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Non-fiction books can inspire your child’s future career choice

A new survey has found that children are not spending enough time reading and, in particular, are shying away from reading non-fiction books.

A worrying 50 per cent of children are only spending two hours or less each week reading, in favour of other pastimes such as watching television or playing computer games.
The survey by Nestlé Box Tops for Books found that 1 in 5 children in London, for example, did not read one book in the in the last month, and of those who were reading more regularly, 1 in 3 do not read any non-fiction titles.

This may have a detrimental effect on the development of their imaginative capacity and even impact on their future career choices, says family counsellor Jenni Trent Hughes.
‘It is essential that young children read at least one book a week and, in particular, educational books. Developing interests at an early age from books that cover subjects such as sport, travel and history, will open their eyes to a world of future possibilities and can trigger enthusiasm and excitement which may shape their whole lives and careers.’

Celebrity examples

She adds: ‘I used to love poring over an Atlas when I was a child. All those extraordinary place names in far-flung corners of the world kicked my imagination into overdrive as I dreamt of what life might be like in a tiny African village. It inspired my desire to see the world and definitely steered me towards my career as a journalist.’

Children are also urged to look at celebrity examples of how reading non-fiction books will benefit their careers.

Tracy Ann Oberman (Chrissie Watts of EastEnders) says she loved reading about history as a child, especially Roman history.

‘I was fascinated by the way that the small actions of an individual could have such a huge impact and change the face of history. Musing then on what made heroes and villains helps me now to interpret the characters I play in my career as an actress.’

Parents seem to be in agreement with a staggering 85 per cent believing that the interests their children adopt in their formative years will influence their future career. Of those surveyed, 60 per cent believe that their children should be reading more non-fiction books.

Also, 1 in 3 parents admitted that they do not know what kinds of books their children are reading at school and 68 per cent feel that they read more books themselves when they were at school than their children do. They feel it is important that non-fiction books are read, and yet 60 per cent don’t feel enough non-fiction reading is being undertaken or encouraged at school.
Jenni advises: ‘Parents can inspire their children to read from a very young age, by reading to them, and when older going on trips to the library or the bookstore, and making it a real adventure. This role-modelling leads to children integrating reading into their lives as a fun and inspirational activity – so that reading is not a chore, but a delight.’