The State of Reading in 2024: What Does the Data Say?
As we bid farewell to 2024 and embrace a new year, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the state of reading in the UK. Despite growing recognition of literacy's critical importance, 2024 brought a mix of challenges and opportunities that highlighted the urgent need for innovative solutions to improve reading skills and habits.
The Literacy Skills of UK Adults
The 2024 OECD Survey of Adult Skills painted a concerning picture of adult literacy in England. Nearly half (49%) of working-age adults (16-65) scored at a level below the minimum literacy skills required for coping with everyday life, with 17.5% of adults being classed as having very poor literacy skills. Alarmingly, this marks a rise in the proportion of adults with the lowest literacy levels since the previous survey, raising questions about the pipeline of literacy education after childhood.
The End of KS2: A Critical Benchmark
Year 6 marks a pivotal milestone for children as they transition from primary to secondary school. Yet, data from the 2023/24 academic year reveals that 26% of Year 6 pupils—equivalent to 170,640 children—failed to meet the expected reading standard. Despite a marginal improvement from the previous year, these figures suggest that a significant proportion of children are entering secondary school without the reading skills needed to access the curriculum effectively, putting their future learning at risk.
Declining Reading Enjoyment and Frequency
Reading for pleasure is a cornerstone of literacy development, yet 2024 saw the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and frequency among children since records began in 2005. Only 34.6% of children reported enjoying reading, a dramatic 8.8 percentage point drop from 2023. Equally concerning, just 20.5% of children read daily, marking a nearly 50% decline in daily reading habits over the past two decades.
This decline matters because children who enjoy reading and read frequently are more likely to achieve higher literacy outcomes. The National Literacy Trust found that children who enjoy reading had significantly higher reading scores than those who didn’t, highlighting the intrinsic link between pleasure, practice, and proficiency.
The Role of Technology in Transforming Reading
As these challenges persist, technology offers a beacon of hope. Tools like Fonetti: The Read Aloud App are uniquely positioned to address declining literacy rates by combining cutting-edge innovation with a focus on enjoyment and accessibility.
Fonetti’s interactive reading platform not only engages children with fun, immersive experiences but also uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to provide real-time feedback on their reading. This gamified approach encourages children to read more often, boosting both their confidence and competence. Importantly, Fonetti aligns with the Reading Framework’s emphasis on ‘reading miles’—the practice of reading widely and regularly to develop proficiency.
A Call to Action
Improving the state of children’s reading in the UK requires collective action from educators, policymakers, parents, and tech innovators. Platforms like Fonetti demonstrate that it is possible to make reading enjoyable and accessible while empowering children to develop lifelong literacy skills.
As we step into 2025, the focus must remain on equipping every child with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive—because the ability to read is not just a fundamental skill; it’s the foundation of future success. Together, we can rewrite the story of literacy in the UK.
