Kids Who Read Succeed, with Nick Ferrari on LBC
Discover the joy of sharing stories
Every Friday from 10 January 2025, for the next 10 weeks, we will be tuning into Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC to listen to a fantastic range of well-known names as they read aloud a different Beatrix Potter children's story on air.
Will you join us?
Reading together and listening to audiobooks is a wonderful way to capture children’s imaginations and unlock an enjoyment of stories which can be the first step on a child’s journey to becoming a reader.
Donate today and together, we can empower children to succeed
Donate
Listen and watch with your family
A life-long love of stories can be ignited, and nurtured, in many ways. We want to make sure children are encouraged to explore a range of reading materials and formats that will help them discover the joy and purpose of reading, and inspire them to dive into a story that matters to them.
Kids Who Read Succeed, with Nick Ferrari will give children and families the chance to discover 10 new tales from the magical world of Beatrix Potter by listening live to weekly narrations on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.
Families can also settle down to watch and rewatch video recordings of the narrations on the LBC website or via the Global Player app (available on Apple and Android), and some may wish to follow-up with a trip to the library to find the print book to enjoy together.
Literacy has the power to unlock children's life chances
Reading lets children discover new worlds, meet new people and learn about the past. It sparks imagination, gets children thinking differently and helps them develop empathy.
However, our research shows that children’s enjoyment of reading has plummeted to an all-time low, with only a third (34.6%) saying they enjoy reading in their free time.
This is serious. When children enjoy reading and have books of their own at home, it can benefit all areas of their lives, from boosting their confidence and wellbeing to improving their academic performance and life chances – setting them up for a brighter future.
We must turn the page on this reading for pleasure crisis before more children’s futures are put at risk. That's why we are supporting Kids Who Read Succeed, with Nick Ferrari.
"Addressing the crisis in children’s reading enjoyment must become a national priority"
Chief Executive at the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas CBE, explains more about why we are teaming up with LBC and the urgency behind their initiative.
The power of audio - what does the research say?
Our audio research shows that there are many benefits to listening to stories and different audio formats, such as audiobooks and podcasts, when it comes to encouraging and growing children’s engagement with reading.
In 2023, we found:
-
Half (50.5%) of children and young people enjoy listening to stories
For these children, listening to stories on videos (69.9%), audiobooks or podcasts (50.9%), as well as being read to by parents (59.7%), teachers or librarians (53.4%), proved most popular.
-
Listening to audio can provide a gateway into reading for many young people
Almost 1 in 3 (30.0%) children and young people who enjoy listening to audio say it got them interested in reading.
-
Listening enjoyment and reading enjoyment are positively linked
More children and young people who enjoy listening to audio also enjoy reading in their free time, compared with those who don’t enjoy listening (52.2% vs. 37.6%).
-
Audio can provide shared listening opportunities for families
1 in 4 (25.8%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 have listened to an audiobook, podcast or radio show with their family in the past four weeks.
Will you help us equip children with the skills they need to succeed?
Donate today and together, we can change a child's life story.
What are the benefits of reading?
Reading is not just a good way to fill the time. It has important and far-reaching benefits which go beyond a love of a good book.
