đ° Adult Literacy News Summary
Read Easy Kirklees and Calderdale group appeals for new volunteers in Dewsbury
24-May-2026 - UK
Read Easy, the adult literacy charity, is calling for volunteers in Dewsbury to help change lives in the National Year of Reading. The charity provides free, confidential, one-to-one coaching, empowering adults who are struggling with basic reading to gain confidence and independence.
Read moreAre hardback books things of 'great beauty' or a dying art?
24-May-2026 - UK
For hundreds of years hardbacks have been published as a first edition of a book. The items have been hailed by some as things of "great beauty" helping to financially keep the publishing industry alive. However, others believe the hardback has had its day and should be scrapped altogether. Earlier this month, newspaper columnist Larry Ryan argued that "the simple fact is that hardbacks are too expensive", and when you know that a cheaper version of the book will arrive in a nine to 13-month period, it is easy to postpone purchasing it. So how about you? When did you last buy a hardback and what was it - a cookbook, a coffee table book or fiction? Maybe you do all your reading on a kindle or tablet.
Read more"I laughed out loud dozens of times": authors choose books to make you fall back in love with reading
23-May-2026 - UK
From a darkly comic new novel to a gripping 1950s memoir â Katherine Rundell, Malala Yousafzai, Matt Haig and others appearing at Hay festival pick titles to tempt you.
Read moreRead Easy Milton Keynes celebrates 10 Years of transforming lives through literacy
20-May-2026 - UK
Read Easy MK is celebrating its 10th anniversary during National Volunteering Week, marking a decade of life-changing support for adults across the city who want to learn to read or improve their reading skills. Since its launch in 2016, the volunteer-led organisation has helped hundreds of adults build confidence, gain independence and open new opportunities through free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching. Powered entirely by trained local volunteers, the group has become a vital part of the Milton Keynes community, quietly transforming lives one reader at a time.
Read moreAnother world: Mapping reading culture in London and the UK
20-May-2026 - UK
Silent reading clubs are springing up across the capital, providing imaginative and sensory escape from modern life. But with recent figures pointing to worrying UK literacy rates, can these clubs help extend the joy of reading to those still learning it one page at a time? The Silent Book Club, which meets in multiple cities including Amsterdam and Paris, offers attendees a social space without the pressure to speak, finish a book or even return. With over 2,000 âchaptersâ (gatherings) in more than 60 countries, itâs steadily emerging as a global phenomenon.
Read more"Dementia reading group makes my life easier"
20-May-2026 - UK
For Paul McCooey, reading with others has become a lifeline. Paul has dementia and has been taking part in a reading group for people with the condition. "When you get this thing hitting you, you think 'this is it, this is the end of the world,'" he said. "But now we have our group together, we talk about our problems, we swap ideas and so on." And Paul, who is from Belfast, is not alone in getting a boost from reading with others while living with dementia. Research carried out by academics from Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and Dementia NI suggests many benefits to meeting over a book. Those include a sense of enjoyment, an enhanced quality of life, improved social engagement and mood.
Read moreExperts set out how to tackle the UK's literacy crisis
19-May-2026 - UK
As part of its Reading for Pleasure inquiry, MPs heard evidence from charity chiefs, academics and school leaders on the factors affecting children's literacy levels and what action policymakers can take to reverse declining standards. Latest research suggests the UK is facing a literacy crisis. A recent report by The National Literacy Trust found that almost a third of five-year-olds start school without the language skills they need, the lowest level recorded since 2005. This rises to almost half of children in disadvantaged communities. Poor literacy skills affect children's development and attainment. For example, government research has shown that pupils with weak reading skills in Key Stage 1 are much less likely to achieve 5 GCSE results, or to pass English and Maths. This disproportionately affects children from disadvantaged backgrounds and can limit their access to higher education and future employment opportunities.
Read moreChildrenâs reading should prioritise pleasure over learning, says laureate
19-May-2026 - UK
The childrenâs laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, has urged the government to prioritise pleasure over learning in childrenâs reading. Giving evidence to MPs on the education committee, which is investigating the decline in reading for pleasure among children, the screenwriter and novelist said conversations about childrenâs reading too often revert to attainment in school. He said that the âbusiness of learning to readâ can put children off the pleasure of reading. âWe can teach them all the steps,â he told MPs, âbut the important thing is that they dance.â The number of children reading for pleasure in the UK has declined sharply in recent years. According to the National Literacy Trustâs annual survey, just one in three aged eight to 18 enjoy reading in their spare time â a 36% decrease since 2005.
Read moreEssex County Council leader vows to end âtax on readingâ at more than 50 libraries
18-May-2026 - UK
A Reform-led council is to abandon a ÂŁ1.15 reservation fee for local libraries as one of its very first actions. The decision to end the charge, which applied only to adults looking to bag books within Essex County Councilâs 74-strong portfolio of libraries, will be voted on at the end of this month. But incoming council leader and head of Essex County Councilâs Reform UK Group Peter Harris said he wanted a service accessible to all, and pointed to the National Literacy Trust and Department for Educationâs National Year of Reading campaign.
Read moreGovernment launches radio station for adult literacy and skill
17-May-2026 - Nigeria
The Nigerian government will unveil a radio station dedicated entirely to adult education, broadcasting literacy and vocational training to remote communities across Nigeria. The station represents a push to reach learners in areas where access to formal education remains limited. Officials say the broadcasts will cover basic literacy skills, numeracy, and practical vocational training suited to rural livelihoods. Remote areas have long struggled with adult education provision. Conventional classrooms require infrastructure and teacher deployment that many communities cannot sustain. Radio, however, reaches listeners in their homes and farms without needing electricity or internet.
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