National Literacy Trust’s Post

Two weeks ago, we revealed that children’s reading enjoyment is at an all-time low, with just 1 in 3 young people across the UK aged 8-18 saying they enjoy reading in their free time. Teenagers (11-16 year olds) reported the lowest level of reading enjoyment that we’ve ever seen amongst this age group. We know that when young people read for pleasure, they’re happier, more relaxed and do better at school. This means that across the country, two in every three children could be missing out. On Friday, we met with Swindon MP Heidi Alexander to talk about how we’re tackling these issues head on in the town. Joined by our partners at Arts Council England who fund our work in Swindon, we discussed our latest initiative: the launch of a brand new #BookTokBookshelf that harnesses the power and appeal of TikTok to inspire more young people to engage in reading for pleasure. This is one of twenty community bookshelves funded by TikTok popping up in towns and cities across England, giving young people much needed access to books and empowering them with the literacy skills they need to succeed. To find out more about the challenges that young people are facing with literacy, and what you can do to help, visit https://lnkd.in/efS-bYHx