Did you know that 2026 is the UK’s National Year of Reading? This long-overdue initiative reflects growing concern and renewed commitment around children’s reading and literacy.

As Dr Maria Korochkina, our latest Researcher of the Month, puts it: “The ability to read opens up worlds. Reading enables children to progress into post-primary education and provides the basis for lifelong learning and prosperity into adulthood”.

Frequent readers tend to have a stronger understanding of both their own and others’ emotions. They are often better able to communicate these emotions, a skill linked to higher emotional intelligence and improved mental wellbeing. Reading also encourages cause-and-effect reasoning and helps children imagine scenarios beyond the immediate moment - developing the skill of -future-thinking'. A rich vocabulary underpins learning across the school curriculum, strengthens thinking and communication skills, and predicts both academic attainment and later life outcomes. Research consistently shows that the most effective way to build vocabulary is through reading.

However, learning to read well is not quick or effortless. The journey to skilled reading typically spans around ten years, requiring high-quality classroom instruction alongside sustained practice through independent reading. For many children, this process is painstaking, demanding consistent teaching, encouragement and opportunity over time.

Against this backdrop, recent evidence presents a worrying picture. Fewer children are reading for pleasure than ever before. In 2024, only one in three UK children and young people aged eight to 18 reported enjoying reading in their free time. Even more strikingly, just one in five said they read daily for pleasure, the lowest level recorded since the National Literacy Trust began collecting this data in 2005.

This matters because reading ability and reading enjoyment are deeply intertwined. Children who find reading effortful are far less likely to choose to read independently. Dr Korochkina’s research highlights how early reading experiences shape later habits: difficulties with phonic and morphological knowledge in the early stages of reading acquisition can have a snowball effect, reducing confidence, fluency and motivation over time.

Her work also offers a powerful note of optimism. Books that children actively choose to read, including contemporary, popular texts, provide rich opportunities to develop vocabulary, particularly when children read widely. Ensuring access to a diverse range of engaging reading material, alongside strong early instruction, can play a vital role in building both reading skill and reading motivation.

Fostering confident, motivated readers requires long-term commitment. It is not enough for children simply to have books available to them. They need skilled teaching, time, practice and a culture that values reading as both a skill and a pleasure.

Summary

Reading and vocabulary growth

Dr Korochkina has developed an incredible database called CYP-LEX - The Children and Young People’s Books Lexicon which is freely available online for anyone to explore (the research findings are available here). This unique database captures every single word used in 1,200 books that are popular with children and young people in the UK, offering an unprecedented window into the language children and young people encounter through reading. CYP-LEX contains data on over 100,000 distinct words drawn from books written for children aged 7 to 16, with 400 books analysed for each age band (7–9, 10–12 and 13–16). By mapping how vocabulary is used across different texts and age groups, the database provides powerful insights into the richness, range and progression of language in children’s literature.

The findings highlight just how vast the vocabulary in children’s books really is. Across the 1,200 books analysed, Dr Korochkina identified more than 100,000 different words, including nuanced emotional language that rarely appears in everyday speech. She found that even books written for younger readers introduce vocabulary that broadens understanding of the world and quietly builds the foundations of flexible, future-focused thinking.

Obviously, it would be impossible for a child to memorise this many printed words. This is why phonics is so important. Understanding how letters and sounds work together allows children to decode unfamiliar words independently, rather than relying on memory alone. Without this knowledge, the sheer range of words children encounter when reading can quickly become overwhelming.

Dr Korochkina’s research also shows that children’s books expose young readers to a far wider range of vocabulary than many other forms of media. Around 40% of the words found in children’s books do not appear in BBC television programmes aimed at children of the same age. Strikingly, around one in five words used in books written for young people aged 13–16 are not encountered on BBC television channels targeting adult audiences. The vast majority of words in children’s books are only encountered a few times and children will come across new words in every book they read.

This makes books a uniquely powerful tool for expanding children’s vocabulary. At the same time, it highlights an important challenge. For many children, reading can feel difficult from the very start of independent reading, as they are confronted with large numbers of unfamiliar words. Strong foundational reading skills and sustained support are key to help children persist and succeed as readers. It is crucial to develop reading skills and motivation early on. And because different books use different words, it is important that children read widely.

Building blocks of language

Books are a far richer source of morpheme (a morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in a word) exposure than everyday spoken language. Strong morpheme knowledge not only helps children decode and understand words efficiently, but also supports broader language skills, including vocabulary, comprehension and communication. Because explicit instruction in morphology is often limited in schools, reading can become the main way children internalise morphemes. Regular exposure to print through a wide range of books is therefore essential for developing morpheme knowledge, boosting reading fluency and enhancing overall language ability.

Motivation to read

Reading skills and reading motivation reinforce each other in a virtuous cycle. Children with strong reading skills can read more fluently, which in turn makes the experience enjoyable. This enjoyment encourages more reading, leading to greater learning and academic success. When reading is supported and nurtured, it builds confidence and lays the foundations for lifelong learning.

Implications

What can parents and educators do?

Share reading. This is vital in the early years. When children are young, explore picture books together. These too contain rich vocabulary. Children’s attention to print will increase with age, particularly if you point to the words. If your child lacks motivation, perhaps agree to take turns reading to each other, and discuss the text and images.

Try not to worry about time. Even five minutes of reading each day exposes children to language and ideas, and can create great reading habits. Some children may struggle to concentrate for longer. If you are really time-poor, can you read with them over video call or record a story for them to listen to? Could you buy them a book that you both read independently and then discuss together? Can you plan ahead and schedule in some time to make it a non-negotiable?

Don’t underestimate the power of modelling. Think about your own reading habits. Could you organise 15 minutes of family reading time each evening?

Talk about interesting words. Explore their meanings. Delve into their construction. Be curious and interested.

Provide children with choice and freedom. Use your local library and bookshops. Bring them to spaces and places where they interact with books. Pressure won’t help to boost motivation - gentle nudges are more effective.

Lean into their interests. Don’t be too prescriptive and avoid criticising their choices. Target their enjoyment. Children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than peers who don’t. Even popular books, not selected for literary merit, are packed with learning opportunities. Motivate struggling readers through careful text selection. Consider graphic novels or books with lots of images alongside text. You might encourage them to ask slightly older children what they enjoyed reading at their age.

Make connections between texts and real life experiences. Relate what you read to things that have happened or are happening in your own lives. It can be empowering to notice how book characters cope with things similar to something going on in your own life or in your child’s.

Make use of existing resources. BookTok can be interesting and empowering for teens. Research shows that it has been highly motivating for many young people. Book Trust’s Bookfinder and Oxford Owl both provide great recommendations. Tooled Up subscribers can browse through our monthly picks of new releases. Here's January's to get you started.

Remember that the route to skilled reading is the same for all children. If your child struggles with reading or has a dyslexia diagnosis, the route to skilled reading remains the same - they just might need more support or tailored activities. All children need phonics learning and practice.

Make use of immersive reading tools and assistive technologies. This might be listening to an audiobook whilst also reading it. This can boost understanding and help with the development of decoding.