Why Reading for Pleasure Matters
I cannot remember exactly how I learnt to read, but I can remember the books. I remember stories being shared aloud, the excitement of
choosing a new book and the feeling of becoming completely immersed in a story.
That feeling has never really gone away.
Even now, at home, I still get asked: “What books are you bringing home from school today?” — usually followed by comments about how we probably already own enough books to open our own bookshop! I love reading aloud and sharing stories together, even if we do not always agree on whether we liked the book or how the characters should sound. (Although, somehow, all of my character voices eventually seem to become exactly the same!)
Recently, I reread The Book Thief — a book I first read at secondary school and then returned to again as an adult. It is such a beautifully written book, and rereading it made me wonder whether our minds create the same images and feelings years later as they did the first time we read it. Revisiting favourite books can create some of the most powerful reading experiences.
Reading for pleasure is about far more than developing fluency or comprehension. Through stories, children build vocabulary, imagination, empathy and connection. They begin to understand themselves and others, explore different worlds and encounter rich, ambitious language far beyond everyday conversation.
As Teresa Cremin reminds us:
“Reading for pleasure is the entitlement of every child.”
Current national conversations around reading continue to emphasise the importance of creating a culture where reading is seen as joyful, meaningful and shared. Reading is not simply a skill to be mastered — it is an experience to be lived. That experience cannot become the part of the timetable squeezed
into the final few minutes of the day or lost altogether when things overrun. Ringfencing daily story time sends a clear and powerful message: stories matter here. Children deserve time to listen, imagine, discuss and become fully immersed in high-quality texts. This also reflects the increasing emphasis placed on ambitious vocabulary, rich language and regular read-aloud opportunities. Story time is not a filler activity or a reward to fit in when there is time. It is a
vital part of developing readers and building a lifelong relationship with books.
Because long after children forget how they learnt to read, they will remember the stories that made them feel something.
Emma Woodward
Hub Lead
