Celebrate the National Year of Reading 2026 in your classroom with this reading for pleasure topical pack from Busy Things.
It’s perfect for helping pupils discover the joy of reading for enjoyment and develop lifelong reading habits. The pack supports children’s reading enjoyment, encourages discussion, strengthens comprehension and fosters independent, curious readers.
It’s ideal for whole-class use, small groups or individual exploration.
National Year of Reading pack contents
Reading for Pleasure
The pack begins with a comprehensive fact sheet explaining what reading for pleasure is, why it matters, and how the 2026 National Year of Reading encourages children to explore books that reflect their interests.
Pupils will learn how choosing what to read can make reading a fun, social and rewarding experience, both in school and at home.
Book recommendations
Link reading to pupils’ passions with curated book suggestions across age groups – from aspiring astronauts to budding performers and animal lovers. Pupils can explore books that spark curiosity and reflect their hobbies, from picture books to early chapter books.
Book genres matching activity
An engaging activity encourages pupils to match book genres to their descriptions, helping them understand different types of stories and think of books they’ve read in each genre.
Reading-based lesson plans
Detailed lesson plans for EYFS, KS1, and KS2 link to Busy Things interactive activities. Lessons focus on comprehension, storytelling, character exploration and creative responses to texts, ensuring children engage with books in a meaningful way.
Book and character summaries
Ready-to-use templates help pupils summarise stories or analyse characters, checking comprehension while developing writing skills.
Bookmarks
Handy bookmarks double as book logs, helping pupils track what they’ve read while keeping them motivated and organised.
Busy Things offers a huge collection of interactive, curriculum-linked games and activities. Discover 1600+ games and activities to develop and support maths, literacy, phonics, science, art, music, coding and more.
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