| Title: |
Children and Young People's Reading in Northern Ireland in 2025 |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Irene Picton; Katerina Stoumpou; Christina Clark; National Literacy Trust (United Kingdom) |
| Source: |
National Literacy Trust. 2025. |
| Availability: |
National Literacy Trust. Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ, UK. Tel: +44-2078-282435; Fax: +44-2079-319986; e-mail: contact@literacytrust.org.uk; Web site: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
23 |
| Publication Date: |
2025 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Descriptors: |
Reading Attitudes; Children; Youth; Reading Habits; Foreign Countries; Motivation; Literacy; Individual Characteristics; National Surveys; Recreational Reading |
| Geographic Terms: |
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) |
| Abstract: |
Regular reading for pleasure offers many benefits for individuals and society, including higher academic achievement, improved career outcomes and earnings, as well as improved life satisfaction and wellbeing. However, many studies point to a decline in reading engagement in the UK and internationally over the last 20 years. In the UK, National Literacy Trust surveys show that only 1 in 3 children and young people aged 8 to 18 enjoy reading in their free time, and just 1 in 5 read daily. This is the first of the National Literacy Trust's Annual Literacy Survey reports to focus on Northern Ireland. Encouragingly, pupils in Northern Ireland performed highly in the most recent PIRLS and PISA assessments, demonstrating a level of reading skill well above the international average. However, reading enjoyment levels were of more concern, with the same study showing that just 28% of 10-year-olds from Northern Ireland enjoyed reading 'very much', compared with an average of 42% of their peers in other countries. As this report shows, the National Literacy Trust research shares a similarly worrying picture. It is vital to find ways to support reading engagement in children and young people to ensure they can access the benefits reading has to offer. To that end, this report also highlights what children and young people in Northern Ireland say motivates them to engage in reading. |
| Abstractor: |
ERIC |
| Entry Date: |
2026 |
| Accession Number: |
ED679257 |
| Database: |
ERIC |