Reading for pleasure

Research has revealed time and time again that reading for pleasure supports our young learners to become better readers, and is integral in fostering life skills. What's more, reading for just 10 minutes every day can improve your mental wellbeing.

On this page, find out more about the benefits of reading for pleasure, and see what resources we have available to support you to encourage your pupils to read for pleasure.

Image of a child reading one of our Disney Bug Club books

Resources to support you with encouraging reading for pleasure

Bug Club Reading Corner

Privacy and cookies
By watching, you agree ÃÛÌÒapp can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable upon changing cookie preferences. Disabling cookies may affect video functionality. More info...

Reading for Pleasure PD with Teresa Cremin

To accompany Bug Club Reading Corner, we have created reading for pleasure professional development in partnership with Teresa Cremin and her team at The Open University. There are six exciting new modules, designed to be delivered by a member of your staff in an hour-long staff meeting or the sessions can be combined on an INSET day.

These modules are:

1. Reading for Pleasure changes lives

2. Teacher's knowledge of children's literature and other texts

3. Teacher's knowledge of children as readers

4. Reading aloud and informal book talk

5. Reading time and the social reading environment

6. Reading teachers and building communities of readers

The PD is free to download from ActiveLearn Primary if you have a subscription to our Bug Club eBook Library.

Helping primary school teachers 'Get Everyone Reading' with Alec Williams

Join Alec Williams - trainer, speaker and storyteller - as he discusses 10 key principles for encouraging Reading for Pleasure from his book Get Everyone Reading: A primer on reading for pleasure written for the School Libraries Association.

This video is for primary school teachers.

Privacy and cookies
By watching, you agree ÃÛÌÒapp can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable upon changing cookie preferences. Disabling cookies may affect video functionality. More info...

Why is reading for pleasure important?

  • Parent reading to child

    Empowering parents to support reading opens endless possibilities for children

    When a child makes the leap from reading because their teacher tells them they must, to reading for pleasure, they have picked up a good habit for a lifetime. True, not everybody is a great reader, and we all have our own unique skills to offer the world, but anybody’s reading can improve with time and patience. This is especially true for children who have the advantage of minds that are keen to learn and absorb information. That’s why helping children to keep gaining confidence in their reading, whatever their natural ability, is so fundamental and it is best achieved when the duty is shared by homes and schools.

  • Two young children smiling and looking at an e-reader

    Encouraging reading for pleasure together

    Whether by reading all together – or drawing on the amazing breadth of stories, characters, authors, illustrators, and formats out there – so long as their reading experience is a positive one, children can be encouraged on a lifelong reading journey. Debbie Hicks, Creative Director at The Reading Agency takes a look at how teachers and families can work together to get them going, helping young readers head in the right direction.

  • A young child is sat at a table, looking at an ipad, with classmates in the background

    The power of reading in schools

    How teachers can encourage reading for pleasure in the classroom

    When reading is fun it encourages real engagement, but the sad fact is not all children find it easy. For some children, reading is a challenge – which is why it is important for schools and families to support them to read for pleasure.

    Building on her recent blog on 'What superpowers can reading for pleasure give me?', The Reading Agency’s Creative Director, Debbie Hicks, shares some practical tips to encourage reading for pleasure in your school.

    Ìý