Research services | National Literacy Trust

Our research work

Our research programme is designed to:

raise literacy attitudes, habits and skills across the UK
underpin our programmes, campaigns and policy work
inform our identity as an organisation

What we do

Annual literacy trackers

We ask children, young people and other stakeholders about literacy using large-scale national surveys.
Issue-led research

We explore literacy issues using multiple approaches to further our understanding on a commission basis.
Evaluating our work

Our evidence-based approach means we comprehensively explore the impact of our programmes.
Bespoke evaluations of programmes or products for others

Commission us to help you understand your impact.

Surveys

Annual Literacy Survey

Our annual survey of children and young people aged 5 to 18 covers reading and writing, and takes place in January/February.
Find out more
Podcast survey 2020

Sign up for our survey to help us find out more about children and young people's attitudes to podcasts
Learn more

Commission research

We offer our research expertise to give you comprehensive insight into your literacy programme or product’s impact on a range of audiences. We have specialist knowledge of engaging with children and young people and a track record of working in schools and other settings.

Latest research

Research
The impact of Covid-19 on the home learning environment

This literature review considers the impact of COVID-19 on families, and the implications for the home learning environment.

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Research
Girls and aspirations

In celebration of 75 years of Pippi Longstocking, we look at some key findings on girls and aspirations

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Research
Children and young people’s engagement with podcasts before and during lockdown

Our new research finds that an increase in children and young people listening to podcasts during lockdown could have led to wider benefits for their reading engagement, with...

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Research
The impact of place-based approach on literacy outcomes in the early years

This report looks at the impact of the Hub approach on early years attainment in the National Literacy Trust’s three longest running Hubs.

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Research
NewsWise evaluation report 2019-20

This report evaluates the impact of the second year of NewsWise – a free, cross-curricular news literacy programme for 7- to 11-year-olds across the UK, developed by the Guardian...

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Research
Bookmark Reading impact evaluation 2019/20

The National Literacy Trust was commissioned to explore the impact of the Bookmark Reading programme on children’s reading skills and engagement in the 2019/20 academic year.

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Research
SHINE Everyone Ready for School evaluation: Year One

This report evaluates the impact of the National Literacy Trust’s Everyone Ready for School programme in Darlington which ran for two years from 2018 to 2020 with evaluation...

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Research
Video game playing and literacy: a survey of young people aged 11 to 16

This report outlines findings from our survey exploring young people’s literacy-related interactions both within, and in relation to, video games.

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Research
Exploring the literacy-related behaviours and feelings of pupils eligible for free school meals in relation to their use of and access to school libraries

This paper from the National Literacy Trust and Nottingham Trent University explores how children on free school meals use their school library and how this links to their literacy...

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Our research work

Annual literacy trackers

Issue-led research

Evaluating our work

Bespoke evaluations of programmes or products for others

Annual Literacy Survey

Podcast survey 2020

Commission research