National Literacy Trust

19/08/2026

Celebrating five years of Tales in the Park in Stoke-on-Trent. 🥳

Storytellers, poets, circus skills and sports… all in the local park? Through our campaigns in local communities, we reach families where they are.

Stoke-on-Trent faces significant literacy challenges. 1 in 10 children do not have a book of their own, and reading enjoyment remains low across the region.

Since 2017, The National Literacy Trust in Stoke-on-Trent has been working with local schools, community partners and businesses to raise local literacy levels and get families excited about reading.

Taking place in six local parks, Tales in the Park is a free family storytelling festival and celebrates its fifth year running this summer. The festival makes it easier for families to discover reading in ways that work for them, and through means that are fun!

We remove the cost barrier to ensure that everyone can attend and, thanks to support from HarperCollins Publishers UK, every child gets to choose and take home a book of their own.

And it's not just reading! Local poets host writing workshops, using the parks themselves as inspiration to get started.

Whether a child is drawn to football, performing, creating or exploring, Tales in the Park uses those interests as a gateway into stories, helping families build positive reading experiences together and showing that reading can be for everyone.

Find out more about our work in Stoke here: https://loom.ly/hI5P0gQ

13/08/2026

Every story introduces children to new characters, experiences and perspectives. So why not turn them into treasure?

This gratitude jar activity encourages children to think about the small acts of kindness, friendship, courage and generosity they notice in the books they read or listen to. This can support your child's empathy skills and help their understanding of the world around them.

Top Tip: Each time you read a new story, add a new note to the jar. By the end of the summer you'll have a lovely jar full of reflections to open and look through together.

Explore all three of the summer activities in the free resource. If you're an early years practitioner, why not share these activities with the families you work with? Access here: https://loom.ly/2KMy2kE

We also support early years professionals with evidence-informed guidance, training and practical tools to help build strong foundations for language, communication, reading and writing. You can find out more on our website.

10/08/2026

"There's nothing silly about play, it's the most serious evolutionary magic."

We loved hearing author Max Porter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning celebrating the power of play.

Play helps us connect, create, imagine and learn. For young children, it's also one of the most important ways they develop communication and language skills, build relationships and begin to understand the world around them.

That's why play is at the heart of our Early Words Matter campaign, helping children get the best possible start in life.

Listen to Max here (scroll through to 2hrs 50 into the programme): https://loom.ly/JokZlUw

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

07/08/2026

Make the most of the summer weather with a book picnic!

Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes to make reading feel like an adventure. Whether it's in the garden, at the park or on a blanket in your local green space, a book picnic is a simple way to enjoy stories together and create special family memories.

Reading aloud helps children develop their language, communication and early literacy skills, while sharing stories can spark imagination, build confidence and encourage conversation. Taking turns to read aloud, talk about the pictures or predict what might happen next can make story time even more engaging.

Why not visit your local library and borrow some books for free?

Top tip: Bring stories to life with different voices, sounds and actions!

Explore all three of our summer storytelling adventures in our free resource. If you're an early years practitioner, why not share these activities with the families you work with? Access here: https://loom.ly/2KMy2kE

We also support early years professionals with evidence-informed guidance, training and practical tools to help build strong foundations for language, communication, reading and writing. You can find out more on our website.

06/08/2026

Our latest research shows that listening to audiobooks and podcasts are hugely popular with children.

Listening to audio can support children's confidence and wellbeing and helps them escape into another world. So, to celebrate a mega summer of sports, we have worked with to create a list of audiobook picks.

They're great for family time, fit into busy daily life, and can help you delve into passions.

Explore more audiobooks here: https://loom.ly/nyM-tNw

29/07/2026

Looking for simple ways to keep storytelling flowing over the summer holidays? 🌞📚

Reading and storytelling are great ways for children to be creative, communicate and use their imagination. It can help your child feel happy and confident, and it is a lovely way to connect as a family.

Over the next few weeks, we're sharing three easy, low-cost activities to help you support your child's early literacy skills at home. This story bag activity helps build your child's confidence in speaking and explaining their ideas.

Top tip: When your child is telling a story, show you are really listening - smile, nod and react with interest. This helps them feel proud and shows them that their ideas are important and understood!

If you're an early years practitioner, why not share these activities with the families you work with? Access the full resource for free here: https://loom.ly/1D4L79w
.. And don't forget, we also support early years professionals with evidence-informed guidance, training and practical tools to help build strong foundations for language, communication, reading and writing. You can find out more on our website.

28/07/2026

Looking for a simple way to share stories together this summer?

Our latest research shows that listening to audiobooks and podcasts are hugely popular with children – and has some amazing benefits!

It can support children’s confidence and wellbeing, help them escape into another world, and even inspire them to pick a book.

Listening to audio is an enjoyable, low-pressure way to connect as a family.

Parents and carers told us it helps them, relax together, share interests, and feel more involved in their child’s world.

Audio can also be a great option for children who don’t see themselves as readers, helping them discover stories, explore their interests and build confidence along the way. In fact, more than 1 in 4 children say that listening to audio makes them more interested in reading books.

Discover the benefits of listening together and explore audiobook recommendations for the whole family here: https://loom.ly/OWkIO0s

23/07/2026

The World Cup might be over, but the Summer of Sport is still going strong with the Commonwealth Games, which starts today! 🏃🚵‍♂️🏑

Sport can be a powerful gateway into reading. When children explore something they already love, they can build their literacy skills while learning more about the teams, athletes and stats that excite them.

This summer, This summer, go all in with sports by delving into a book, match report, or podcast.

However your family follows sport, it can be a brilliant way to spark conversations, grow vocabulary and help children feel more confident with literacy.

Need some inspiration? Check out our sports audiobook recommendations for ages 3 to 11: https://loom.ly/ugvPntM

17/07/2026

🎁 A very special Christmas gift is on its way for many children across the UK.

Today, our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, celebrated her birthday by announcing that every year 6, P6 and age-equivalent child will receive a free special edition of the bestselling book ‘Impossible Creatures’ by award-winning author Katherine Rundell this Christmas.

The gift is part of The Queen’s Christmas Present initiative, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, celebrating the National Year of Reading 2026 and helping more children discover the magic, adventure and joy that reading can bring.

We’re proud to be working with The Queen, our Patron, Katherine Rundell and Bloomsbury Publishing to support every child throughout the UK as they make the important transition from primary to secondary school.

Because every child deserves the chance to get lost in a great story. 📚✨

17/07/2026

Every child deserves the chance to discover the joy and power of reading. 📚✨

We welcome today's Education Select Committee report, which states that the National Year of Reading should extend to a decade.

Reading can build confidence, support wellbeing and open doors to new opportunities. That's why we're proud to work alongside a range of partners across education, publishing, libraries, business and the voluntary sector to help more children experience the benefits of reading for pleasure.

Read our full response and find out how we're helping grow a generation of readers ⬇️
https://loom.ly/jdR9XPM