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For some of us, getting lost in a good book is the ultimate way to switch off. But what if this pastime is quietly disappearing?
Fewer Australians are reading for fun, and while that may not seem like a big deal, it could point to something more concerning – especially when it comes to literacy rates in Australia.
Research suggests the issue is already significant. More than 40% of Australians have literacy skills below the level needed to effectively manage everyday tasks like understanding information, completing forms, and navigating digital services.
That’s where experts like Maria Nicholas, senior lecturer in education at Deakin University comes in. Her work is focused on understanding how people engage with reading, and how rebuilding those habits could play a role in lifting literacy levels across the country.
A good place to start when looking at literacy rates in Australia is the classroom. How are students assessed, and what does this tell us about broader trends?
One of the most well-known measures is the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).
If you’re not familiar with the Australian education system (or if it’s been a while since you last sat in a classroom), NAPLAN has been a key feature at schools since 2008.
It’s an annual national assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, measuring key literacy skills (reading, writing and language conventions such as spelling, grammar and punctuation), as well as numeracy.
Its purpose is to provide nationally comparable data, helping educators and policymakers track trends over time, find gaps and target support where it’s needed most.
That said, NAPLAN often enters the news as a topic for debate. Some question whether it can fully capture what’s happening in the classroom, while others question whether any change has actually been actioned.
The latest available NAPLAN results suggest that one in three Australian students are not meeting expectations in literacy and numeracy. Among many factors, a decline in recreational reading (also known as volitional reading) is often put forward as a key contributor.
A report by the National Institute of Education in Singapore, highlights several reasons behind the drop in recreational reading:
Nicholas is working with her colleagues to explore how teachers apply research on teaching reading, while ensuring students enjoy reading and stay motivated.
‘Motivation to read is a critical factor in school and beyond,’ she explains. ‘When motivation to read drops off, as is the case for students who are highly dependent on others to guide their learning/reading, so too does comprehension as students move into the upper years of primary education.’
Nicholas and her colleague, Professor Louise Paatsch, are also investigating digital reading habits and whether they may help us revive reading – rather than contributing to its decline).
While screen time often gets a bad rap, digital technologies can support ‘collaborative, interest-led interactions’ that can help boost a child’s ‘oral language development and keep children connected with their loved ones,’ says Nicholas.
They can also support problem-solving abilities and capability for sustained attention.
‘Importantly the research shows that it’s the collaborative element, the mediated support offered by the more knowledgeable other, whether it’s an older sibling or adult, – that makes the difference,’ says Nicholas.
There’s also growing evidence highlighting the role of school libraries.
According to Australia Reads, school libraries are critical to improving literacy levels largely because they provide access to diverse reading materials and qualified staff. Yet not all schools have a library – and not all are adequately staffed.
So why does this all matter?
‘Literacy gives people the skills and capacity to be active and productive members in their communities, from their workplaces to their social circles, and opens up many more opportunities that may not have been possible otherwise,’ says Nicholas.
Beyond that, reading has well-documented personal benefits – from reducing stress and loneliness to improving wellbeing and a sense of belonging.
If the research tells us anything, it’s this: improving literacy rates in Australia may start with something very simple: helping people rediscover the joy of reading and making it part of everyday life again.
