In another study, Sammons et al. (2018) found that students who read for enjoyment more at home were more likely to achieve their A-Levels. OECD data also shows that “students who read daily for enjoyment score the equivalent of one-and-a-half years of schooling better than those who do not” (OECD, 2011, p. 2). Tellingly, Manuel & Carter (2015) noted a “direct and strong correlation between teenagers’ motivation to read, the amount of time spent reading – both for leisure and because they are required to by a teacher – and students’ reading achievement” (p. 126). That is to say, if students read, even if they are obligated to, they are more likely to achieve.  

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Teachers also observe that the reading efficacy of their students has declined over time. Again, these trends are represented in the data where the 2019 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicates that reading performance in Australia has been steadily declining since 2000 - a trend also observed worldwide (OECD., 2019). Merga (2014) also found that infrequent engagement with reading was related to deficiencies in holding attention for a sustained period. 

The decline in reading efficacy is no doubt linked to declining reading for enjoyment. Jackie Manuel & Don Carter (2015) found in their research that only 19.5% of surveyed students identified reading as their most preferred leisure activity, while 30% indicated that it was their least favourite leisure activity. It is increasingly evident that the attention of young people is captured elsewhere. By comparison, 61% of the young people in Manuel and Carter’s (2015) study indicated that using digital devices was the preferred leisure activity. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics also corroborates that reading for pleasure diminishes as children age, finding that children between the ages of 5 and 8 more frequently read for enjoyment than their 12 to 14 year old counterparts. Furthermore, their data shows that overall, regardless of age, the act of reading for pleasure is not as popular as it used to be, significantly decreasing between 2003 and 2012 (ABS, 2012). The Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report (7th Edition) also shows similar findings with dramatic decreases in reading for pleasure as students age (Scholastic, 2019).