Pageticker, Supporting The National Year of Reading 2026 📖
Pageticker are proud to support The National Year of Reading 2026; a nationwide reading movement to help reconnect children with books.
The UK government has declared 2026 the National Year of Reading — a bold initiative to reignite a nationwide love of reading and tackle falling literacy levels. Spearheaded by the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust, the campaign aims to spark a reading revolution across homes, schools, and communities.
In a world where children spend an average of six hours a day glued to screens—bombarded by notifications, gaming loops, and endless short-form videos—the quiet magic of books is being drowned out. The National Year of Reading 2026 is a critical moment to turn the tide.
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At Pageticker, we’re proud to champion this mission. Designed for schools and families, our digital reading diary is purpose-built to reignite a love of reading and embed it into daily life. Our aim is to help reshape the UK’s reading culture and nurture lifelong readers, one page at a time.
The National Year of Reading 2026 plans to:
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Encourage reading for pleasure
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Bring together communities and national partners
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Reimagine reading for today’s world
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Inspire new readers of all ages
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Help businesses and workplaces champion reading
Why it matters
Reading for pleasure is at its lowest point in years, and too many children still leave primary school without the literacy skills they need. That’s why the National Year of Reading 2026 matters—not just to us, but to the millions of children across the country.
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As Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson put it:
“Reading holds the keys to so much of children’s education, so the decline in reading for pleasure among young people should sound alarm bells loud and clear.”
Research has shown...
...that time and again (most significantly by the OECD in 2002), reading enjoyment is the biggest indicator of academic success - even more so than socio-economic class. And yet the number of children enjoying reading has been in rapid decline for the last few years. In 2025, almost 70% of children reported getting no enjoyment from reading, according to figures produced from the National Literacy Trust.
There are lots of hypotheses as to why this is, but many centre around the acceleration of short-form media that now competes for children's attention. Regardless, this shocking decline needs to be addressed, and the National Year of Reading in 2026 is the government's response to this.
We’re energised by the idea of reading taking centre stage in the national conversation. Because reading doesn’t just unlock academic success—it builds confidence, supports mental wellbeing, and helps children feel more connected to the world around them.
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Together, Let's Make Reading Count in 2026
As part of the National Year of Reading, schools are being encouraged to innovate their reading provision. Pageticker helps you deliver impact without extra workload—whether you’re launching a whole-school reading challenge or boosting engagement in KS1 and KS2.
Families can also bring reading to life at home with our Pageticker app; discover new reads, log books, set goals, and celebrate reading success—together.
