An education advocacy group says a "worrying trend" is continuing in Ontario schools.
People for Education says in a report released today that the number of Grade 3 and Grade 6 students who say they like to read dropped in 2010-11.
The report says data gleaned from more than 240,000 Ontario students shows the percentage of Grade 3 students who say they like to read dropped from 75 per cent in 1998-99 to 50 per cent in 2010-11.
The percentage of students in Grade 6 who reported liking to read fell from 65 per cent to 50 per cent in the same time period.
The report says international studies show that students with a more positive attitude toward reading tend to be more successful in all subjects.
People for Education is calling on the province to begin using the percentage of students who report they like to read as one of the measures of success for Ontario's education system.
"It is not enough to focus only on test scores in reading, writing and math," said Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education.
"We must begin measuring the factors that contribute to overall success -- not just in school, but in adult life," Kidder said.
The data for the study was compiled from yearly surveys filled out by all Ontario students in Grades 3 and 6 along with standardized tests in reading, writing and mathematics administered by the province's Education Quality and Accountability Office.
Reading enjoyment is not only associated with high student achievement, but research shows that "engaged" readers are also more likely to be socially and civically engaged as well, the report said.
Research shows that certain school-based factors -- such as school libraries -- can have a positive effect on students' enjoyment of reading, the report added.
Research by People for Education with Queen's University showed that in schools with teacher-librarians, the students were more likely to report that they liked to read.
Schools with teacher-librarians had reading enjoyment scores that were eight percentage points higher than average, the report said.
"Perhaps the most important thing schools could be doing is to get the message out more clearly to parents that reading at home for pleasure is vital to children's long term success," stated the report.
"EQAO survey results show that in 2010-11, only 21 per cent of Ontario's Grade 3 students report reading together with a parent or guardian 'every day or almost every day,"' according to the report.
