Enjoying reading puts pupils ahead in the classroom
Research by the National Literacy Trust highlights the link between enjoyment of reading and attainment, with enjoyment of reading putting children over three years ahead in the classroom.
The data shows that 10-year-olds who enjoy reading have a reading age 1.3 years higher than their peers who don’t enjoy reading, rising to 2.1 years for 12-year-olds and 3.3 years for 14-year-olds.
Looking at the levels of children that enjoy reading, three-quarters (78 per cent) of primary school children enjoy reading – the highest levels we have ever recorded.
Nearly twice as many children aged 8 to 11 than those aged 14 to 16 said that they enjoy reading (77.6 per cent vs. 43.8 per cent).
The research launch marks the 20th anniversary of the Trust’s Young Readers Programme – the first-ever national school based reading for enjoyment initiative.
Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust, said: “20 years after we launched our Young Readers Programme – the first national school based reading for enjoyment initiative of its kind – we are thrilled that our research has found children’s enjoyment of reading to be at an all-time high. When children enjoy reading and have books of their own, they do better at school and later in life, so we must continue to do everything we can to inspire children to fall in love with reading for a lifetime.”
Read moreLatest News
22/10/2025 - 09:45
Outlined in the Skills White Paper, plans include proposals for new V-levels, a vocational alternative to A-levels and T-levels, as well as a “stepping stone” qualification for students resitting English and maths GCSEs.
21/10/2025 - 09:56
Free specialist training is being made available to teachers in Wales to give them the knowledge to understand and respond to the challenges faced by adopted and care experienced children.
20/10/2025 - 09:52
Members of the newly formed Youth Select Committee have launched a call for evidence as part of their inquiry into Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education in secondary schools.
20/10/2025 - 09:37
A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) warns that the current system for registering children for Free School Meals (FSM) is failing to reach many of the most disadvantaged pupils.
17/10/2025 - 10:25
The government has announced a mandatory reading test for all children in year 8, which it says will help identify gaps early and target help for those who need it, while enabling the most-able to go further.
