Do you enjoy writing in your spare time?
A new survey has given more details about how many children enjoy writing
- Published
Do you like to write in your free time? Many of you might like to write short stories, poems or even your own comics. However, a new survey shows the number of children who enjoy writing in their spare time is getting smaller.
The National Literacy Trust - a charity that helps people with reading and writing - have released the results from their 2024 Annual Literacy Survey, which show that fewer than 3 in 10 young people aged 8 to 18 enjoy writing in their free time.
The survey runs every year, and has seen the levels of writing enjoyment drop steadily over the past 14 years.
However, the results also show that more kids enjoy writing at school than they did in 2023.
Do you like writing? Is it something you do at home or at school? Take part in our vote and let us know in the comments!
- Published26 September 2023
- Published27 May 2020
WATCH: Author and Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho gives his five top tips for writing
What were the 2024 Annual Literacy Survey results?
The National Literacy Trust surveyed over 75,000 children and young people aged 5 to 18.
Of those who were surveyed this year, nearly twice as many of the kids aged 8 to 18 said that they enjoyed writing at school than compared to writing in their free time.
Overall, the National Literacy Trust say that the levels of enjoyment for writing among children are at an all time low.
The number of kids who write daily is also on the decrease, with the figure halving from last year to 1 in 10 in 2024.
Do you prefer writing at school than at home?
The survey also looked at the reasons why children write.
Of those who wrote at least once a month, the National Literacy Trust found that there were three main types of writer, with results often overlapping:
Creative writer - to express ideas and emotions
Mindful writer - to relax or feel happy
Social writer - to support issues or concerns
If you enjoy writing then why not enter the BBC's 500 Words competition.
It's the UK's biggest children's story writing competition, and it will be open for entries for 5-11 year-olds on Tuesday 24 September.