Nearly a third of children starting primary school in the UK are trying to swipe or tap pages in physical books as if they were smartphone screens, according to a major new survey that underscores how early digital exposure is reshaping childhood development.
The 2025 School Readiness Survey, commissioned by the early years charity Kindred Squared and conducted by Savanta, found that 28 percent of Reception class children (typically aged four to five) cannot use books correctly, with teachers reporting behaviors such as pinching to zoom or swiping to turn pages. Overall, 37 percent of these young students are not considered school-ready, up from 33 percent the previous year, while 26 percent arrive without consistent toilet training. Teachers estimate they spend an average of 2.4 hours per week addressing basic life skills rather than core curriculum subjects.
The survey drew on responses from 1,076 primary school staff and 1,004 parents across England and Wales, collected between October and November 2025. Staff identified excessive screen time as a leading factor, with 52% noting that children spend more than 2 hours daily on devices. Cost-of-living pressures and limited access to early support services were also cited as contributors. Felicity Gillespie, chief executive of Kindred Squared, called it a systemic challenge that demands national guidance on digital boundaries and developmental milestones. The full report is available here.
These UK trends are not isolated. American educators and child development experts are reporting strikingly similar concerns: young children are showing weakened fine motor skills that affect everyday tasks like turning book pages, holding pencils, and using scissors. Recent data indicate that 77 percent of U.S. teachers have observed greater difficulties among students in handling writing tools and manipulatives than just a few years ago. Many children entering preschool or kindergarten lack the dexterity built through hands-on play, often because tactile activities have been displaced by screen-based entertainment.
The 2025 Common Sense Media census on media use by kids aged zero to eight found that daily screen time remains around 2.5 hours, but gaming has surged 65 percent in recent years, and 40 percent of two-year-olds now have their own tablets. Post-pandemic shifts intensified the issue, as families relied more heavily on devices during lockdowns and remote learning. Experts, including those at Rutgers University, note that children born during that period exhibit delays in fine-motor milestones, and some educators have observed the same book-swiping behavior seen in the UK. The full Common Sense Media report can be found here.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidance to focus on quality over strict time limits, promoting the “5 Cs” of media use: child, content, calm, crowding out other activities, and communication. Pediatricians emphasize interactive real-world experiences and co-viewing to support healthy development. A detailed National Geographic feature exploring these declining fine motor skills is available here.
The convergence of evidence on both sides of the Atlantic paints a clear picture: convenience-driven screen habits in early childhood come with lasting costs. While the UK has centralized annual surveys driving policy discussions, the U.S. relies on state assessments and research cohorts, yet the underlying challenges are identical. Without deliberate efforts to prioritize hands-on play, block building, drawing, and other analog activities, future generations risk entering school less equipped for traditional learning environments.
Parents and educators hold the power to shift this trajectory by setting intentional device limits and embracing messier, tactile experiences. The window for building foundational skills is narrow, but the solution is straightforward: more real-world interaction and less passive scrolling. As digital immersion becomes the default for the youngest children, both nations face an urgent call to restore balance before these patterns become irreversible.
