Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, will use his Laureate Lecture today to call for urgent national action to tackle the children’s reading crisis, as new research from the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, BookTrust, shows families are increasingly struggling to make reading part of daily life.
The lecture, being delivered at the Royal Institution, London, is hosted by BookTrust, which manages the Laureateship. It takes place during the National Year of Reading and marks the end of Frank’s two-year tenure. Frank will reflect on the progress made through his Reading Rights campaign – which aims to ensure shared reading is a part of childhood and every child has access to books - and call for a renewed push to make shared reading a reality, despite intensifying pressures on family life and childhood.
Book Trust Family Survey Results
To coincide with Frank’s speech, BookTrust shares the results of their latest Family Survey, which carries a hopeful message - young children and their parents still love reading, but the conditions that make shared reading possible are under strain[1].
Between 2021 and 2025, daily shared reading among families with children aged 0-8 fell from 60% to 49%, the findings suggest. Yet the proportion of children aged 0-8 reported to like or love reading rose from 66% to 80%. Frank will argue this shows the appetite to read is there among children, particularly in the early years, but families need more support. He warns that inequality will only deepen if nothing changes.
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The survey shows how some of these pressures affect reading habits. More than a third (36%) of parents or carers report worrying about their child’s screen use, including more than a quarter (27%) of those with children under one. But nearly half (48%) say that shared reading encourages their child to spend less time on screens, suggesting that it can help families reconnect. Research by Farshore reveals daily storytime in primary school can improve reading age by 13 months and should be made mandatory.
This research concurs with the broader picture emerging across the sector, particularly from the National Literacy Trust and HarperCollins studies. These findings increasingly reinforce the same urgent message from different angles: children’s reading for pleasure is in sustained decline, and the issue is becoming both cultural and systemic rather than simply educational.
The National Literacy Trust’s 2025 annual survey found that reading enjoyment among children and young people has now fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, with just 32.7% of 8–18 year olds saying they enjoy reading in their free time - a dramatic decline since the charity first began tracking the data in 2005.
Meanwhile, HarperCollins’ recent “Reading Paradox” research adds another important dimension to the conversation. While parents and schools overwhelmingly recognise that reading matters, the report suggests that an increasingly skills-led and assessment-driven approach to literacy may be “actively undermining” reading for pleasure itself. Daily reading among children aged 5–17 has reportedly fallen from 39% in 2012 to just 25% in 2025, while the number of children who rarely or never read for pleasure has tripled.
What feels particularly significant about the emerging body of research is that it moves beyond simply stating that children are reading less. Instead, it begins to explore why. Across multiple studies, children repeatedly say they are more motivated to read when books connect to their interests, identities, hobbies, favourite films, games and lived experiences. This is what promoted us to launch our Best Books For Kids Who Love...Series for this, the National Year of Reading.
There is also growing recognition that reading ecosystems matter: access to libraries, diverse and relevant texts, opportunities for choice, reading role models, diverse formats and social reading communities all appear increasingly important in rebuilding engagement. In that sense, the research does not simply diagnose a crisis - it also points towards a more inclusive and child-centred understanding of what reading for pleasure might need to look like in 2026 and beyond.
In his lecture, Frank argues that Britain is facing a serious crisis in children’s development. Frank connects this to wider pressures including poverty, housing insecurity, isolation, and the erosion of trusted local services such as libraries and youth provision. Part of this challenge is that too many children are starting school without consistently experiencing the warmth of shared stories and books.
Yet all the evidence shows early shared reading supports children’s language and communication, supports attachment and wellbeing and helps build the foundations for empathy and learning. If shared reading continues to fall, more children will miss out on books as a powerful tool to support children’s outcomes and reduce inequalities.
Join the Reading Rights Movement
Frank also revealed his new role as Reading Rights Ambassador for BookTrust and calls for people to join the Reading Rights movement, to further his mission and ensure that reading is a universal right for all children. To join the movement, visit www.booktrust.org.uk/readingrights
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024–2026, said: “Working with BookTrust over the last two years as Children’s Laureate has been a hugely rewarding experience. Launching The Reading Rights campaign is something very close to my heart, as I’m truly passionate about making sure the transformative gift of reading is shared with every single child. We’ve worked with early learning centres, nurseries, schools and family hubs and the UK government to make sure children have the best start in life with guidance from midwives, health visitors, early years professionals, families and communities. I urge everyone to join our movement to ensure that every child has daily access to books and shared reading in their first seven years of life. It’s so important for their happiness, mental health, empathy, and future opportunity.”
Director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth in Stratford, Professor Sam Wass, former Children’s Laureate of Wales 2023-2025, Alex Wharton, and author, broadcaster and campaigner Baroness Floella Benjamin are among those speaking alongside Frank at the lecture.
Sam Wass, a leading expert on the effect of reading on babies’ brains, said: “There's a huge body of scientific evidence to show how shared reading supports children’s language development, attention and wellbeing. It shows that the act of reading itself, that warm back-and-forth between an adult and a child, can matter as much as the words on the page. That’s why it’s vital we keep working to ensure every child has access to books and stories to give them the very best start of life. I fully support Frank’s Reading Rights movement to make reading a right for every child.”
Annie Crombie, Co-CEO of BookTrust, said: “Frank has spent the last two years making an extraordinary case for reading as a right, not a privilege. Reading Rights sets out what national action should look like so that every child can access books and shared reading in their earliest years. Our research shows why this matters now. Families value reading and children still love it, but daily shared reading is slipping because life is getting harder. Without support, inequalities will only grow. With Frank as our Reading Rights Ambassador for BookTrust, we’ll be bringing partners together so that shared reading is built into the support families receive. Our children’s futures will only improve if we act collectively and early.”
www.booktrust.org.uk | @UKLaureate | @BookTrust | #ChildrensLaureate
To read more about the Reading Rights Campaign, head over to our feature Children's Laureate Hosts The Reading Rights Summit in Liverpool or browse our related content below
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[1] The research surveyed 3,508 adults who are parents of children aged 0-8 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 16th October and 5th November 2025.
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