BookTrust: the benefits of books for children’s futures

Right at the beginning of a child’s life, there should be books and stories, as well as a caring adult who wants to read to this child to help them develop into the very best person they can be. We know that reading with a child sets off fireworks in their brains which lead to understanding language, feeling loved and understanding others and the world around them. We know this instinctively, but we also know this from rigorous research which is as broad as it is deep. 

The benefits of reading at an early age sprawl endlessly and beautifully throughout our children’s lives.

At BookTrust, we never forget this as we celebrate World Book Day. We never forget the role that reading with a child can play in changing the course of their life. A child’s first years are when their brains are developing the most, and for disadvantaged children, these years are especially crucial. This is why we are so determined to close those developmental gaps which open up at this stage, and are hard to close later, by working to provide shared reading opportunities to those disadvantaged children. We know that reading with children at this stage can make sure that they don’t fall behind, and that it has a positive impact which can be felt for years. 

The rich interactions you can have with a child using a picture book introduces them to words and art, but also to silly voices, rhyme and (if you are brave enough) song. Reading children’s books should, at some level, be a performative experience and in willing hands they are an introduction and a gateway to the arts. 

The Arts Council understands this. They also understand the role that reading with young children plays both in their development and in their future openness to creativity. This is why we were delighted to become a National Portfolio Organisation in 2023 and continue our long-standing partnership with the Arts Council. It’s enabled us to develop our Bookstart programme to reach more children from low-income families by taking an approach deeply rooted in their neighbourhoods and communities. 

Bookstart Baby puts books, reading tips and resources into the hands of families. It was the first of its kind in the world and we are a founding member of a global network of organisations who have been energised by our example. In England, we partner with all the local authorities in the country to get books and advice on reading to every family with a newborn child.  

There is a local authority employed Bookstart coordinator in every authority in the country to help make this happen, which is a phenomenally privileged position to be in. This close relationship with local authorities enables us to reach more than 500,000 families with newborns every year. The packs are delivered by health visitors, who understand the importance of reading with children for their development, with advice on reading and are often the first books a child has. 

Reading with children introduces them to pictures, rhyme and song, but its benefits spread far beyond, reaching all different parts of their lives. We know it helps literacy, of course, but it also supports their imagination, achievement across the curriculum, mental health, and so much more.  

Our partnership with the Arts Council has enabled us to develop Bookstart for other age groups. Parents know that reading is important – in one BookTrust survey 95% said so – but that doesn’t translate into daily life with only 42% of children getting a regular bedtime story. So, alongside our programme for newborn children, we have developed an offer of high-quality books and storytelling resources for toddlers and pre-schoolers from low-income families. In its first year, 2022/23, we reached almost 400,000 children with this programme. We are working with families whose children could benefit the most to help embed reading together in family life.  

84% of low-income families participating in our Bookstart Toddler and Pre-schooler programme were prompted to read more, and 81% of Bookstart Coordinators told us that Bookstart helps them to support families in the greatest need.

This World Book Day we will put 90,000 book vouchers into the hands of families in some of the most deprived parts of the country through our 6000-strong network of community-based organisations. Through efforts like these, and year-round programmes like Bookstart, we can make a real difference. There is an incredible energy which comes from using the arts to inspire and invigorate local communities. Let’s harness this to change children’s life stories for the better.