Edge Hill University
Reading and Wellbeing: Qualitative insights from children and young people
Reading offers a broad range of opportunities for children and young people to develop key educational and social skills such as language, comprehension and perspective taking (e.g., Torppa et al., 2019; van der Kleij et al 2022a). However, recent research demonstrates that reading can also have a diverse range of positive effects on children and young people’s wellbeing (Currie & McGeown, 2025; Currie et al., under review; Sun et al.,2023). In this presentation, we share findings from in-depth interviews with children (aged 9-11) and young people (aged 15-17), demonstrating the powerful effects that reading can have on wellbeing, focussing on positive emotions, connection and personal growth. Possible implications of these findings for supporting reading motivation and engagement will also be discussed.