Government launches inquiry into Reading for Pleasure

With an ongoing decline in the number of children reading for pleasure, the Education Committee has launched a new inquiry to understand how to nurture the joy of reading, and also to consider its benefits.

With research from the National Literacy Trust indicating that just one in three children aged eight to 18 now read in their spare time (33%) - a 36% decrease from 51% in 2005 - the Education Committee has issued a call for evidence to explore the reasons for the decline and what can be done to reverse it, and will ask what further measures the Government should take to increase the numbers of children reading for pleasure?

Among the areas they will explore are links between reading for pleasure and mental health and well being, as well as how reading for enjoyment supports attainment, particularly among disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs. The Committee will also consider how screen time is affecting children's reading, and whether e-books and audiobooks can be used to support their reading.

MPs will also explore what the Government could do to improve the situation, through Best Start Family Support Hubs and forthcoming changes to the national curriculum. 

The inquiry will coincide with the National Year of Reading 2026, announced by the Secretary of State for Education and the National Literacy Trust.

"Generational shift"

Education Committee Chair Helen Hayes MP warned of a "generational shift" in how children and young people view reading, once considered an "essential building block of learning and understanding the world around us". 

She said, "The Education Committee wants to understand the forces at play and what the consequences could be for children's lives. Crucially, we will look across the academic space, and at good practice in schools and communities, for solutions. We will hear from children themselves about how reading for pleasure can be nurtured for the benefit of their education, development, mental health and wellbeing."

The Committee will pass its recommendations to the Government about the role it can play in supporting schools, communities and families in supporting reading going forwards.

Call for evidence

The Committee has called for written evidence submissions from experts and academics from the field of children's books and reading, which can be submitted until 9 January 2026, via its website.

The inquiry's terms of reference for submissions include the benefits of reading for pleasure to babies, children and young people; improving the availability of reading materials for children and young people, including those with SEND; how reading for pleasure differs among groups of children according to region, age group, gender, and ethnicity; as well as the factors causing the decline in reading for pleasure among children and how can this decline be reversed?

They will also consider the reasons behind the decline in reading for pleasure, particularly last year's drop among primary aged children, and what interventions are most effective at particular transition points.  The challenges of screen time, the role of technology in encouraging reading will also be considered.

Early Years will be a focus of the inquiry, including the role of early years settings in encouraging children to read and how Best Start Family Hubs can support and encourage children to read for pleasure, as well as the role of schools and school libraries in encouraging children to read for pleasure?

In school settings, the Committee will examine how proposed changes to the curriculum and assessment will impact on children reading for pleasure and the support schools need to develop and sustain a reading culture among children. The role of the family and the government's strategy for encouraging parental engagement in children's reading from birth.

In addition, the inquiry will look into how changes in the number of local libraries and library opening hours have impacted on children and young people's access to books outside school, and the effectiveness of the Summer Reading Challenge.

The Committee's recommendations will be forwarded to the government, once it is concluded.