Bounty

Research has found a widening gender gap in boys' and girls' attitudes towards reading and writing.

According to the National Literacy Trust, the number of children reading on a regular basis has dropped significantly compared with five years ago, with the gap between the proportions of boys and girls widening to 10.6% in 2009.

It found that 38.7% of girls said they read every day, compared with just 28.1% of boys in 2009.

This is compared with 2005, when 42.2% of girls and 34.7% of boys said they read every day.

The study also found a rise in the number of youngsters who say they never read.

In 2009, as many as 28.4% of boys and 18.5% of girls said they rarely or never read, compared with 19.1% of boys and 12.4% of girls in 2005.

The study, which looked at the difference in attitudes and participation in reading and writing between the genders, also found that twice as many boys as girls said they never write.

Copyright Press Association 2010