Creating Value In Schools
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The National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey 2025 has shown another decline in reading enjoyment and the number of children and young people with a daily reading habit. Only 32.7% of children and young people aged 8 to 18 said that they enjoyed reading in their free time – a 36% decrease in reading enjoyment levels since the survey started in 2005. Not only will this impact on learning and literacy, but also on lifelong engagement with reading.
So what helps those less enthusiastic readers get engaged? Findings include: reading that ties in with hobbies and interests, the film and TV they enjoy, and reading in a wide range of media and styles. Having choice matters too.
Survey results into Children and young people's reading in 2025 show that reading enjoyment is at its lowest point in two decades. Over the last year, the decline has been most acute among primary-aged children and boys, particularly teenage boys.
The report doesn’t really address WHY this is happening, or the obvious elephant in the room: competition from smartphones and instant access videos that don’t require an attention span of more than two minutes. And how often do children and young people see the adults in their life reading? Do they still view reading as an important skill and source of pleasure?
The report identifies three types of reader.
See pages 3-4 and 19-21 of the report for more detail.
The survey asked children and young people what would make them want to read. Their responses highlight the importance of relevance and autonomy in fostering reading engagement.
Popular drivers of reading include:
The report notes that ‘those who reported enjoying reading a bit were consistently more motivated by every listed factor than those who said they didn’t enjoy it at all.. This pattern indicates that even a small spark of enjoyment makes young readers more open to engagement, especially when reading is made relevant and familiar.’ (Page 24)
Different types of reading matter too: song lyrics, news stories, comics and fan fiction are all things that many children and young people choose to read in their free time (even for those who say they don’t enjoy reading).
What’s less successful?
Social strategies came out as less successful, with book clubs at the bottom of the list. Recommendations from known people (e.g. friends, family or teachers) can be beneficial, but book influencers or just hearing people talk about reading doesn’t have so much impact. This suggests again that it’s personalised recommendations that count more.
