The Reader’s Response to National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey

'Green shoots' must be welcomed but the roots of the challenge can’t be overlooked. 

We’ve taken some time to digest the most recent findings from the National Literacy Trust’s 2026 Annual Literacy Survey which reports a modest rise in children’s reading engagement, the first increase reported in five years.  

Research shows an increase in children’s reading enjoyment with 36.1% of those aged 8-18 saying that they enjoy reading in their free time (Vs 32.7% in 2025) but it feels important to acknowledge that this slight upturn exists against a backdrop of longstanding decline. It shows that the majority of children aren't reading for pleasure, and that those changes in a positive direction are not shared across all groups or ages.   

There is momentum as we reach the midpoint of the NLT’s Department for Education backed National Year of Reading campaign – it has unlocked conversations, profile and connection.  

There are a wealth of organisations and projects doing amazing work in this space, but the widening gap with inequalities is stark and targeted work is urgently needed.  

At The Reader we also hold firm in the belief that what our children and young people read matters, especially at a time when children and young people are struggling to access support for their mental health. Reading brilliant stories can help us think and feel. It can strengthen connections, support growth and empathy – the scaffolding of strong mental health, and what the Waterstones Children’s Laureate, and Reader Patron Frank Cottrell-Boyce refers to as the ‘apparatus of happiness’.  

At The Reader we help children and the adults in their lives to explore brilliant stories together, through a number of projects. We are focusing on growing our work with care experienced children, providing them with high quality Shared Reading experiences.  

We will also focus on delivering Shared Reading training to the trusted, grassroots community organisations who reach the most vulnerable children and their families. We work to support and embed community story times where they’re needed most, as well as with adults; only half of which are reading regularly.   

We know the power of modelling and want to support the confidence of parents as influencers on the next generation of readers. We support the call for a renewed push to make Shared Reading a reality, despite intensifying pressures on family life and childhood, as highlighted by Frank Cottrell-Boyce at his recent Laureate Lecture. The urgency is clear, that we need to ensure that Shared Reading is an essential part of childhood and that every child has access to books. 

At a time with demand on mental health services acute, it's vital that we combat reading decline so that more children and young people can benefit from its transformative power to help us live well. 

Explore more information about our work with children and young people. 
Could you volunteer to read with a child? Find out more here.  

Jemma Guerrier, Managing Director, The Reader 

Katie Clark, Director of Literature, The Reader