‘Crisis’ for children’s writing warns National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust has said there is a ‘writing crisis’ as their annual literacy survey revealed a drop in the number of children who write for pleasure. The survey, of more than 76,000 UK children and young people, has been asking respondents about their writing since 2010. In that time, the 28.7 per cent of 8 to 18 year olds who said this year that they enjoy writing in their free time is the lowest they have recorded. This year they also found that just 11.1 per cent said they write daily in their free time, a drop of nearly half from 19.3 per cent last year. Alongside this more than one in three (35.7 per cent) of those surveyed say they rarely or never write in their free time.
According to the survey children’s enjoyment of writing and daily writing habits peak when they start primary school but steadily decline until they leave secondary school. Three times as many children in key stage 1 than those in key stage 4 say they enjoy writing, and five times as many say they write something daily in their free time. The NLT also found that more children and young people who receive free school meals (FSM) said they enjoyed writing in their free time than their peers (34.2 per cent vs 26.1 per cent) and wrote daily outside school (14.8 per cent vs 9.5 per cent). More children eligible for FSM also enjoyed writing at school than their peers (57.3 per cent vs 51.5 per cent).
Children and young people who wrote at least once a month in their spare time said the process of writing helps them to be creative (59.1 per cent), helps them express their ideas and imagination (52.8 per cent) and helps them express their thoughts and feelings (47.7 per cent). Respondents also said writing supports their wellbeing, with many writing to relax (40.4 per cent) and because it makes them happy (33.1 per cent). More than third (36.2 per cent) said writing can help them get a better job when they grow up.
Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: ‘With children and young people’s enjoyment of writing at an all-time low, and high numbers leaving primary and secondary school without the writing skills they need to thrive, children’s futures are being put at risk. It is now time to provide children and young people with more meaningful opportunities, both in and out of school, to reconnect with the creative elements of writing which transform it into an enjoyable activity that allows for self-expression and that works as a tool to process struggles, make sense of the world and participate actively in civic life’.
Responding to the findings, Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders’ union NAHT, argued for curriculum reform: ‘The current curriculum and assessment system is part of the problem when it comes to children’s enjoyment of writing. When we surveyed school leaders on the primary statutory assessment system earlier this year, they criticised the key stage 2 writing framework for focusing too much on the technical aspects of writing. School leaders told us writing to a checklist strips out “the importance of flair and imagination’” and only 8 per cent of our members agreed the framework teaches children to be creative and compelling writers. They said the SATs grammar, punctuation and spelling test does little to develop effective writing, with one describing it as a “fossil from a bygone era” and only 12 per cent supporting the retention of the test. The grammar curriculum for primary aged children is unfit for purpose and must be subject to a comprehensive review.’
A full report on the NLT’s findings on writing can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/3t6sna5c