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UK study finds parents spend less on books for boys

In the UK, a new study into the media consumption of pre-schoolers has found parents spend on average £6 (A$10.20) per month on books for boys, 25% less than the average £8 (A$13.65) per month spent on books for girls, reports the Bookseller. The findings were part of UK children’s research specialist Childwise’s 2016 Pre-school Report, which surveyed parents of 1000 children aged 0 to four. Parents of pre-schoolers spend more on average on girls than boys per month overall , £117 (A$200) compared to £101 (A$172). This gender difference is consistent in seven out of the nine categories Childwise surveyed (clothes, days out, organised activities, footwear, books, magazines, DVDs/Blu-Rays, apps and games). Childwise research manager Jenny Ehren said the differences in book purchasing are ‘indicative of reading trends that become more significant with age’. ‘By the time they reach school, boys aged five to ten read for significantly shorter periods and much less frequently for pleasure than girls of the same age,’ Ehren said. The study also found UK pre-schoolers are increasingly comfortable using tablets and apps, reports Kidscreen, with seven out of 10 preschoolers able to access a tablet or computer at home. One in three children under five years of age have his or her own device, with this number increasing to nearly half for three- to four-year-olds.

 

Category: International news