UK school book clubs raise reading ages by over a year
A 12-week trial across 17 UK school libraries found that book clubs with no pressure to read increased students' reading ages by an average of 1 year and 3 months. The study ran from October 2024 to February 2025. Over 400 children took part. Of those, 84 percent called it a worthwhile experience and 60 percent said they were more interested in books and reading afterward. One school measured the reading ages of 32 boys who participated using STAR Reading Assessment data. Those students saw their reading ages rise by 1 year and 3 months on average, compared with a five-month average growth for the year group.
The method gives teachers and school librarians an evidence-based way to support struggling readers without adding pressure.
Source: New Social Reading Spaces Toolkit (sla.org.uk). Spotted via Reasons to be Cheerful.
Written by the HappyGood desk from the primary source linked above and checked against it. Every story links its source. Corrections: [email protected].
More from the archive
- Ninety chicks lift kākāpō population past 300 birds September 5, 2026
- Volunteer group cuts euthanasia rates at Texas animal shelter September 4, 2026
- Sixty-four baby sea turtles rescued from Florida backyard pool September 4, 2026
- Cardiovascular groups redefine heart attack types to fix care gap for women September 4, 2026
- MIT student builds $250 drone anti-poaching tool to save elephants September 3, 2026