Fathers urged to read to their sons before bedtime
16/06/2008
Fathers are being urged to spend more time reading with their sons, especially before bedtime.
The government's Boys Into Books scheme aims to get males aged between 11 and 14 years old reading rather than playing computer games before they go to sleep.
In order to achieve this, dads are urged to bond with their offspring over reading material which may interest them, such as fantasy books and spy novels.
More than 200 titles are being sent to schools across the UK for youngsters to borrow, including works by Anthony Horowitz, Stephen Hawking and Luc Besson.
The report also advises dads to try and tempt their sons with Japanese-style Manga comics, which are very popular at the moment.
Speaking about the scheme, schools minister Jim Knight said: "It's vital that we get children, especially boys, into reading and the earlier the better."
Recent research, conducted as part of the National Year of Reading, found that less than half of parents read to their offspring before they go to bed.
The study also found that children prefer to listen to funny tales such as those by Roald Dahl before they fall to sleep.
