Scots are fully booked for reading with family

A new survey has named Scots as the UK’s most avid readers.

Book Week Scotland runs from 19-25 November, a celebration of the world of literature and the perfect time for Scotland to share and enjoy reading their favourites together.

New research by popular tuition provider Explore Learning, which has five centres in Edinburgh, Glasgow, East Kilbride and Aberdeen, has revealed that Harry Potter and Paddington Bear are amongst them. Both characters featured in their list of top 10 fictional characters according to parents in Scotland.

Interestingly, the poll was topped by three female characters, as Wonder Woman came first, followed by other female protagonists, Mary Poppins and Matilda!

Parents’ Top Fictional Heroes in Scotland are: 1, Wonder Woman; 2, Mary Poppins; 3, Matilda; 4, Harry Potter; 5, Hermione Granger; 6, Doctor Who; 7, Paddington Bear; 8, Batman; 9, Superman; 10, Frodo.

But their enthusiasm for fiction does not end there. The research confirmed that even in this digital age, reading together remains a popular past time in Scotland. Nearly two thirds (61%) of parents in the country read to their children every night.

Impressive, especially when compared to the UK national average which shows only (56%) do the same across the rest of the nation.

Doctor Who was named as parents’ sixth top fictional hero

Not only do adults read to their children for enjoyment, more than a third (36%) of parents in Scotland also read a book for their own pleasure every day, making them the most avid readers in the whole of the UK.

This beats the national average for the whole of the nation which is only just over a quarter (27%). Their interest seems to have filtered through to the next generation as 90% of youngsters in Scotland have even asked for a book as a present.

Charlotte Gater, head of curriculum at Explore Learning said: ‘It’s great to see that parents in Scotland make reading a priority in their everyday lives and share their enjoyment of literature together as a family. Not only that but it is a good insight as to how their child’s comprehension and expression is developing. Hopefully the rest of the nation are inspired to follow their example and take up reading more for pleasure as a family!’

Explore Learning is an award-winning provider of extra tuition for children aged four to 14, taking a unique and personalised approach to maths and English tuition.

Since 2001 over 200,000 children have excelled academically, reached their potential and achieved the best possible results with Explore Learning. They are unwavering in their mission to develop a generation of fearless learners; children who will excel in the classroom, be confident in exams and fearless in school and beyond.