The researchers used data from a census carried out by the Andalusian Agency of Education Assessment. Comics, short stories, books, newspapers and magazines were the texts included in the research. This study, looking at pupils in Spain, attempted to establish whether a link exists between literacy and mathematics scores and the type of material children look at in their spare time, as well as how long they spend doing this. This ability increases through practice and by trying longer and more challenging texts.ДЇew studies though have focused on whether the type of material children choose influences their achievements at school. The amount of time children spend reading is already understood to help develop their literacy skills. 'Our results provide further evidence that it's not only whether young people read or not that matters - but also what they read.' Lead researcher Luis Alejandro Lopez-Agudo, from the University of Malaga, added: 'Reading is a fundamental skill that plays a key part in all our lives. 'This is particularly important for low-achievers, where any association is likely to be strongest.' 'Other less complex and less engaging forms of reading are unlikely to bring the same benefits for their cognitive development, and shouldn't be counted as part of their reading time. 'In an increasingly digital world, it's important that young people are encouraged to find time to read a good book. 'Although three months' worth of progress may sound comparatively small to some people, it equates to more than 10% of the three academic secondary school years measured - from when these young people are aged 11 years old to 14, which we know is a hugely developmental period,' explains co-author Professor John Jerrim, from the UCL.

The findings have important implications for parents, teachers and policymakers, and the international research team is recommending that young people devote their reading time solely to books.

The study demonstrated no similar advantage for children's reading daily newspapers, comics or magazines, and only marginal benefits from short stories. The average marks of pupils who read books rose by 0.22 points overall, which is the equivalentВ of 3 months' worth of additional secondary school academic growth. Using longitudinal census data to look at more than 43,000 students, aged 10 to 11 and then again when they were 13 to 14, the research provides substantial evidence that pupils who enjoy reading high-quality books daily score higher in tests. What children choose to read outside school directly influences their academic performance, according to a major new study led by the University of Malaga and UCL, and published in the peer-reviewed journal Oxford Review of Education.

Scoreland magazine comic