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The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK wide campaign that invites schools, families and communities to make reading part of everyday life. The initiative responds to a deep national concern about children’s reading habits. Recent surveys show that fewer than one in three children and young people aged 8 to 18 enjoy reading in their free time, and daily reading outside school has fallen to record lows, especially among boys and older pupils. These trends signal a serious challenge for literacy, lifelong learning and pupil wellbeing. (National Literacy Trust)
The Year of Reading encourages everyone to connect reading with interests pupils already have, whether that is sport, games, music or science. The campaign asks schools to help pupils discover that reading can be relevant, enjoyable and rewarding. The National Year of Reading 2026 will run throughout the year and provides a national focus to support reading for pleasure in and beyond the classroom.
This guide explains what the National Year of Reading 2026 is, why it matters for schools and how teachers can use the ideas and free resources available to build a strong culture of reading for pleasure.
What is the National Year of Reading 2026
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a major UK wide initiative led by the Department for Education in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and other literacy organisations. It is designed to inspire people of all ages to read more, read more widely and experience the joy of reading as part of everyday life. (National Literacy Trust)
Rather than being a single event, the Year of Reading will unfold over the whole of 2026 with coordinated activity and resources that support schools, libraries, families, community organisations and workplaces. The campaign is often referred to as Go All In on reading, inviting people to discover how reading connects to their passions and interests, not just traditional texts or schoolwork. (BookTrust)
Why the National Year of Reading 2026 matters for schools
Reading for pleasure and reading confidence are strongly linked to positive outcomes across education. Pupils who read for enjoyment tend to have better vocabulary, stronger comprehension skills, improved wellbeing and greater confidence in learning more broadly. (UK Parliament Committees)
However, recent evidence shows that many children are reading less for pleasure than they once did. Only one in three young people report enjoying reading in their free time, and daily reading rates are low compared with two decades ago. These declines affect pupils’ exposure to language, general knowledge and opportunities to practise reading in a voluntary way outside of school frameworks. (UK Parliament Committees) Teachers and schools are therefore central to the Year of Reading because they provide a space where reading can be integrated into daily learning, social activity and community building.
How schools can take part in the National Year of Reading 2026
The National Year of Reading 2026 provides ideas, inspiration and support for schools rather than strict rules. Schools can choose the approaches that suit their pupils best, whether that is revising reading areas, creating cross curriculum reading activities or building partnerships with families and local libraries.
Making reading part of everyday learning
Reading does not have to be confined to English lessons. Promoting reading for pleasure across subjects helps pupils see reading as connected to wider learning. For example, science books can be used in science lessons, historical stories can be read in history and pupil interests such as sport or art can be linked to relevant books and articles.
The campaign hub for schools includes suggestions and teaching ideas that help make reading part of daily learning, not another separate task. (National Year of Reading 2026)
Using free reading resources
Many organisations are supporting the National Year of Reading with free or low cost resources that teachers can use in the classroom and beyond. These include reading lists, book recommendations, activity ideas, challenge sheets and printable classroom displays.
A central resource hub for the Year of Reading is available here:
🔗 https://goallin.org.uk/
BooksForTopics has created a flagship National Year of Reading booklist of 100 modern texts that can help refresh classroom and library collections. It also provides year group recommended reads and branching out booklists designed to help pupils find more books they enjoy. (BooksForTopics)
Additional reading support and research on reading for pleasure can be found at the National Literacy Trust:
🔗 https://literacytrust.org.uk/reading-for-pleasure/
BookTrust has a dedicated page explaining the Year of Reading and how reading can connect to pupils’ lives and interests:
🔗 https://www.booktrust.org.uk/about-us/national-year-of-reading-2026/
Building community reading habits
The National Year of Reading 2026 encourages schools to work with families and communities to promote reading. This can include inviting parents to reading events, organising book swaps, linking with local libraries for shared challenges, or encouraging pupils to participate in wider reading activity outside school.
Local libraries and groups are already marking the Year of Reading in different ways, such as book bingo challenges, shared reading weeks and community story sessions that pupils and families can enjoy together. (Isle Of Wight Radio)
Classroom ideas for the National Year of Reading 2026
Here are some practical ways teachers can use the Year of Reading to promote reading for pleasure:
Create inviting reading spaces
Refreshing reading corners, classroom libraries and display areas encourages pupils to explore books written by a variety of authors and subjects.
Set up reading challenges
Use themed reading challenges based on interests or genres to motivate pupils to discover new books. Printable book challenge sheets or bingo cards can help make this fun.
Use reading across the curriculum
Incorporate reading into subjects beyond English. Text based tasks in science, geography or history help reinforce reading confidence.
Encourage book talks
Give pupils opportunities to recommend books to one another, lead book discussions or review books for class newsletters or displays.
Connect with digital and audio texts
Reading includes texts beyond print. Include audiobooks, podcasts and online articles to reach diverse learners.
Ways to share the reading journey with families
The National Year of Reading can strengthen home school reading connections by:
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sharing booklists and recommendations with parents
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inviting families to reading events at school
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offering tips on reading at home, such as family story time or shared reading goals
Encouraging parents to read with their children and talk about stories helps build positive lifelong habits that support reading confidence and enjoyment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the National Year of Reading 2026?
The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK wide campaign led by the Department for Education in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and other organisations. Its purpose is to help people of all ages discover the joy of reading and make it part of everyday life. (National Literacy Trust)
Why is it important now?
Recent research shows that children’s reading enjoyment and daily reading habits are at their lowest levels in decades, reducing opportunities for vocabulary growth, comprehension and reading confidence outside school.
How can schools get involved?
Schools can explore the official Go All In campaign hub, use recommended reading lists, integrate reading across subjects and involve families and local libraries in reading activities. (National Year of Reading 2026)
Are there free classroom resources?
Yes. Many partners of the National Year of Reading offer free resources, including reading lists, challenges, printable materials and ideas that support reading for pleasure and classroom engagement. (BooksForTopics)
Final thoughts
The National Year of Reading 2026 gives schools a unique chance to strengthen reading for pleasure and build confident readers for life. With children’s enjoyment of reading at historically low levels, this campaign provides a national spotlight and a wealth of support to help teachers make reading feel relevant, enjoyable and inclusive for every pupil.
By connecting books to pupils’ interests, refreshing classroom reading practices and involving families and communities, schools can make 2026 a year where reading truly comes alive for every child.
