3 in 10 children growing up in a house with no books...

[mummytigger]

...I'm sorry, but WHAT?!

This Morning on ITV reported that 3 in 10 children were growing up in a house with no books, and even mentioned an incident where the class was asked to bring in a book and one child brought in the Argos Catalogue!

I'm in absolute shock, I'll be honest with you. I could live on water and instant noodles if I had to, but just see how far you get when you take away my Terry Pratchett or my Stephen King! I'll happily read anything, any time, anywhere - even the back of the toilet roll packet! Even DS has his own books, and he hasn't even been born yet!

I realise that some parents just don't have the time to sit down and read a bedtime story, but to have no books in the house at all is a VERY serious oversight on the parents behalf, and it's going to end up being detrimental towards the childs' development.

What are MumsNet opinions on this?

I am unsurprised.

I would also be curious to know out of the remaining 7 homes with books, how many people actually take the time to read with their children.

I teach in an excellent school, and I see that standards are slipping. So very few children are actively encouraged to read, and many see it as a chore. It really concerns me. The English most of them read is from MSN/Facebook/Twitter, and it shows. I can easily pick out the work of the few children who read regularly when I'm marking as they are often far more articulate than their peers.

I try to encourage them, but it is the home culture that has the most impact.

This is one of those stats (and it's not new) which always makes me think that I really, truly have no idea how the other half (well, 30%) live. Growing up, a lot of our books were library books, or second hand, but we always got books as presents (including, memorably, from batchelor great uncle who would always send something which you had never heard of and yet was absolutely perfect for you ) and would come away from any jumble sale with at least one "new" book - even when money was really tight, books in some form (trips to the library) were a necessity.

Books are cheaper nowadays, and money less tight, and my DC have always had loads of books. I don't disbelieve the statistics, but it is so far removed from my life that I find it hard to comprehend.

Having lugged 50+ children's books home from the library today... I am now enjoying a well-earnt doss online.