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Reading for pleasure: how to help your child enjoy books again

Children’s enjoyment of reading hit a 20-year low in 2025. Here is what helps, from half-term to Christmas.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 13 Oct 2026 6 min read

Key takeaways

1. What the latest figures show

Every year the National Literacy Trust asks tens of thousands of children about their reading. In 2025, from 114,970 responses, just 32.7% of 8 to 18-year-olds said they enjoyed reading in their free time: the lowest level in 20 years. Daily reading fell to 18.7%, the lowest on record.[2]

The 2026 survey, of 125,375 children and young people, brought the first rise in enjoyment since 2021. Now 36.1% enjoy reading in their free time, and 20.3% read something daily.[1]

That is good news, but it is still a long way below 2016, when 58.6% enjoyed reading and 32.0% read daily.[3]

2026 is also the National Year of Reading, a campaign from the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust to help more people rediscover reading for fun.[4]

2. Who is missing out most

In 2025 the steepest falls in enjoyment were among primary-aged children and boys, especially boys aged 11 to 16.[2]

Government figures for 2025 show that 25% of boys aged 8 to 18 enjoyed reading, compared with 39% of girls.[4]

In 2026, 5 to 8-year-olds were the only age group where enjoyment fell, to 61.6% from 62.6%, mostly because fewer boys said they enjoyed it. The gap between children who get free school meals and those who don’t also widened.[1]

3. Why enjoyment matters

Enjoyment and habit go hand in hand. Of the children who enjoy reading, 49.8% read daily. Of those who don’t, just 4.5% do. Children rarely read more because they are told to. They read more because they want to.[1]

Make reading something your child chooses, not something they are made to do.

4. Five ways to make reading a treat, not homework

In 2025, children said these would make them want to read more: something linked to a favourite film or TV series (38.1%), something about their interests or hobbies (37.1%), an interesting cover or title (30.9%), and the freedom to choose (26.6%).[2]

1. Let them choose

Comics, magazines, joke books, football annuals and graphic novels all count. Being free to choose is one of the things children say makes them want to read.

2. Start from the screen

If they love a film, series or game, find the book, the spin-off or the behind-the-scenes guide.

3. Follow their hobbies

Dinosaurs, football, make-up, coding or cooking: a non-fiction book about their passion is real reading.

4. Press play

Audiobooks and podcasts count too, and almost half of children (47.3%) already listen to them. Try one on the school run or a long journey.

5. Make it cosy, not a chore

Ten minutes at bedtime, a library trip at the weekend, or reading side by side with your own book. No quizzes, no targets, just time together.

5. At primary and at secondary

For primary-age children, keep reading aloud together even once they can read on their own. Do the voices, let them turn the pages, and stop while they still want more, so they look forward to the next time.

For teenagers, respect their taste. Song lyrics, news, fan fiction and graphic novels are all reading. Ask what they are into, leave something tempting lying around, and talk about what you are reading yourself, rather than setting a target.

Looking for book ideas?: Our teachers are happy to suggest books matched to your child’s age and interests in a free call.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. What share of 8 to 18-year-olds enjoyed reading in their free time in 2026?

  2. 2. Of children who enjoy reading, how many read every day?

  3. 3. Do comics and audiobooks count as reading for pleasure?

Your next steps

  • Ask your child what they would love to read about.
  • Visit a library or bookshop and let them choose.
  • Find ten cosy minutes a day between half-term and Christmas.

Sources

  1. National Literacy Trust (2026). Children and young people’s reading in 2026. Annual Literacy Survey, 125,375 responses from children and young people aged 5 to 18. literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2026
  2. National Literacy Trust (2025). Children and young people’s reading in 2025. Annual Literacy Survey, 114,970 responses from children and young people aged 5 to 18. literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2025
  3. National Literacy Trust. Reading for pleasure: latest findings, including the 2016 comparison and reading formats. literacytrust.org.uk/reading-for-pleasure
  4. Department for Education (13 January 2026). Premier League and literary greats back National Year of Reading. GOV.UK press release. gov.uk/government/news/premier-league-and-literary-greats-back-national-year-of-reading

This guide is general study advice. Every student is different. A teacher can help you work out what fits.