British parents bribe kids to read

LONDON - More than half of parents in Britain admit they have to bribe their children to read with incentives such as permission to watch television and use computer, a survey has found.

Both teachers and parents believe that increased access to technology is turning children off reading, with many youngsters bored by books, the Daily Mail reported citing the survey in which more than 1,000 adults took part.

The research show that six in 10 parents (59.4 percent) and more than eight in ten teachers (85.4 percent) believe children are more likely to log on to a computer than pick up a book.

More than half of parents (57.2 percent) said they were concerned that digital media is replacing reading, while three in four (76.6 percent) believe it is more difficult for their child to spend time learning to read, with all the other distractions available, than it was when they were growing up.

The poll also asked children for their views on reading, and found that many were more likely to play games on the computer, surf the internet or watch TV than read a book.

Almost two thirds (61.9 percent) said these activities were more exciting than reading, while over a third (37.3 percent) said they wished reading school books at home was more like playing a game. More than a fifth (22 percent) said they found reading school books at home boring.