Thaindian News

London, Dec 5 (IANS) One in three children in Britain - about four million - does not own a book, a study has said.

Seven years ago, the number stood at one in 10 youngsters, meaning the number of children without books has trebled.

The latest report by the National Literacy Trust also shows boys are more likely to be without books than girls, The Telegraph reported Monday.

The study was based on a survey of 18,000 children aged between eight and 16.

Researchers found that children who are eligible for free school meals - a measure of poverty - are less likely to own a book than their more wealthy peers.

Children who do not own a book are almost three times more likely to have literacy levels below the norm than those who do own one, the study found.

Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, said the numbers of children without books were of “particular concern”.

“We know there is a direct correlation between book ownership and children’s reading abilities,” he said.

The survey was commissioned to mark the launch of the trust’s Christmas Gift of Reading fundraising appeal, Telegraph said.