Children’s Laureate Calls for National Action on Shared Reading Decline

Children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce has called for coordinated national efforts to address declining rates of shared reading in early childhood. Speaking at an event hosted by the children’s reading charity BookTrust at London’s Royal Institution, he said evidence shows children retain a strong interest in reading but that families require greater support to maintain the practice.

BookTrust released findings from its latest family survey to coincide with the speech.

The data show that between 2021 and 2025 the proportion of families with children aged up to eight who engage in daily shared reading fell from 60 percent to 49 percent. Over the same period the share of children in that age group reported to like or love reading increased from 66 percent to 80 percent.

More than a third of parents and carers, 36 percent, expressed concern about their child’s screen use.

That figure includes 27 percent of those with children under one year old. Nearly half of respondents, 48 percent, said shared reading helps reduce children’s screen time. Cottrell-Boyce linked the trend to broader pressures on families, including poverty, housing insecurity, social isolation and the reduction of local services such as libraries and youth programs.

He noted that many children begin school without regular experience of shared stories and books. The speech took place during the National Year of Reading and marked the conclusion of his two-year tenure as children’s laureate. He announced his appointment as reading rights ambassador for BookTrust and encouraged wider participation in the reading rights movement.

" — Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Independent) Professor Sam Wass, director of the Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth at the University of East London, stated that scientific evidence demonstrates shared reading supports children’s language development, attention and wellbeing.

He added that the interactive exchange between adult and child can be as important as the content of the text itself. Annie Crombie, co-chief executive of BookTrust, said the organization’s research shows families continue to value reading and that children retain enthusiasm for it, but that daily shared reading is declining as daily life becomes more difficult.

The charity plans to work with partners to incorporate shared reading into the support provided to families.