1 In 3 Children Enjoy Reading: The National Year Of Reading 2026 Aims To Change That
Last week, the Department for Education, in conjunction with the National Literacy Trust, announced that 2026 will be the National Year of Reading – and as a company that has spent a decade working to improve children’s reading, we couldn’t be more delighted.
In a speech made by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, the campaign pledged to shine a spotlight on reading, with a particular focus on reading for pleasure. The initiative aims to reignite children’s love of books, recognising that fostering enjoyment is one of the most effective ways to improve literacy levels – and transform lives.
The Reading for Pleasure Challenge
The decision comes at a crucial time. Data from the National Literacy Trust shows a worrying decline in reading for pleasure among children and young people aged 8-18. In fact, their 2025 survey revealed that just 32.7% of children said they enjoyed reading in their free time – the lowest figure recorded since the Trust began collecting this data in 2005. This trend has been steadily worsening, and the consequences are significant.
Why Reading for Pleasure Matters
Reading for pleasure isn’t just about fun – although fun is a crucial part of it. It’s about building confidence, curiosity, and fluency. Numerous studies have shown that children who enjoy reading are more likely to perform well across the curriculum, develop stronger vocabulary, and have better mental wellbeing. It's one of the single biggest predictors of future academic success – even more so than a parent’s level of education or socio-economic background.
Why Fonetti Supports the National Year of Reading
At Fonetti, we’ve long believed that every year should be the year of reading. But we wholeheartedly support the government’s renewed focus, especially its emphasis on reading for pleasure.
We’ve always said that helping children love reading is the key to improving their reading skills – and we believe technology has a powerful role to play in making that happen. Fonetti was built on this belief. Our interactive, speech recognition-powered reading app helps children read aloud with confidence and independence, while making the experience engaging, gamified, and fun.
As children grow up surrounded by screens, we believe in using that to our advantage. By bringing together the best of edtech and education, we can help turn screen time into story time – and stories into stepping stones for lifelong learning.
Our recent white paper, commissioned by Auris Tech, explores exactly this: how Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology can support children’s reading development and promote reading for pleasure. The research makes clear that ASR offers a scalable, interactive and child-friendly solution to some of the biggest challenges in literacy education today. If you haven’t read our whitepaper yet it can be accessed here: Reading Aloud Using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) To Improve Children’s Reading — Auris Tech
Looking Ahead
We’re proud to stand with the Department for Education, the National Literacy Trust and all the organisations rallying behind this campaign. The National Year of Reading 2026 is a welcome opportunity to refocus attention, energy and innovation on one of the most important issues of our time: ensuring every child has the tools, confidence, and love of reading they need to thrive.
We’re ready – and excited – to be part of it.
