Parents urged to read more to boost children’s life chances

The Education Secretary is calling on parents to lead by example and make reading a daily habit to help reverse the decline in reading for pleasure, to help give kids the best start in life as part of the Plan for Change.

The call comes as the Department for Education and National Literacy Trust join forces to launch a National Year of Reading, starting in January 2026 to kick start a reading revolution. It will reverse the trend as just one in three aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025.  

Bringing together parents, schools, libraries, businesses and literacy experts, the campaign aims to foster a love of reading for pleasure in children and young people, ensuring all children get the best start in life.   

Reading for pleasure isn't just a hobby. It's linked to a range of benefits including stronger writing skills, improved wellbeing and confidence, and even higher future earnings, with new data showing those proficient in reading and writing in primary school earn £65,000 more over their lifetime.  

The government inherited a system which is holding too many children back from future success with over a quarter leaving primary school not meeting the expected standard in reading. This grows to 40% and 59% respectively for children from white-working class backgrounds and those with special educational needs.   

The Year will build on the action already underway to drive high and rising standards in literacy including investing £27.7 million to support the teaching of reading and writing in primary school and targeted support for struggling readers in secondary school, as well as the ongoing curriculum and assessment review.     

The campaign contributes to the government's driving mission to break the link between a child's background and what they go on to achieve and comes as the Education Secretary sets out her vision for ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life and starts school ready to learn including by boosting early literacy skills through the expansion of the government's network of English Hubs.  

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:  

As someone whose love of reading was sparked in childhood, I know just how powerful books can be in shaping young lives.   

Reading holds the keys to so much of children's education, so the decline in reading for pleasure among young people should sound alarm bells loud and clear.   

This can't be just a government mission. It needs to be a national one. So, it's time for all of us to play our part, put our phones down and pick up a book.

When parents take the time to read with their children early on, they lay the foundations for strong literacy skills, helping kids to be school ready. By making reading a daily habit, even just 10 minutes a day, we can help give kids the best start in life, as part of the Plan for Change.

To kick start the reading revolution this summer, the National Literacy Trust will distribute over 72,000 new books to children in areas with the highest rates of child poverty to support positive reading habits at home.  

This comes during the Summer Reading Challenge to ensure more children have the opportunity to take part and build a love of reading over the break.   

CEO of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, said:  

At a time when we are witnessing the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and daily reading in a generation, we are delighted to be working with the government to deliver the National Year of Reading 2026 - a bold, society-wide campaign to reimagine how we understand, support and promote reading. Reading is the foundation of a successful life - the key to unlocking potential, strengthening social cohesion, enhancing wellbeing and boosting skills.  

The National Year of Reading 2026 presents an opportunity to join forces across sectors and redefine reading as a powerful, contemporary activity for a generation. Working closely with schools, families, libraries, communities and partners across the country, we will make reading a shared national mission - because every child, no matter their background, deserves the best start in life and every adult deserves to get the best out of life.

The campaign will be packed full of exciting school and community events and activities supported by a dedicated website, backed by over 30 organisations so far including Premier League, Julia Rausing Trust, Arts Council England, the Very Group and a range of publishers.  

Clare Sumner, Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer at the Premier League said:   

The Premier League has worked alongside the National Literacy Trust for nearly 25 years, using the power of football to inspire children across England and Wales to develop a love of reading from a young age. Through our Premier League Primary Stars and Premier League Inspires education programmes we continue to support children and young people aged five to 18. Since 2017, we have provided over 350,000 free books to schools and a range of free curriculum-linked resources using children's passion for football to engage them in learning. We look forward to working alongside the National Literacy Trust and the Department for Education to engage young people as part of the National Year of Reading.

CEO of the Publishers Association, Dan Conway, said:    

Publishers are proud to be working with the government and partners to help transform lives through reading. A wide range of publishers of all sizes have contributed financially and the whole publishing industry is ready to get behind this campaign to ensure it sparks lasting behaviour change. This is a once in a generation opportunity for us to work with the government and make a huge difference for the benefit of society. Reading for enjoyment is the best indicator of a child's future success and brings a huge number of benefits from supporting mental health, helping develop empathy and encouraging children to explore their interests independently.

Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The Reading Agency said:

The Reading Agency is delighted to be here in the No 10 Garden to champion this year's Story Garden Summer Reading Challenge, which brings together the magic of nature and the joy of books. It is a wonderful moment to celebrate the power of stories to spark imaginations across the country.  

We believe every child deserves access to the transformative power of reading, and that journey begins in the library this summer. Sign up for this free, fun way to keep children reading all summer long.  

With 26 years of evidence behind it and with the National Year of Reading approaching, we look forward to everyone building on the 15 million reading journeys already started through this life-changing programme.

Simon Fourmy, Director of The Julia Rausing Trust, said:

The National Year of Reading 2026 is an exciting campaign that builds on the Trust's longstanding support of literacy initiatives. It will encourage people across the UK to engage with books, bringing opportunities to develop essential skills and a life-long love of reading. The Julia Rausing Trust is proud to be an early funder, and we encourage others to join us in supporting this important campaign.

The Education Secretary will address businesses and leading literacy advocates tomorrow (7 July 2025) at No.10 to rally further support ahead of the National Year of Reading.