Reading for wellbeing: professional development support resource for primary teaching assistants
This resource for primary school teaching assistants focuses on the role reading plays in children’s wellbeing.
Learning objectives
This professional development resource features renowned author Michael Rosen and focuses on the role reading plays in children’s wellbeing; highlighting contemporary research that explores the internal and external wellbeing benefits of reading, and exploring the mechanisms by which reading can influence children’s wellbeing.
- Recognise the potential wellbeing effects of reading.
- Understand how reading can affect wellbeing.
- Appreciate the adult’s role in reading for wellbeing.
Reading in the curriculum
Reading for pleasure and wellbeing should not be considered secondary to reading for literacy attainment.
Settings have a responsibility to develop a positive reading culture and support children to develop strong reading habits and to read for pleasure.
This is referenced in the National Curriculum, the Reading Framework, the EYFS Statutory Framework and the Ofsted Inspection Handbook.
National curriculum:
“Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.”
page 13
“Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.”
page 14
Reading framework:
“Pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing.”
pages 12 & 13
EYFS statutory framework:
“Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary.”
page 9
What is wellbeing?
Wellbeing is a broad term that covers many aspects of life, from feeling good and building positive relationships to having a sense of purpose and opportunities for personal growth.
Enjoyment of reading leads to higher levels of mental wellbeing. [1]
Engaged readers are 3x more likely to experience high mental wellbeing. [2]
Enjoyment of reading early in life leads to better mental health in adolescence and as children grow older. [3]
Reading provides internal and external wellbeing benefits
Internal benefits
- Self regulation – managing behaviours and reactions
- Self awareness – recognising and relating to others’ experiences
- Perspective and insight - developing empathy and community
Reflect:
Which books or reading experiences had an impact on you when you were a child?
What do you remember about these reading experiences?
Did your reading have an impact on your feelings or mindset?
External benefits
- Empathy and social skills - connecting and communicating with peers
- Fostering relationships - building confidence and lowering stress
- Navigating social contexts - connecting feelings to real life experiences
Reflect:
Can you think of a book you have read that has helped you to empathise with another perspective or set of experiences?
Can you think of a social situation that children might experience that could be supported by a relevant book?
Adults’ role in reading for wellbeing
Supporting children to develop positive reading habits is key to unlocking wellbeing benefits.
- Read quality books with children
- Scaffold pupils’ book choices
- Facilitate discussions about books
Reading with children
Reading lots of high-quality, diverse books with a mix of styles, genres and themes is the most valuable thing practitioners can do with children.
Whether sharing a book with an individual, reading to a group or listening to a child read, aim to make the experience interactive and collaborative.
Revisit module 2 to explore more features of engaging storytelling.
Choice and autonomy
Adults can support children to make independent reading choices by talking to them about their interests, showcasing a diverse range of genres and modelling selection processes.
Get to know children’s interests and find books that align with them to drive engagement. Our Bookfinder tool helps find relevant, high-quality books.
Adults play a key role in scaffolding and supporting book choices, helping children explore diverse genres that, in turn, foster various emotional experiences and wellbeing benefits.
Using your relationships with learners
Recognise when children may need emotional regulation through reading.
Identify social situations where books could help children to process feelings. This might include learning to share or welcoming a new child to the class.
Browse our booklists and Great Books Guide to find relevant books.
Be a reading role model by talking about books you enjoy and how they make you feel. Use questioning to help children relate books to their experiences.
Key takeaways
Reading provides wellbeing benefits for children:
Internal: Self-regulation | Self-awareness | Perspective and insight
External: Empathy and social skills | Fostering relationships | Navigating social contexts
You can unlock these benefits by reading with children and using books to help them explore their feelings and talk about their own experiences.
View this as a presentation
1 Clark, C., & Picton, I. (2018a). Book ownership, literacy engagement and mental wellbeing. National Literacy Trust.
2 Clark, C. & Teravainen-Goff, A. (2018). Mental wellbeing, reading and writing. National Literacy Trust. Retrieved March 17, 2025, https://nlt.cdn.ngo/media/documents/Mental_ wellbeing_reading_and_writing_2017-18_-_FINAL2_qTxyxvg.pdf.
3 Sun, Y.-J., Sahakian, B. J., Langley, C., Yang, A., Jiang, Y., Kang, J., Zhao, X., Li, C., Cheng, W., & Feng, J. (2024). Early initiated childhood reading for pleasure: associations with better cognitive performance, mental well-being and brain structure in young adolescence. Psychological Medicine, 54, 359–373.
Assignment
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Find out how reading can bring wellbeing benefits for children with our new guide, compiled with support from children’s mental health charity Place2Be.