Children are not reading for fun as often as they used to, which could portend serious ramifications for American society in the future.
NBC News reported on data released by the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics showing that the share of children who enjoy reading has plummeted drastically.
Amid a national push to reduce screen time in schools, elementary and middle school students report less of their free time is spent reading.
The share of 13-year-olds who read for fun has declined by nearly half since 2012, according to survey data published Wednesday by the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics.
The share of 9-year-olds — the other age group studied — who read for fun has declined 16 percentage points in the past 13 years. Students reading for pleasure generally correlates with higher reading scores on standardized tests, according to the report, with more dramatic gains for teens who say they read every day, compared with their peers who don’t.
The questionnaire is part of the National Center for Education Statistics’ nationwide math and reading testing for 9- and 13-year-olds. The most recent report includes data from more than 30,000 students, and the test itself has been conducted since the 1970s. The report includes math and reading scores, it also includes results of surveys of student attendance and reading habits.
Compared with teens, younger children report reading more often — 37% of 9-year-olds said they read for fun almost every day in 2025 — but still at lower rates than their peers in years prior. In 2020, 42% of 9-year-olds said they read for fun almost every day, as did 53% in 1984.
NBC News notes that children who enjoy reading “are more likely to score higher on standardized tests than their peers who read less frequently.”
Lower standardized test scores have also been tied to increased screen time for youths, as more schools use tablets and laptops for teaching and learning. The most recent scores show that 9- and 13-year-olds’ reading and math skills have declined since 2012.
“With a significant decline starting in 2012, we can clearly see that this isn’t just a pandemic story,” Soldner said. “That should be used to inspire further investigation and more work.”
Several factors are playing into this trend. The first is obvious: Too much screen time. Children are increasingly using phones, tablets, video games, and apps like TikTok and YouTube in their free time.
Reading for enjoyment is the single biggest predictor of a child's future happiness and success.
— Alex & Books 📚 (@AlexAndBooks_) June 5, 2026
But kids reading books is in rapid decline:
-Kids who read almost daily has fallen from 53% to 39%.
-Kids who read for fun has fallen from 27% to 14%.
We need to fix this. pic.twitter.com/Web5gYnExI
Experts at the University of Miami suggested this changes how kids think and focus. Social media and gaming train young people to expect to consume information in smaller pieces or sound bites.
Over time, this affects their attention spans, making it harder for them to sit and read a full book or story without getting distracted. In fact, many schools have begun using short parts of novels or plays in class, which means students are getting even less practice with long-form reading. Kids are gradually losing the ability to engage in deep focus.
Children today also deal with more demands on their time outside of school and screens. Homework, sports, music lessons, and hanging out with friends all compete for their attention outside of the classroom.
This is also happening in the United Kingdom, where a study tracked reading habits and saw similar trends to what is happening in America. It showed that only about one in three children aged between eight and 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time last year. This is the lowest recorded level in two decades.
The way schools operate also plays a role with teachers having to cover a lot of material to prepare students for testing, so there is less time allocated for reading.
Support at home and access to the right books also makes a difference. Many families do not have as much access to reading material because of costs. Some schools lack strong library programs.
Chakeia Andrews with the University of Miami said limited access to books that are interesting or reflect kids’ own lives. This can make them feel that reading is less worthwhile. She pointed out that giving children a choice in what they want to read can motivate them further. “Parents play a critical role in fostering strong reading habits,” she said. “Research indicates that children who observe family members reading are more likely to develop positive attitudes about literacy.”