Mike Wood MP has celebrated the 25th anniversary of World Book Day and the “life-changing potential” of encouraging youngsters to read for pleasure from a young age.

As part of the 25th anniversary of World Book Day, the MP went along to Ashwood Park Primary school in Wordsley where he read The Ugly Five – the bestselling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – to a group of the school’s children. Mike said:

“It’s always such a pleasure to read to local children at Ashwood Park Primary or any of our other local schools.

“For me, World Book Day is a real marker in the calendar because it’s that time when children get excited about events and activities based around a love of reading.

“Children who read or are read to every day are not only likely to have a greater vocabulary and literacy skills than those who don’t, but also develop stronger empathy, creativity and cognitive skills.

“As we know, reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income.

“That’s why we want to encourage more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to have a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them.”