đ° Adult Literacy News Summary
LitUpâs Battle of Hastings: reading on the up in one of Englandâs most deprived area
29-May-2026 - UK
A Bloomsbury and National Literacy Trust classroom initiative on the Sussex coast is gaining significant ground in the reading-for-pleasure fight. As reading enjoyment hit a 20-year low nationally for kids (according to the NLTâs most recent statistics), LitUp has been moving reluctant readers in the other direction. The Bloomsbury and NLT schools outreach partnership began in 2022 with the publisher supplying books, other materials and author visits. Since launch, more than 16,000 books were donated in Hastings to the participating schools, 2,122 children took part in author visits, and 436 children and parents attended Teatime Tales, the in-school family reading sessions.
Read moreHow learning to read alters the brainâs approach to spoken language
29-May-2026 - UK
Learning to read written text fundamentally alters the pathways the human brain uses to process spoken words. According to a recent study, adults with formal literacy training recruit a specialized region on the right side of the brain to identify isolated speech sounds, a neurological response absent in people with limited reading education. The research was recently published in the journal Cortex. Spoken language has been a universal behavior of human beings for hundreds of thousands of years. Reading and writing are relatively recent cultural inventions. Because the brain did not evolve specifically to read, it must repurpose existing visual and linguistic networks to make sense of written text.
Read moreNo easy solutions to fix youth unemployment crisis, says ex-Labour minister
28-May-2026 - UK
The crisis of more than a million young people neither working nor learning has âno easy solutionsâ, a Labour former minister has warned amid fears of a lost generation without urgent change. One-time health secretary Alan Milburn warned a âwhole system failureâ has led to nearly one in seven of the UKâs 16 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training, known as Neets. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Mr Milburnâs report as âsoberingâ, and said he âwill not allow a lost generationâ.
Read moreChelmsfordâs VolFEST event returns to celebrate local charities
28-May-2026 - UK
Chelmsford High Street is set to come alive with community spirit on Thursday 4 June, as VolFEST returns for its eighth year to celebrate local charities as part of National Volunteers Week. Organised by Chelmsford Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), VolFEST has become a much-loved date in the cityâs calendar. The event will bring together more than 60 local charities and community groups in one place, showcasing the incredible voluntary work happening across Chelmsford and the many ways people can get involved.
Read moreAdult Literacy Trust invites volunteers to apply as reading coaches
27-May-2026 - UK
The Adult Literary Trust works across eight London boroughs including Tower Hamlets and Newham as it helps learners improve their skills. Working with learning providers, the charity take part in free one-to-one sessions for people on courses to help them improve their skills, gain confidence and boost their employability and general wellbeing.
Read moreRead 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 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.
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