Boys reluctant to read could be helped by touchscreen technology, says the National Literacy Trust.

The technology can be more effective in engaging children aged 3 to 5 with reading than books – and is particularly beneficial when it comes to helping poor children and boys where literacy is a concern.

The findings in the Early Years Literacy Survey have been published by the National Literacy Trust and publisher Pearson.

Key findings:

Twice as many young children from low-income backgrounds read stories on a touchscreen for longer than they read printed stories than from high-income backgrounds (29.5% vs 17.4%)
More children from poor backgrounds use technology more for educational activities than for entertainment than their more affluent counterparts (43.2% vs 30.4%)
Twice as many boys as girls look at or read stories on a touchscreen for longer than they look at or read printed stories (24% vs 12%)
More boys than girls use a touchscreen for educational activities than for entertainment (36% vs. 28.2%).
91.7% of children aged 3 to 5 have access to touchscreen technology at home, while most pre-school teachers would like greater use of such technology in early years’ environments.