[Research Report]
In the Era of National Reading, What Books Do Children Like to Read?
- Research Report on Book Purchasing Behavior of Primary and Secondary School Students
Since 2014, "National Reading" has been written into the "Government Work Report" nine times in a row. For children who are in a critical period of establishing a knowledge structure and developing interests and hobbies, it is crucial to cultivate a strong passion for reading and have good reading ability. The results of the 19th National National Reading Survey show that the book reading rate of minors aged 0-17 in my country in 2021 is 83.9%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 2020.
As children's reading becomes more and more important, the children's book market is gradually booming. Among teenagers and children, the largest proportion are primary and secondary school students. What are the characteristics of their book buying behavior? What are the preferences of primary and secondary school students of different genders, different ages, and different learning stages in buying and reading books? How to create a good environment and provide strong promotion for their reading?
This study extracted the CNONIX standard data exchange data from the "National Publishing and Distribution Information Public Service Platform", focused on tracking the book purchase data of primary and secondary school students on online platforms and physical bookstores in some provinces and cities, and conducted in-depth analysis to draw conclusions. In order to improve the reading quality of primary and secondary school students for reference.
Based on the content characteristics of books, this study divides books into two categories: teaching aids and general books. General books include six categories: theme publishing, literature, popular science, comics, social sciences, and life.
Students read books in a bookstore in Rong'an County, Liuzhou City, Guangxi. Xinhua News Agency issued
1. Overall portrait of primary and secondary school students’ book purchases in 2021
Data show that in 2021, primary and secondary school students in the provinces and cities surveyed purchased 25,513 books throughout the year, of which September and December were the two peak periods for book purchases throughout the year. The purchase quantities accounted for 10.98% and 6.02% of the whole year respectively. September is the beginning of the new semester, and primary and secondary school students often buy a large number of books based on their learning needs. The winter vacation in December is about to begin, and many children will also buy books to enrich their vacation life.
In terms of book purchase categories, teaching aid books accounted for "half of the books" purchased by primary and secondary school students in 2021, accounting for 55.59%. Among general books, literature books performed well, accounting for 22.36%; published books on theory, party history and other themes ranked third, accounting for 17.56%. Other categories accounted for lower proportions, with comics accounting for 2.19%, popular science accounting for 0.96%, social sciences accounting for 0.85%, and life categories accounting for 0.49%.
Judging from the teaching aids purchased by primary and secondary school students, they are mainly divided into three categories: First, student reference books, such as " Modern Chinese Dictionary " (7th edition), "Xinhua Dictionary" (12th edition, two-color version), etc. . The second is synchronous learning, such as complete explanations of textbooks, in-class exercises, etc. The third is asynchronous learning, such as special training, review papers, cultural and educational readings, etc. Judging from the subjects covered in the teaching aids, mathematics, English, and Chinese are on the list the most. In addition, because each locality has the right to independently set the questions for the high school entrance examination and college entrance examination, the teaching aid books have obvious localization and characteristics.
It can be seen from the general book purchase list that literature books account for the largest proportion of books on the list, mainly composed of domestic and foreign classics, recommended extracurricular readings for primary and secondary school students, and best-sellers. Such as the classic literary masterpieces "Journey to the West", "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "The Scholars"; the foreign literary masterpieces "One Hundred Years of Solitude"; the modern and contemporary literary masterpieces "The Red Rock", "The History of Entrepreneurship" and "Camel Xiangzi" "The Ordinary World"; in terms of bestsellers, "Malice" by Japanese writer Keigo Higashino, "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Cixin, etc. have attracted a large number of teenagers.
In 2020, the Basic Education Curriculum Materials Development Center of the Ministry of Education organized the development and release of "Reading Guidance Catalog for Primary and Secondary School Students (2020 Edition)", "Guanwen Guanzhi", " Red Star Shines on China ", "Morning Blossoms Picked Up at Dusk" and "Fu Lei Family Letter" Wait for inclusion in the directory. "Happy Reading" is a special column in the unified primary school Chinese textbooks. It aims to stimulate students' interest in reading, let them feel the joy of reading, and learn basic reading methods. Times Literature and Art Publishing House , People's Education Publishing House , Zhejiang Education Publishing House , etc. have all launched the "Happy Reading" series of books, which are very popular.
books in the four categories of popular science, social science, comics, and life are the “rising stars” in the book market for primary and secondary school students. "2021 Farmer's Calendar (Xin Chou Year of the Lunar Calendar)" and "Myopia Prevention and Eye Care Wall Chart" ranked 13th and 27th respectively in the top 60 general book consumption lists, reflecting students' enthusiasm for mastering the farm calendar and their love for eye care. Eye health awareness. Books on the list in the social science category include "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and "A Brief History of Today: Big Issues in Human Destiny". Among the comics on the list, "Half-Hour Comic World History 2" was created by Chen Lei and his team. It presents world history in the form of comics, which can help primary and secondary school students quickly understand historical knowledge points.
Students select books at Xinhua Bookstore in Gejiu City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Xinhua News Agency issued
2. Analysis of students’ book purchasing behavior characteristics under the gender dimension
There are differences in the categories of books purchased by boys and girls, and boys account for a larger proportion of purchasing teaching aids.
data shows that boys buy more books than girls. In the past year, the most purchased books by boys and girls were teaching supplementary books, but the proportions were different. Boys accounted for 65.03%, which was significantly higher than girls' 45.57%.
The order of the categories of books purchased by boys is: teaching aids (65.03%), theme publishing (17.19%), literature (13.35%), social sciences (1.62%), comics (1.50%), and life ( 0.85%), popular science (0.46%).
The order of the categories of books purchased by girls is: teaching aids (45.57%), literature (27.93%), theme publishing (16.65%), social sciences (3.84%), comics (2.57%), and life ( 2.18%), popular science (1.26%).
Boys prefer the theme publishing category, while girls prefer literature categories.
General book purchase data shows that boys purchase the highest proportion of themed publishing books, accounting for 49.15%. Among the purchases of literature books, girls accounted for 51.32%, far exceeding other categories of general books. The movie that boys purchased the most was "The Three-Body Problem", followed by "Scarecrow", "Red Rock", etc. The most purchased book by girls is "Guan Wen Guan Zhi", followed by "Mo Lizhen Teach You to Read Ancient Poems", "Red Star Shines on China", "Yilin Moves Volume", etc. Data from the Top 20 literary list of books purchased by boys and girls shows that both boys and girls love to buy novels. There are 13 novels on the boys’ book buying list and 9 novels on the girls’ list. Among them, boys prefer literary works with strong plot and science fiction, while girls prefer literary works with lyrical and reasoning nature.
3. Analysis of student book purchasing behavior characteristics under the dimension of school stage
(1) Analysis of primary school students’ book purchasing behavior characteristics
The top three purchasing categories for primary school students are teaching aids (44.76%), literature (26.95%), and theme publishing ( 21.85%).
Among general books, primary school students purchase literature books accounting for 26.95%. The subjects of the purchased books include history, science fiction, suspense, etc. There are Chinese and foreign classics, as well as traditional Chinese culture books and best-sellers. The most purchased comic book among primary school students is the half-hour comic series. The total circulation of this series exceeds 20 million copies, proving that popularizing historical culture in the form of comics has great appeal. In terms of
teaching aids, there is a phenomenon of purchasing books beyond the academic level. For example, the "Oxford Advanced English-Chinese Dictionary" (9th edition) has content that is beyond the level of primary school students. Social science books are more difficult for primary school students to understand, so they account for a smaller share. In addition, there have also been scientific and technological readings involving cutting-edge information technology fields such as "Illustrated Artificial Intelligence".
(2) Analysis of book purchasing behavior characteristics of junior high school students
The top three categories of books purchased by junior high school students are teaching aids (71.02%), literature (17.49%), and theme publishing (9.11%). Among the
teaching aids, junior high school students mainly purchase exercise sets and basic knowledge books. In general, literature books account for the largest proportion of purchases by junior high school students. The three most popular literature books are: "Guanwen Guanzhi", "The Three-Body Problem" and "Red Star Shines on China". The books on the literature list are rich in subject matter, including traditional literary classics, foreign masterpieces, modern and contemporary prose, fantasy mystery novels, etc.
Comics are also a favorite book category among junior high school students.The three most purchased comics are: "The Complete Works of Father and Son 3·I am a Monopoly", "The Complete Works of Father and Son 1·Happy Life" and "Smart Pet Car Brain Challenge Maze: Happy Paradise". Although most of the buyers and readers are junior high school students, some of the comic books are targeted at "children's" readers, such as "Amity Children: Youth Edition Classic Classic Book Library·Celebrity Biography" and "Children's Questions and Answers 37 Amazing" Scientific Events" etc.
(3) Analysis of the book purchasing behavior characteristics of high school students
The top three purchasing categories for high school students are teaching aids (44.85%), literature (42.46%), and comics (3.86%). Among the
teaching aids, the top five most purchased books are all tool books, and the most purchased one is "Essential Reference Book Set for the First Year of Senior High School". Judging from the types of teaching aids in the top purchase volume, teaching aids and reference books on textbook interpretation account for a relatively high proportion.
In general, literature books are the most popular among high school students. Among the top 50 general book purchases, literature accounts for 78%, including ancient and modern Chinese and foreign classics, modern bestsellers, etc. The top 5 most purchased literature books are: "Malevolence", "Four Great Classics in Large Characters: Journey to the West (Part 1, 2)", "Bloom Blossoms Gathered at Dusk", "The Great Gatsby", " The Fantasy Journey of the Shepherd Boy" 》.
Comics and social science books each have a certain proportion of readers, and their consumption situations are similar. The proportion of high school students purchasing other categories of books is also relatively high, which shows that as they grow older, their choices become more diverse.
4. Analysis of factors affecting the book purchasing behavior of primary and secondary school students
The factors affecting the book purchasing behavior of primary and secondary school students are:
Learning needs. Due to the needs of academic study, primary and secondary school students account for the largest proportion of purchases of teaching aids, regardless of gender or school level. In 2021, after the implementation of the " double reduction " policy in compulsory education, primary and secondary school students' homework burden has been greatly reduced, and their free time is relatively abundant. In order to improve the quality of learning and cultivate self-study ability, the demand for high-quality teaching aids is still considerable.
cognitive characteristics. Children's physical and psychological characteristics have distinctive characteristics, and their cognitive abilities and understanding abilities are still under development. This is an important factor in determining the orientation of purchasing books. For example, reading text content requires readers to have a certain level of understanding and logical thinking. For primary and secondary school students in the growing stage, vivid comics are more attractive, can stimulate their desire to read, and guide them into a rich and colorful story space. Comics can also develop children's imagination and exercise their image thinking.
Classic charm. literary books have always had a wide readership. Judging from statistical data, the consumption of literary books by primary and secondary school students is mainly concentrated on Chinese and foreign classics, such as the Four Great Classics, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", etc., as well as popular best-sellers in recent years, such as "The Three-Body Problem", "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "White Nights". "OK" etc. In the age of social media, readers can link to book resources through more diverse channels, but classics never go out of style. They inspire generations of young people and have everlasting vitality.
policy guidance. In recent years, theme publishing books have become widely popular, which has also driven related consumption among primary and secondary school students. 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Party and government agencies and schools at all levels have carried out party history study and education. A variety of red activities have been carried out one after another. There is a strong and enthusiastic atmosphere for all walks of life to study the history of the Party and celebrate the centenary of the founding of the Party. It has formed a positive guide for young people's beliefs, aspirations, and personality pursuits. It has also directly promoted the purchase of young people's purchase of party history books and other themed published books. enthusiasm.
interests and preferences. There are many niche books in the book buying list for primary and secondary school students, such as "Knowledge and Performance of Guqin" and "Flowers and Birds Gongbi Portraits", etc., covering various aspects such as music and art. It can be seen that the reading tastes of primary and secondary school students are diverse, changeable and segmented. of. The Internet and social media provide primary and secondary students with more convenient channels for purchasing books, and also build a platform for communication and sharing, so that the individual needs of each student can be satisfied to the greatest extent.
5. Various parties work together to create an environment to improve graded reading ability.
There is a positive correlation between good reading needs and healthy physical and mental growth.Today, it is necessary to correctly guide primary and secondary school students in their book purchasing and reading behavior, improve their discriminating abilities, and enable them to grow up healthily under the nourishment of "opening books is beneficial".
Parents: Guide children to make friends with good books and encourage them to expand their knowledge reserves. Parents are the "gatekeepers" of their children's book buying. They should teach their children in accordance with their aptitude and provide guidance for their book buying behavior. When selecting books for children, the content quality and ideological tendencies of the books should be taken into consideration, and suitable books should also be selected based on their reading level, interests and hobbies. The survey found that many primary school students have begun reading books on social sciences or intelligent technology, such as "A Brief History of Today: Big Issues in the Destiny of Humanity". Even the popular science version for teenagers involves a lot of professional knowledge and is difficult to read. From the perspective of expanding knowledge reserves, parents can encourage their children to buy and read such books, and accompany their children to read to help them understand the content of the books.
Education authorities: Improve the graded reading system and purify the online reading environment. may consider setting up a special working committee to formulate detailed standards and corresponding solutions based on the current situation and existing problems of graded reading among teenagers in my country. Graded reading needs to establish comprehensive indicators. In addition to the three important considerations of aesthetics, knowledge, and popular science, it must also be continuously iteratively upgraded based on the interests and hobbies of primary and secondary school students and the evolution of knowledge needs caused by social changes, and formulate graded reading that is in line with my country's national conditions. Standards, evaluation systems, and evaluation systems. At the same time, we should increase the guidance and supervision of graded reading for teenagers, unite multiple entities to guide teenagers to grade reading, and formulate corresponding standards to ensure the long-term effectiveness of graded reading. In addition, we must pay attention to new changes in the digital reading era, keep up with the latest trends and focus on key issues when formulating strategies. For example, while current digital reading has greatly broadened the horizons of young people, it has also made the reading content uncontrollable and disorderly to a certain extent. Education authorities should focus on improving the function of filtering bad information and purifying the online reading environment; at the same time, actively improve the layering of online book sales and recommendation systems, and supervise and hold relevant platforms accountable to ensure the effectiveness of their implementation.
school: Integrate graded reading into the classroom and effectively teach students in accordance with their aptitude. While schools have a good grasp of textbook teaching, they should develop and design targeted reading courses, develop reading materials at different levels related to the syllabus texts, and guide students at different reading levels. We can cooperate with experts in the fields of education, psychology, literature and other fields to integrate the reading teaching of graded books into the classroom, guide students' book purchasing behavior, and achieve more refined and individualized education effects while completing the teaching goals. Schools can also set up reading rooms or book corners for different grades, and carry out rich activities such as book recitations, chapter performances, and interesting knowledge competitions according to grade levels to attract more young people to participate independently and experience the joy of reading.
publishing organization: pays attention to the reading needs of primary and secondary school students and creates rich graded reading texts. should conduct in-depth research on the physical and mental characteristics and reading needs of young people at different stages, accurately plan topic selection, and launch graded reading texts. For example, the People's Education Press and South Korea's "Smiling Peanut" direct-operated kindergarten developed the "People's Education·I Love Reading Children's Graded Reading Series", which aims to help children aged 3-6 years old easily learn literacy through parent-child reading and make a smooth transition to elementary school. stage of independent reading; CITIC Children’s Books has launched key new book products for different ages, and also launched a “family age-specific reading library” for readers. Through the model of “books + after-sales reading guidance + community services”, it can meet the needs of children of different ages and their Provide reading guidance and practical help according to parents' individual needs.
In short, only when education authorities, schools, families, publishing houses, libraries, etc. work together to promote the development of book grading, can book education be systematic and scientific, and effectively build a ladder for children to grow.
(Author: Key Laboratory of Big Data Analysis and Application of User Behavior in Publishing Industry, Beijing Normal University, which is a key laboratory of the State Press and Publication Administration.Research team: Qin Yanhua , Zheng Wei, Fu Zhenyu, Wang Xixian, Dong Hui, Zhang Shiyue, Yang Xixian, Cao Renjie, Li Gang, etc.)
" Guangming Daily " (Page 7, May 26, 2022)
Source: Guangming.com-"Guangming Daily"
