Want to be a better reader? Watch the telly with subtitles on!
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What do you think about the campaign? Would you watch all your favourite shows with the subtitles on?
Good news... watching telly could help your reading skills!
Studies have shown that watching your favourite TV show with the subtitles on might double your chance of becoming a good reader!
With many of you having to spend a lot more time at home recently, TV viewing levels have increased.
But a new campaign called "Turn On The Subtitles" suggests you can get more our of watching your favourite shows if you do just that - turn the subtitles on!
Imagine reading the same number of words in all of the Harry Potter books...without picking up a book!
The study even suggested that children didn't notice they were absorbing the words of the subtitles, but were benefitting from them being on anyway.
The people behind the campaign found that in a year, children who watch around 11 hours of TV per week (which is about the average) with the subtitles on read the equivalent of:
all seven of the Harry Potter books
AND all five of the Earthsea books
PLUS the three books in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy
PLUS all seven of the books in the Narnia saga
PLUS all three of The Lord of the Rings books
A number of celebrities have backed this campaign, including former Great British Bake Off presenter Sandi Toksvig.
"I love the Turn On The Subtitles campaign. It's stunningly simple, free and yet so powerful!" she said.
In India, it has recently become a law that at least 50% of children's TV must have same-language subtitles on by the year 2025, as it is so helpful for literacy levels.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has also backed the campaign, saying it's an "excellent" idea.
What do you think about the campaign? Would you watch all your favourite shows with the subtitles on?
Let us know in the comments below! We love to hear your thoughts!
- Published24 February 2021
- Published4 June 2020
