The relationship between literacy and a love of reading is often assumed to be straightforward: improve one, and the other will follow. Yet recent evidence suggests a more complicated - and uncomfortable - reality. A new HarperCollins study has reignited debate by arguing that an intense focus on literacy skills may actually be undermining reading for pleasure.
The headline figures are stark. Daily reading for enjoyment among five -to 17-year-olds has fallen from 39% in 2012 to just 25% in 2025, while the proportion who rarely or never read has tripled . At the same time, many children increasingly see reading not as a leisure activity but as “a subject to learn,” reflecting a shift in how it is framed by both schools and parents .
Critics of the current system argue that this is no coincidence. Schools, under pressure to meet measurable attainment targets, often prioritise decoding, comprehension, and test performance. Parents, meanwhile, frequently approach reading as a developmental milestone rather than a shared pleasure. According to the HarperCollins findings, this well-intentioned emphasis on outcomes can “push reading for pleasure to the margins” . When reading becomes associated with assessment and obligation, it risks losing the intrinsic enjoyment that motivates children to pick up a book voluntarily.
There is also a cultural dimension. In an age of digital entertainment, reading must compete with more immediately rewarding activities. If books are primarily presented as tools for improvement, rather than sources of enjoyment, they may struggle to compete. The decline is particularly visible among younger children, where reading habits have stagnated or worsened in recent years .
However, the case against a strong literacy focus is not definitive. Literacy remains foundational: without the ability to read fluently, sustained enjoyment is difficult. Research consistently shows that children who read for pleasure tend to have better academic outcomes, stronger empathy, and greater wellbeing . In this sense, literacy and enjoyment are not opposing goals but mutually reinforcing ones.
Moreover, there are signs of resilience. Among teenagers, reading for pleasure has shown modest recent gains, partly driven by social media communities that make reading feel more relevant and social . This suggests that disengagement is not inevitable, but contingent on how reading is positioned.
Ultimately, the HarperCollins study highlights a tension rather than a simple failure. The challenge is not to abandon literacy goals, but to rebalance them ensuring that reading is experienced not only as a skill to master, but as a habit to enjoy. Without that balance, efforts to raise literacy may paradoxically erode the very motivation that sustains it.