Demystifying the Reluctant Reader (2007)

Read about what reluctant readers think about reading and how it relates to their reading behaviour.

The findings are based on a 2007 National Literacy Trust survey of 29 primary and secondary schools in England, which included some questions around the reader self-concept.

What does it mean to be a reader? What are the characteristics typically assigned to readers and what materials does a reader enjoy? And how do readers and non-readers differ in their perception of these?

The analyses in this paper are based on 1,143 pupils who defined themselves as ‘readers’ and 471 pupils who defined themselves as ‘non-readers’ and explores the consequence in terms of attitudes towards reading and reading behaviour.