Half of parents no longer reading to preschoolers daily since pandemic, National Literacy Trust survey reveals

The survey, conducted by Survation in June and July, involved around 2,000 UK parents with children aged 0–5. It found that just over half had read to their child daily in the past week, while 56% said they had played with their child daily. This is a marked decrease compared to a similar 2019 survey, where 66.1% of parents reported reading daily and 76.2% played daily with their child.

Given the importance of the home learning environment on improving outcomes for children, our findings call for urgent and considered action.

The NLT report highlights the effects of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and cuts to early intervention services as major contributors to this decline in home learning activities. The charity stresses that these issues have left parents with less time, energy, and financial resources to engage in vital literacy activities.

Douglas explained, “We know parents want to give their children the best possible start in life, but the socioeconomic events of the past five years... have contributed to a climate in which parents have limited finance, time and energy for engaging in home learning activities.”

The decline in daily reading is particularly concerning given the strong evidence linking early literacy activities to positive long-term outcomes. Research shows that engaging in daily reading with young children supports language development, attention spans, and future academic success. Yet, with 78.1% of parents reporting they still chat with their child daily, the survey highlights the opportunity to build on these interactions with more structured literacy support.

Tracy Jackson, head of early years at the NLT, emphasised, “Parents are under enormous amounts of pressure, and we want parents to have access to relevant support and resources without any increased burden on their time and finances.”

The NLT is calling for swift and targeted interventions to reverse this trend. Its five-year "Early Words Matter" campaign aims to support 250,000 preschool children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, by promoting early literacy, language, and communication skills. The charity insists that early literacy efforts must be prioritised to close the growing literacy gap and give every child a fair chance to succeed.

By working together to close the UK’s literacy gap, we can give more children and young people from disadvantaged communities the tools they need to thrive, empowering our future workforce and driving a more equal society through literacy.

James Bowen, assistant general secretary at the school leaders' union NAHT, echoed these concerns: “An early love for books and reading can have a huge long-term impact. It is therefore concerning to see suggestions that parents are reading to their children less frequently than previously.”

Bowen also pointed to the pressures families currently face and the role that cuts to community services and local libraries have played in this decline. “We should be doing everything we can to encourage parents to read with their children as often as possible—just five minutes a day can make a real difference,” he urged.

As families grapple with the economic and social aftershocks of the pandemic, experts are urging policymakers to invest in early years programmes, particularly those that support parents with accessible and affordable literacy resources. With the right interventions, the UK can help bridge the literacy gap and ensure that children are better prepared for school and beyond.

By addressing the challenges faced by parents and providing meaningful support, there is hope that the next generation will not miss out on the vital developmental benefits that come from something as simple—and powerful—as daily reading.

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