A recent study by the National Literacy Trust has found that
nearly nine in ten young people in the UK own a mobile phone,
while only just over seven in ten have books of their own at
home. This has sparked a debate about the importance of books in
the home, where the foundations of literacy are laid. According
to researchers, the presence of literature in the home has a
profound effect on all families, irrespective of parental
occupation or social class. It suggests that filling homes with
a range of novels and reference books may be the difference
between leaving school at 16 and progressing on to A-levels and
University. It found that being raised in a household with a
500-book library would result in a child remaining in education
for an average of three years longer than those with little
access to literature. Even having as few as 20 books in the home
can still have an impact. Children are twice as likely to read
outside class if they are encouraged to read by both their
mother and father. Two in ten yo