Audiobooks, comics, and football – this World Book Day, let’s celebrate every way children read

6 March 2025, 07:29

Reading introduces children to new worlds, diverse characters and perspectives, sparking their imaginations and helping them to make sense of the world and their own feelings, and the feelings of others.

When children love to read, they do it more often, grow in confidence and develop their reading skills. This has the potential to impact many aspects of their lives – from improving their wellbeing, confidence and access to learning, to building vital literacy skills that can enhance academic success and empower them to shape their futures.

Yet our research shows that only a third of school children and young people say they enjoy reading in their free time – the lowest level in two decades. We must turn the page on the decline in reading for pleasure to ensure children are not missing out on the skills they need to thrive, and that starts with diversifying our approach to reading.

It is important to give children and young people opportunities to discover the joy and purpose of reading in ways that matter to them. We know that they are more motivated to read when it’s a format and genre that appeals to them. The freedom to make choices about what they read, and access to a variety of texts is crucial.

By tapping into the motivations and interests of children and giving them agency over the books they explore - whether it be a graphic novel or a book about football - they can build a stronger relationship with reading and begin to form their identity as a reader.

This can also apply to exploring a diverse range of formats for storytelling. Our latest research shows that listening to stories, such as audiobooks, can spark children’s interest in reading books and have a positive link with improving reading enjoyment.

Introducing children to different forms of engaging with stories can put them on a path to choosing to read in their free time and support children of all reading levels to have positive interactions around books with their peers.

Access to books is also vital, which is why we partner with charities including World Book Day to put books directly into the hands of children who might otherwise struggle to access stories. In 2024, our research showed that 1 in 8 children who receive free school meals do not own a book of their own, which can impact a child’s ability to read in their free time and build a love for stories.

When children have access to a diverse range of books and agency over their choices, a lifelong love for reading can be ignited and the powerful impact of that will set them up with confidence, empathy and skills for life.

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Lucy Starbuck Braidley is Senior Programme Manager of Reading for Enjoyment at the National Literacy Trust.

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