Books Are Everywhere—So Why Aren’t Kids Reading?

When people say, “Children these days don’t read much,” I always reply, “That’s not entirely true.” There are still plenty of children today who genuinely love reading. My young companions at the Young Readers’ Club show me every week that this passion is very real—I have a running list of fantastic book recommendations from them to prove it.

Why do some children love reading while others don’t?

The general consensus is that our world is full of digital distractions, making a physical book far less tempting for a child to pick up. And yet, some children still do. How is that possible?

Ironically, back when we didn't have these digital distractions, the urge to read was stronger even though avenues to find books were far more limited. I remember having a wonderful school library where we could sit and read during the weekly library period, allowed to check out just one book at a time. During the long summer holidays, when I had lots of time on my hands, there was a small neighborhood library that stocked old copies of beautiful books. Fast forward to today: libraries and bookstores are more accessible, annual book fairs are commonplace, and ordering a book online takes seconds. Yet, the proportion of children who read for pleasure remains low.

According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report (India Edition), only 32% of children aged 6–17 are frequent readers (reading for fun 5 to 7 days a week). The remaining 68% read only occasionally or rarely for leisure.

The Magic That Makes the 32% Read

Early access to books and shared reading as a parent-child bonding routine go a long way in nurturing a lifelong love of literature. The Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report highlights that children who were read aloud to 5 to 7 days a week before entering kindergarten are significantly more likely to become frequent readers later on. Furthermore, surveys show that over 80% of children cherish this shared read-aloud routine with their parents, carrying that positive emotional association well into their older years.

The Multiplier Effect of Reading for Pleasure

While reading aloud early builds a consistent habit, the cognitive and academic benefits reach much further:

• Academic & Comprehension Gains: Studies consistently show that avid leisure readers grasp classroom concepts faster, display greater curiosity, and perform better across subjects than their non-reading peers.

• Vocabulary & Writing Fluency: Regular readers develop broader vocabularies and naturally absorb diverse sentence structures, storytelling rhythms, and writing styles—translating their reading experiences into more confident self-expression on paper.

For a child to reap these benefits, reading for fun cannot be treated as another chore to tick off a checklist. It needs to be an engaging routine built gently over time. And what better way to make reading irresistible than using it as a source of calm, shared connection at the end of the day?

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The Young Readers' Club is a book club for the 8-12 age group. We also do vocabulary building activities and mini writing lessons for a little variety!

Writing programs for the 9-12 age group- Young Writers' Club Jr.  

The Young Writers' Club program for the 13-16 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.

Tween Tribune  is an online magazine for the Young Writers' Club (Jr.) program for tweens. Weekly updates of our discussions are published. Once in 6 months, the best of writing by the tween members is made available to read.

 Musings from the Young Writers' Club is an online magazine showcasing the work we do at the Young Writers' Club.