📰 Adult Literacy News Summary
Pupils join Winter Reading Challenge at Colchester Library
16-Jan-2026 - UK
YEAR 6 children visited the newly-refurbished Colchester Library to start their Winter Reading Challenge. Pupils from St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School took part in reading activities organised by library stuff, browsed a range of books and made artwork inspired by their book choices
Read moreAdults needing help learning to read offered support from Shropshire group
15-Jan-2026 - UK
Read Easy Telford and Shropshire East offers free, confidential, one-to-one coaching for adults who want to learn to read or improve their reading skills. Since 2019, volunteers in Shropshire have been supporting adults so they can feel more confident and independent, being able to read letters, complete forms, apply for jobs, send a text, read a new recipe, bus timetable or prescription.
Read moreAdult learning courses for people across North Yorkshire
15-Jan-2026 - UK
Thousands of people across North Yorkshire are taking advantage of a diverse range of adult learning courses, building new skills, boosting their confidence and opening the door to fresh careers.
Read moreConcerns over future of scheme giving free books to babies
15-Jan-2026 - UK
A scheme which has provided free books for newborns for a quarter of a century will be saved in the short term, the Welsh government has said. BookTrust Cymru, which runs programmes aimed at helping parents to read with babies and toddlers, says a decision to stop the direct grant risked leaving the poorest families without support.
Read moreNational Year of Reading 2026: How to get involved as Leeds Libraries unveils city-wide celebrations
14-Jan-2026 - UK
With 37 libraries and community hubs across the city, Leeds Libraries has revealed a packed calendar of events designed to bring the city together through the power of storytelling. From a three-week storytelling festival that illuminates the city’s streets to a fantastical journey into outer space at the Central Library, the 2026 program offers something for every generation.
Read moreA quarter of 11-year-olds have below than expected reading skills, research finds
14-Jan-2026 - UK
Just one in three children, aged 8 to 18, enjoy reading for pleasure, the lowest level recorded since 2005, according to new government research. The research also found that over a quarter of those leaving primary school are not reaching the reading age of an 11-year-old, while the situation is much worse for children from white-working-class backgrounds and those with special educational needs.
Read moreLeah Williamson and Richard Osman back National Year of Reading
13-Jan-2026 - UK
Leah Williamson, Michael Morpurgo, Julia Donaldson and Richard Osman are among those who have thrown their weight behind a new nationwide push to get people reading for pleasure, as the government and the National Literacy Trust launch the National Year of Reading.
Read moreHow to share books with children to help them love reading
11-Jan-2026 - UK
Adults reading together with children from an early age is one of the most effective ways to shield children from the effects of social inequalities, including those linked with childhood disadvantage. For example, reading with young children helps them meet early development milestones and to go on to do better at school. A recent report from children’s reading charity The BookTrust emphasises how sharing books fosters early attachment, a dynamic set of expectations and behaviours that stem from the caregiver and how responsive to their child they are.
Read moreEssex libraries launch Winter Reading Challenge as the ‘paw-fect’ way to start the New Year
09-Jan-2026 - UK
THE ever-popular Winter Reading Challenge returns to Essex to inspire everyone to get reading this winter. The campaign runs from 10 January to 22 February 2026 and invites readers of all ages to cosy up with a good book through the colder months. The six-week campaign is part of the Essex Year of Opportunity, a wider initiative by Essex County Council across 2025/26. Through projects and partnerships with organisations, the Essex Year of Opportunity removes barriers into work and education for all ages by teaching essential skills.
Read moreBest-selling author Lee Child visits HMP Doncaster
09-Jan-2026 - UK
International best-selling author Lee Child has visited prisoners as part of a scheme to raise literacy levels inside jails. Famous for his Jack Reacher novels, which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, Child met inmates at HMP Doncaster who are taking part in the Prisons Literacy Project.
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