Vital children fall back in love with reading books

CHILDREN'S enjoyment of reading is at its lowest point in 20 years - with just one in three youngsters choosing to read for pleasure.

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One-to-one reading sessions can help boost confidence and aid self-expression

This alarming statistic is resulting in a quarter of all primary school leavers failing to reach expected standards of reading.

Child illiteracy leads to problems in adulthood one in six adults are functionally illiterate and may struggle to read a medicine packet, bus timetables or fill in job applications. Poor literacy is also a factor behind societal problems like homelessness, poor physical and mental health and criminality.

As we start 2026, ministers hope to kick-start a reading revolution by launching the National Year of Reading to rally parents, schools, libraries, businesses and the wider community to adopt daily reading habits "reading by example" - to improve literacy outcomes.

And Schoolreaders is pledging to deliver 1.5 million one-to-one reading sessions in schools across England

By helping children develop a love of reading, our charity aims to improve literacy levels and give more children the skills they need for a brighter future, especially in disadvantaged areas.