have also read that the biggest indicator of GCSE is if a teenage reader for pleasure. I would imagine there is also a socioeconomic and cultural capital tie in with that.

MargoLovebutter · 14/12/2017 10:17

I love reading and in our house we have vast quantities of books on the shelves. Do my DC read them - absolutely not!

DS is extremely dyslexic and so never willingly picks up a book and I don't know what DD's excuse is, but again she never willingly picks up a book either. I read to both of them when they were little and I certainly lead by example - but not a speck of interest from either of them.

DS did very well in his GCSEs despite his lack of reading & DD has just done well in her mocks, so I'm not sure how accurate an indicator reading is - however, I appreciate that my experience alone isn't sufficient evidence!!

MiaowTheCat · 14/12/2017 12:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crazycatgal · 14/12/2017 13:05

I can believe this, and it you can really tell at school which children read at home.

I was brought up by two WC parents who have never really been interested in reading themselves but read with me every day because they could see the value in reading.

Some parents really don't value reading or education.

Bubblebubblepop · 14/12/2017 13:06

Having thought about this, my parents are both huge readers so we all are as a result but books were never "on display"- they were an
Item kept in bedrooms on bookshelves.

SleepingStandingUp · 14/12/2017 13:27

We get bookstart here but because DS has some additional needs we get the special ed books. I feel like I missed out on the DISCO book lol.

I can't wait for Christmas Day as DS is getting 10 Little Princesses to finish off his set! He's non verbal so will be late to read but he adores books

Ta1kinPeace · 14/12/2017 17:39

In the UK it is about 33% of households that do not own books.
The stat has been consistent for many years.
When my kids were small (before the days of broadband / kindles / smartphones
I always found it odd how many friends' houses had no books

when I was boot-saling some of the kids old books a lady bought some for her grand daughter with the comment
we will not tell mummy as she does not like you having books

SleepingStandingUp · 14/12/2017 18:51

we will not tell mummy as she does not like you having books you've made my heart weep

Ta1kinPeace · 14/12/2017 19:34

It made me cry when she said it Sad

Ragwort · 14/12/2017 19:45

Yes, I can believe it sadly, we were recently house hunting middle class, professional type homes and saw lots of homes without books, bookshelves etc.

And I doubt my university educated brother, holding down a very good job in IT has picked up a book or bought a newspaper for over 45 years. Grin And he wouldn't read on a kindle/tech device either.

Some people just don't read.

OlennasWimple · 14/12/2017 19:45

we will not tell mummy as she does not like you having books - oh! That's tragic! To actively discourage reading... Just why? Sad

Kazzyhoward · 14/12/2017 19:51

DS did very well in his GCSEs despite his lack of reading & DD has just done well in her mocks, so I'm not sure how accurate an indicator reading is

Much as I hate to say it, but my DS is exactly the same. He's not read a book "for fun" at all in his secondary school years. Myself and OH are avid readers and read daily, and we read to DS before he could walk, and he read constantly in his primary years. Just zero interest in reading as a teenager. But has it done his English any harm? Not at all. He's top of his English GCSE class which is the top set in a top 100 grammar school and his English teacher has told us she regularly shows his work to the class as an example of how to do it! So not reading as a teen has certainly not harmed him. So maybe not reading doesn't lead to poor literacy after all.

trilbydoll · 14/12/2017 19:52

Our books are all away, they're in the kids rooms or a cupboard downstairs. I found having a box of them out and visible just = books scattered everywhere with no extra interest in actually reading them.

I wonder if dd1's reception teacher thinks we have no books. She's always trying to get us to borrow ones from school and I'm resisting because we have loads of books and I don't want to risk losing a school one!

BamburyFuriou3 · 14/12/2017 19:57

Coincidentally one of my fb friends has just tonight announced (on FB, complete with photo natch) their first bookshelf. Ever
They are in their forties, youngest child in reception, oldest two at secondary, and both earn more than I ever did as I STEM secondary teacher.... The kids apparently have just a box of books they share. I've seen the box - it's about a foot by 1.5 feet and not full. That's how many books we get from the library each week!
But the kids are bright and loved, loads of extra curricular activities, seem to be doing fine at school, oldest ones passed their 11

NewtsSuitcase · 14/12/2017 20:00

I was very surprised when I started going round to play dates with other school run mums. Most surprising were the dual professional couples - with no books anywhere to be seen downstairs

I think its bizarre that from that you come to a conclusion that they have no/few books or don't read.

DH and I are a 'dual professional couple' and you wouldn't find any books downstairs in our house unless someone has forgotten to take it upstairs. DS1 and DS2 are both bookworms and have hundreds of books plus we go to the library every week. I read for at least an hour every night and always have a book in my handbag for when I get a few spare minutes. DH also reads every night (although it makes him fall asleep and so he takes 2 months to get through a book). We also all have kindles and take out e-books from the library. Plus we also have an audiobook on the go in the car.

But you'd conclude that we don't read because there are no books out on display downstairs Confused

TinklyLittleLaugh · 14/12/2017 20:00

Yeah we're another house with lots of upstairs books. We do have a groaning cocktail cabinet and a mahoosive TV in our sitting room though, despite being very ocaisional drinkers and TV watchers. We must be frequently judged and doing wanting.

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 14/12/2017 20:01

Can I ask the people with lots of books:
Once you've read a book do you tend to go back to it and re-read at a later date? Or do they just accumulate as clutter?

TinklyLittleLaugh · 14/12/2017 20:02

Found wanting

BamburyFuriou3 · 14/12/2017 20:03

You missed a bit out - no books downstairs and a couple/few upstairs in the kids bedrooms. That's it. As I usually had The Tour. Unless of course they are hidden away in cupboards. But I still find it strange to not just have books around. For me, that's alien.
And you have completely made up the bit about me assuming they don't read. Just commented on absence of books and that I found that strange.

BamburyFuriou3 · 14/12/2017 20:06

I keep the books I re and re and re read. So Terry Pratchett's complete collection. Tom holt's. Harry potters. Robin hobb. Anne McCaffrey. Bill Bryson. Stephen Donaldson. Douglas Adams. Etc

Ta1kinPeace · 14/12/2017 20:08

unlimited
Our books are almost all non fiction - reference type
thousands of them
The fiction books get reread many times

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