Children Who Enjoy Reading Are Happier, Says Irish Children's Laureate
Research indicates that children who engage in reading "are happier people," according to Patricia Forde, the Irish Children's Laureate (Laureate na nÓg), during her visit to Northern Ireland promoting the value of reading and writing.
Forde visited Donegall Road Primary School in Belfast, where pupils have participated since September in a special programme organized by Fighting Words NI.
The charity collaborates with children from high-need schools to enhance their creative writing abilities and has partnered with the Irish Children's Laureate to motivate young people to .
Donegall Road Primary School pupil Scarlett, aged nine, expressed her enjoyment of the workshop, stating,
"because you get to draw the pictures and you get to draw the characters"
She added,
"it's very complicated because you have to think of the ideas".
Speaking at the school ahead of World Book Day, Forde emphasized that children who are read to and who read independently,
"do better in school, better in life and, this is the killer, they are happier people."
This year, World Book Day coincides with the National Year of Reading 2026.
The Irish Children's Laureate initiative, which celebrates literature for children and young people, is supported by Ireland's Arts Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Forde identified one of the main challenges in encouraging children to read today as competition from technology, especially computer, television, or tablet screens.
She stated,
"Parents make readers. Reading to your child when they're going to bed at night. Teachers make readers. Taking time every day in school to say we're not going to do anything now, you're just going to listen to a story.
We can compete – but we have to up our game."
'You Have Lots of Ideas'
Eight-year-old Ishan is among the pupils participating in the Fighting Words NI programme.
He shared,
"At first you don't want to write,"
adding,
"But when you get in there you have lots of ideas that you want to write and when they say stop you're like, 'oh man I want to write a lot more'."
Julie Annette, the P5 teacher at Donegall Road Primary School, has observed significant progress throughout the school year as the programme has continued.
She explained,
"Part of the programme is to monitor four or five children specifically but it's a small class and I've been able to see a development with all of the children."
Annette selected children who were reluctant readers and writers and who "struggled to find creativity and to find imagination."
She noted improvements in,
"Their confidence and self esteem, their interest and also just the fact that they're willing to write something and get up and share it with the rest of the class which they wouldn't have been beforehand."
Making Writing Fun and 'Sparking Joy'
Hilary Copeland, director of Fighting Words NI, stated that by fostering a child's "confidence, creativity and communication skills," the charity prepares them for future challenges.
The organisation is currently working with five primary schools in Belfast over a three-year period.
Copeland explained,
"The schools might have quite a mix of pupils in the classroom - special educational needs, newcomer pupils and we have pupils who might struggle with reading or writing skills."
She added that the primary goal is to make writing enjoyable and to "spark joy."
What is World Book Day?
World Book Day is an annual global event held on the first Thursday of March to celebrate books and reading.
Parents are often encouraged to dress their children as book characters for school to mark the occasion.
In recent years, some schools in Northern Ireland have promoted decorating potatoes instead, as a cost-saving measure.
