Scotland Named the UK's Most Avid Readers

21st November 2018

It's Book Week Scotland! 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 centres in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, has revealed that Harry Potter and Paddington Bear are amongst them. Both characters featured in their list of top ten fictional characters according to parents in Scotland. And inspirationally for the young female readers amongst us, Wonderwoman came out top, followed by other female protagonists, Mary Poppins and Matilda!

Parents' Top Fictional Heroes in Scotland:

Wonderwoman
Mary Poppins
Matilda
Harry Potter
Hermione Granger
Doctor Who
Paddington Bear
Batman
Superman
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.

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 says: "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.

For more information about Explore Learning please visit: www.explorelearning.co.uk

Explore Learning has five centres in Scotland: two are in Edinburgh with the Murrayfield centre located in Sainsbury's, 39 Westfield Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2QW contact the team on 0131 337 7401 or email [email protected]

And the second Explore Learning in Edinburgh is located in Sainsbury's, 185 Craigleith Road, Edinburgh, EH4 2EB contact the team on 0131 332 3300 or email [email protected]

The East Kilbride centre is located at Sainsbury's, Glasgow Road, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, G74 4UN contact the team on 01355 587 220 or email [email protected] and the Darnley centre is located in Sainsbury's, Darnley Mains Road, Glasgow, G53 7RH you can contact the team on 0141 404 1049 or email [email protected]

The Aberdeen centre is located at 45-47 Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, AB10 7AY contact the team on 01224 959 201 or email [email protected].

About Explore Learning 

Explore Learning provides maths and English tuition for 4 - 14 year olds.  
Over 35,000 children attend Explore Learning centres every week.  It has 139 centres across the UK.  
All courses are aligned to the school curricula in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and Explore Learning tutors select appropriate resources for each child to ensure they cover a combination of courses, enabling them to reach their potential in all areas. 
All Explore centres are located in areas that are convenient for families to attend - these include centres within shopping centres such as Westfield London, Lakeside, Cabot Circus and Sainsbury's supermarkets.  
Explore Learning were named the best Private Tuition Centre Operator in the EducationInvestor Awards 2014, 2015 and 2016, the 2nd best big company to work for by The Sunday Times 2018, named the 20th Best Place to Work For by GlassDoor.  

In Highland all public libraries of Highland council are run by Highland Highlife. Check it at -
https://www.highlifehighland.com/libraries/