My BT Young Scientist and SciFest project 2018
"A Statistical Investigation into the decline of reading among Ireland's Youth and how we can prevent this from impacting future generations"
My passion for reading and my in-built curiosity led me to explore...
• Why are many children/adolescents in Ireland not reading for pleasure these days?
• Are societal/environmental/technological factors causing this trend?
• What can be done to improve this/encourage young people to read more?
• What are the ‘life’ benefits associated with reading?
• Can we educate children/adolescents about the benefits of reading?
I conducted 1000 surveys on Irish students to investigate my topic……
Ultimately, I want to share my love of reading with the nation!
My Research Summary
Many studies are showing the decline of reading as children reach adolescence, including my own!
Irish primary schools are continuing to succeed in reading/literacy, but not many literacy studies are showing an improvement in second level education.
There benefits of reading are endless!
Many studies have been done around the area of reading/literacy, but not many surveys targeting the opinions/views of children/adolescents have been conducted.
There have been numerous studies done, but not enough programmes or initiatives introduced based on these studies.
I have found so many things that can be improved by reading!
My Suggestions
The first suggestion I have is an Irish literacy scheme, similar to Book Trust which is operating in the UK. I was fascinated to find out that every child in the UK, aged 6 months, gets a box of books delivered to them, free of charge, which promotes literacy. It helps kids who may not be able to afford books, giving them the opportunity to read, and by reading books, they are better prepared for going to school as they have already started their educational journey. This book bag/book trust scheme is now being piloted in Ireland as part of the First Five Programme, based on my government proposals, which is a positive step in progressing this.
As part of my research, it transpired that having a library and a librarian in a school improved the results of the whole school, and perhaps this is something that could be rolled out in to every school in Ireland; promoting libraries, and increasing collaboration between libraries and schools, as well as increasing the budget for school libraries. Reading increases your vocabulary, and reading literary fiction improves your ability to understand the mental state of others. Reading can also lower your stress level, can boost your confidence and leads to positive mental health, all valid reasons to encourage it in a school setting!
Another idea to encourage reading is to introduce a reading ambassador programme. I have learned from working as a book ambassador that children and young people tend to listen to their peers more than they would adults, so a programme recruiting young bookworms to share their experience with others through videos, school visits and more could help spread the gift of reading in a fun, interactive way. A similar programme could also be introduced whereby authors and illustrators could visit schools to share their love of reading.
My awareness campaign is very simple; it is, in essence, to get my peers to enjoy simple things in life, like reading a book. Reading a book helps one's imagination and creative cognitive processes. Teens who spend more time doing sports, homework, reading books, board games, and socialising with friends in real life may be happier. I enjoy trying to make a difference in the world and encouraging others to enjoy the benefits of reading books either alone or in groups. ‘Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.’