Today, Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson announced that 2026 will be The National Year of Reading.

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.  Something very close to our hearts here at LoveReading4Kids and something we have championed since our launch in 2005.

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.  

With over a quarter of children leaving primary school not meeting the expected standard in reading, urgent action is needed to reverse this decline. This gap widens to 40% and 59% respectively for children from white-working class backgrounds and those with special educational needs.    

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, LoveReading4Kids and a range of publishers.  

The National Year of Reading will position reading as a powerful contemporary activity, and will aim to engage new audiences in reading and to change the national reading culture for good.