Research and impact
BookTrust’s work is driven by evidence.
Our research gives us unique insights into the lives of the families we work with and what works to build the reading habits that bring immediate and lifelong benefits to the children who need it most. Use the links below to explore the research, innovation and evaluation activities that inform our evidence-based behaviour change programmes.
In this section
Research and innovation
Explore research and reports across early years, primary, secondary and wider reading for pleasure. Find out what impact our programmes have on children and families.
Impact
Read our impact report and find out how we are working in every community in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to get families reading.
Our research briefings provide new insights into what drives children and families reading behaviours and the wide ranging benefits reading can bring.
The role of reading for children experiencing vulnerability
Our latest research briefing outlines why reading is important for children experiencing vulnerability and the learning that underpins how BookTrust is encouraging reading habits.
Primary school children's reading
Our latest analysis reveals a concerning trend in children’s reading enjoyment, showing it declining through primary school - but that teachers play a key role in addressing this.
Children's reading habits in the early years
This briefing provides an overview of BookTrust’s research of children’s early years reading habits across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The importance of multiple reading influencers
Our research finds that the more people in a child's life who are involved in influencing their reading, the more likely the child is to become a keen independent reader.
Supporting generational cycles of readers
Our recent research highlights the extent of the influence that parental reading enjoyment has on nurturing generational reading habits.
The benefits of reading
From babies to children in their early years and all the way through to early teens, reading brings profound and wide-ranging benefits that can have a lifelong positive impact on children’s lives.
Why starting shared reading early matters and Bookstart Baby
Our research into the importance of shared reading at an early age for children and how Bookstart Baby can support this.
BookTrust's Theory of Change
Our theory of change explains how our support and resources are delivered through our extensive network of partners to get children and families reading. Bringing the immediate and lifelong benefits of reading to the children who need them most.
Download our Theory of Change (PDF)
Download our Theory of Change in Welsh/Darllenwch yr Theori Newid yn Cymraeg (PDF)
How we use research in our work
In this article - published in Impact Magazine by the Market Research Society - BookTrust's Director of Research and Impact Ruthann Hughes explains how research informs everything that BookTrust does.
