Reading delightfully = part of everyday life

In celebration of the Icelandic Language Day, the aim is to work on a new literary policy as part of strengthening the status of Icelandic. Underlying this is the survey results conducted by the Icelandic Literary Center in October 2025, which shows that fewer and fewer people are reading and/or listening to books. Despite Icelanders still reading for almost an hour a day, there are clear signs that we are reading fewer books and spending less time on reading. 

LESA's organizers have made it one of the objectives of the LESA reading game to pave the way to increased leisure reading, but to achieve this, reading among children needs to be increased. 

To boost reading - access to a variety of materials is needed, along with encouragement and help to make reading a habit. We need to incorporate leisure reading into our daily routine: brush teeth, have breakfast, exercise, and read a book. 

How do we fit reading into our daily routine?

• Encouragement like reading competitions can help. For example, the Great Reading Competition, which was recently held, but schools have been holding primary school reading competitions for many years. The children compete in the number of minutes spent on leisure reading, and the competitive spirit has a positive effect.  

• Book clubs and reading groups in schools and workplaces -  we read more when reading becomes a shared goal.

• Conversations about books. Schools could nominate a book of the week or host a book discussion at the library where authors visit or children talk about interesting books.

• Utilize audiobooks and e-books more.

• Link reading to children's interests - sports, technology, video games to break the ice for leisure reading. 

• Support parents and children in incorporating reading into the routine.

National Reading Plan

A country like Norway has achieved success in reading with coordinated reading plans, where libraries, schools, and media work together. Their premise is that reading skills are a foundation for learning, participation, and activity in society. Among what Norwegians do is to strengthen daily reading habits in the classroom, with a requirement of at least 15 minutes of daily leisure reading in all grades.  

In Japan, according to official policy, emphasis is placed on increasing access to books and libraries in schools and communities. The Japanese aim to enhance daily reading habits and support teachers and parents to ensure everyone has the opportunity to develop their reading skills. In Japan, there are also shared reading times in schools where children read in silence.  

We can learn a lot from what other nations are doing regarding reading and reading skills, so it’s appropriate to examine what works well. At home, we need to further develop and follow up on the “National Reading Pact” with clear goals, follow-up, and measurements to see progress. We need to elevate the National Reading Pact and craft a refined contribution to the overall education strategy.