Many Southwark News readers will have experienced the joy of reading, whether it is remembering the first books they enjoyed as a child, the books that expanded their horizon as a teenager, the weekly haul of books from the local library that provide a temporary escape from the stresses of daily life or the precious moments of a bedtime story with a child or grandchild.
The Government has made 2026 the National Year of Reading. A year to celebrate the importance of the skill of reading and the many benefits that reading for pleasure can bring.
As well as providing a huge amount of pleasure for children and adults alike, reading also underpins so many other aspects of learning.
Reading with babies and very small children promotes bonding and is good for brain development; learning to read is a foundational skill for most jobs and careers and reading for pleasure can unlock other significant benefits such as fostering a sense of empathy. Children who read regularly do better in school, have broader vocabularies, and even experience improved mental health and wellbeing.
But the number of children and young people reading for pleasure – choosing to read in their own free time – has unfortunately dropped significantly in recent years. Only one in three children now say they enjoy reading.
In response to this sharp decline, the Education Select Committee, which I chair, has launched a new inquiry into reading for pleasure to get to the bottom of the causes and to understand what can be done to promote reading for pleasure from the early years and throughout school.
Our inquiry will hear from authors, academics, teachers, librarians, parents and carers about the very best practice across the country and how this can be applied so that every child can benefit. You can find more details online at committees.parliament.uk/work/9456/reading-for-pleasure/
Parents and carers across Southwark and Lambeth know that they are their children’s first teachers.
Long before a child sets foot in a classroom, it’s at home that things take shape – their babbling language, their growing curiosity, and their stretching imagination.
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And as avid readers across Southwark and Lambeth recognise, books can be the fuel that powers children’s education.
The National Year of Reading is a mission not just for schools and libraries, but for all of us. Because if we want children to love books, we need to show them all the amazing things that books have to offer.
I’d encourage everyone across Southwark and Lambeth to get behind the Year of Reading, visit one of our brilliant local libraries and get back into books, and do everything you can to support our children and young people in their reading this year and in the future!
