‘Relentless’ focus on literacy undermines reading for pleasure, says report

New HarperCollins study finds that daily reading for pleasure among five- to 17-year-olds fell from 39% in 2012 to 25% in 2025 The “relentless” focus on measuring literacy progress in schools has “pushed reading for pleasure to the margins”, according to a new report. “Parents and schools both recognise that reading for pleasure matters, but their understandable focus on literacy skills is actively undermining it,” found the study, which analysed survey data on reading trends among UK childre...

By Rosie Peters-McDonald