This report looks at both what and how kids are reading across the UK and Ireland over an academic year. It investigates real book reading as measured by the Accelerated Reader software in relation to reading ability as measured by the computer-adaptive Star Reading test. As in the previous year, the evidence is available within this website.  

This is the seventeenth year this report has been published in the UK. We take a moment to compare the situation 17 years ago with the situation this year.  

Enormous progress has been made. The number of students involved has increased by almost 41 times. The number of schools involved has increased by more than 11 times. So obviously, schools are involving more pupils in AR than they used to. The number of books read has increased by over 96 times, so although more schools are involving more pupils, those pupils are also reading a larger number of books. Consequently, the average number of books read per pupil has also risen by more than twice. The number of AR quizzes now available is over three times what it was in 2008.  

The first part of this report is devoted to further analysis of whether pupils who implement AR better (in terms of higher Average Percent Correct on quizzes) have higher pre-post outcome scores on the norm-referenced Star Reading test than do pupils with lower APC scores. This indicates the extent to which the quality of implementation of AR is the key to better reading achievement. We also include a number of other analyses which are of interest regarding implementation. As last year, this year we sustain and deepen our analysis of attitudes to reading with work carried out by the National Literacy Trust.  

The second part reports the books most read by pupils in each year, in some cases divided into boys and girls, so readers can see what the gender differences were. It describes the popularity of authors and lists new entrant books which were not available the previous year. It investigates non-fiction reading as a matter of special interest. Then it explores “Favourite” books – those voted for after reading as the most interesting. Regional variations in book choice are then discussed.  

The book by Professor Keith Topping, the principal author of this report, which focuses, among other software, on the Accelerated Reader and reports the evidence on its effectiveness, is still available. The full reference is: Topping, K. J. (2022). Improving reading comprehension of self-chosen books through computer assessment and feedback: Best practices from research. New York and London: Routledge (see Improving Reading Comprehension of Self-Chosen Books Through Computer Assessment and Feedback: Best Practices from Research: Amazon.co.uk: Topping, Keith James: 9781032076201: Books in the UK.  The book can also be ordered at https://www.routledge.com/Improving-Reading-Comprehension-of-Self-Chosen-Books-Through-Computer-Assessment/Topping/p/book/9781032076201.