đź“° Adult Literacy News Summary
Read Easy helps change lives
23-Feb-2026 - UK
Reading can be a pleasure – enjoying our magazines, for instance – but for adults who struggle with forms, labels and all kinds of print, life can be difficult. The volunteers at Read Easy Chilterns help adults across the region with free and confidential support in safe places such as libraries or cafés, and online.
Read moreOnly 10% of boys aged 14-16 read daily for pleasure, National Literacy Trust finds
22-Feb-2026 - UK
Fewer than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 in the UK read daily, according to research, which found reading for pleasure was being crowded out of teenage lives by schoolwork, screens and sports. While reading declines for both boys and girls in early adolescence, there are “signs of recovery” among girls in later teenage years, but boys’ engagement remains persistently low, according to the National Literacy Trust (NLT).
Read moreThe U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
21-Feb-2026 - USA
Earlier this year, in written testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath said that Gen Z is less cognitively capable than previous generations, despite its unprecedented access to technology. He said Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardized tests than the previous one. While skills measured by these tests, like literacy and numeracy, aren’t always indicative of intelligence, they are a reflection of cognitive capability, which Horvath said has been on the decline over the last decade or so
Read moreWhen is World Book Day 2026? Where to get tokens, participating booksellers, costume ideas and every ÂŁ1 book
19-Feb-2026 - UK
Here is everything you need to know about World Book Day 2026, including dates, this year’s selection of books, where you can use book tokens and more. World Book Day will soon arrive to encourage young people to pick up a book and begin reading for fun. First organised by UNESCO in 1995, World Book Day is celebrated in more than 100 countries with the aim of improving lives through reading.
Read moreNew maths and English taster sessions offered in Barrow
18-Feb-2026 - UK
Maths and English taster sessions are being offered to adults in Barrow next week. PHX Training, a vocational training provider, is delivering Multiply and Engage sessions at its Barrow centre to help adults improve their numeracy, literacy, and life skills. According to the firm, the sessions introduce learners to accredited skills pathways and offer support in areas such as budgeting and CV writing.
Read moreLancashire - Creatives wanted for National Year of Reading
15-Feb-2026 - UK
Lancashire County Council is looking for creative individuals to deliver sessions across its library network as part of the National Year of Reading, which runs until the end of this year. The programme aims to encourage reading for pleasure, particularly among groups who may not currently engage with libraries, including boys aged 10 to 16, disadvantaged families, and adults who do not regularly visit.
Read moreEssex Libraries to receive ÂŁ130k fund to boost literacy
13-Feb-2026 - UK
A new fund is aiming to boost literacy and library resources in Essex. Essex County Council has announced the ÂŁ120,000 Essex Libraries Books and Resources Fund to strengthen literacy support for children, young people, and residents with additional needs. The fund will support the purchase of new books, expanded resources and literacy-focused events across the library network to ensure continued access to engaging and inspiring materials.
Read moreWales’s reading problem – and the data gap behind it
11-Feb-2026 - UK
The schools watchdog’s latest warnings on literacy in Wales will sound familiar to many. Estyn’s Chief Inspector says standards are too variable in schools and, remarkably, that the literacy skills of too many of the teachers themselves are weak. This is perhaps unsurprising when the report also claims that universities are rarely equipping student teachers with the knowledge needed of how to teach reading well.
Read moreEssential skills are the missing test of the skills white paper
10-Feb-2026 - UK
The skills white paper set out the government’s plans for skills reform to deliver increased productivity and a skilled workforce. So what does it mean for people who could benefit most from the opportunity for a second chance in learning? The white paper recognises that 8.5 million adults have low essential skills, like literacy and numeracy. It notes that 15 per cent of the working-age population don’t hold a level 2 qualification.
Read moreBookshop donates ÂŁ3,000 to schools and library
10-Feb-2026 - UK
A bookshop has begun 2026 by handing thousands of pounds to local schools and the town library. It follows a record year at Castle Books in Totnes that volunteers said proved the power of a community that loved reading. The second‑hand bookshop, run entirely by volunteers, reinvests all profits into local literacy projects.
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