Understanding and closing the Literacy Gap: A National Year of Reading initiative

This National Year of Reading, it’s crucial to raise awareness about the literacy gap affecting millions of children, especially those in disadvantaged communities. Despite the importance of literacy, many children in these communities struggle with reading, limiting their academic and career opportunities.

In this blog, we’ll explore what the literacy gap is, its causes and how we can close it for a better future.

Bookmark volunteer sitting at a table with a young reader, both looking at an open book, with a teal campaign graphic overlay for the Mind the Gap initiative during the National Year of Reading

1. What is the literacy gap?

The literacy gap refers to the difference in literacy skills between children from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities* and their peers. Children in these communities often fall behind in reading skills due to factors like lack of access to books, educational inequality and language barriers.

If not addressed early, the gap can create a barrier to their future education, employment and life chances.

*Socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are areas or groups living with significantly fewer social and economic resources (like low income, poor housing, less education, unemployment) compared to the wider society, leading to worse life chances, poorer health, and reduced opportunities, often creating cycles of hardship that are hard to escape.

2. What causes the literacy gap?

Several key factors contribute to the literacy gap, such as:

Disadvantaged households often have limited access to educational materials such as books.

In 2025, 15.7% of children receiving free school meals (almost 1 in 6) did not have a book of their own - this is the highest rate in a decade*.

Without books at home, children miss out on the crucial reading time needed to build literacy skills.

Children who are exposed to fewer words and less cognitively stimulating activities, such as shared book reading, miss out on crucial early language and vocabulary development.

Children who speak English as an additional language can face additional challenges in literacy development. These language barriers make it harder to develop the reading skills necessary for success in school and beyond.

Parents with lower literacy skills may lack the confidence, time or capacity to support their child's learning effectively.

Schools in disadvantaged areas often have fewer resources, larger class sizes and limited specialised support, preventing children from receiving the individual attention they need to thrive.

3. Why is the literacy gap a problem?

The literacy gap is a serious issue because it reinforces social and economic inequality. It can lead to lifelong disadvantages for individuals and impose significant economic costs on society.

For children and young people:

Children with poor literacy skills are more likely to experience unemployment, poor mental health and even a shorter life expectancy. In fact, 1 in 4 children in England leave primary school unable to read at the expected level**, limiting their confidence and self-esteem, as well as their ability to understand complex texts, complete coursework and pass exams.

This restricts access to higher education, apprenticeships and career opportunities, creating long-term social and economic disadvantages.

For adults:

The impact on adults is equally profound. Adults with poor literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed, earn less and lack confidence managing daily life. Low literacy can make navigating everyday tasks difficult, such as reading job applications, understanding written instructions, managing finances or using public transport.

Adults with poor literacy can also struggle to navigate healthcare systems and make informed decisions about their health, which often leads to poorer health outcomes.

For society:

The literacy gap affects societal equality. It leads to higher unemployment, health disparities and an overall less educated workforce.

High literacy rates contribute to stronger economies, while low literacy rates cost the UK economy £36 billion each year***.

Child reading a space-themed book titled “Victor” in a colorful library setting, with a teal campaign graphic overlay for the Mind the Gap initiative during the National Year of Reading.

4. How can we close the literacy gap?

Closing the literacy gap requires a combined effort from educators, communities and policymakers. Some effective strategies include:

Early intervention: Providing early literacy support can prevent children from falling behind. Our One-to-one Reading Programme helps children catch up before the gap grows too large.
Access to books and resources: We provide diverse and high-quality books to schools and communities through our programmes, ensuring every child has access to the resources they need to build literacy skills.
Teacher training: Ongoing professional development for teachers is essential. We offer teacher training to help educators support struggling readers and create a culture of reading for pleasure in their classrooms.
Parental involvement: Encouraging reading at home is a powerful way to help children improve their literacy skills. Our Family Engagement Programme offers families tools and storytelling tips to make reading enjoyable, even for just 10 minutes a day.

This National Year of Reading, we urge you to help close the literacy gap. Join our mission to provide children from disadvantaged communities with the tools they need to succeed.

Together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to read, learn and thrive.

Help close the literacy gap

The National Year of Reading 2026 is our moment to change the story for thousands of children falling behind. Become a reading volunteer and help a child build confidence, discover the joy of reading and close the gap before it widens.

Learn more!