BookTrust, the UK's largest children's reading charity, is delivering 700,000 books to school starters as part of its annual Time to Read campaign.
This year, every child starting school in England will receive a copy of Rob Hodgson’s The Cave.
Research by the charity highlights the relationship between children's mental health and reading.
A survey of 3,003 parents of children aged between four and 11 found that more than a third of them (34 per cent) worried about their child’s mental health at least once a week.
Parents said the most common signs of their child being worried or anxious were:
- angry outbursts at home (42 per cent)
- crying more than usual (36 per cent)
- sleeping problems (28 per cent)
Meanwhile, 90 per cent of parents agreed reading together was a useful tool to help open up conversations with their child.
However, almost 70 per cent of parents admitted they stopped reading to their children by the time they started Key Stage 2 at the age of seven.
Diana Gerald, chief executive of BookTrust, said, ‘Sharing a book is about so much more than simply reading a story together. It creates a wonderful closeness, and it’s also an opportunity to talk about the themes in the book, whether that’s separation anxiety, making friends, losing someone important or simply learning to be brave.'
Ms Gerald added, ‘It’s so easy to stop the bedtime story or other shared reading once children can read for themselves, but that magical ten minutes doesn’t just help engage children in stories and reading; it also relaxes them, helps them understand the world around them, and often stimulates important conversations about what’s going on in their lives. Our research shows that children love to be read with, and we hope that The Cave will prove hugely popular with families across the country.’
The research was backed by national children’s mental health charity Place2Be and psychologist Emma Kenny from ITV’s This Morning.
Catherine Roche, chief executive of Place2Be, said, ‘Three children in every classroom have a diagnosable mental health problem. Half of all mental health problems are established by the age of 14 which is why early identification and intervention to address these problems is important.
‘We know from our experience that reading with your child in a warm, non-judgemental manner can be an excellent way to open up conversations about emotions, feelings and behaviours and help children to feel less alone.
‘As a parent it can sometimes be hard to have these conversations but using characters in books, and the situations they experience, can help start a dialogue. Reading together can help you spot worries and anxieties before they are magnified.’
Ms Kenny added, ‘Reading is a great activity to help you bond with your child and talk about their day. It also helps to create good routines, which make children feel safer and more confident. Add to that the way books can let children explore challenging themes and situations in a safe way, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for building resilience and ensuring that children feel able to talk about the things that are worrying and upsetting them.’