Nine months on from Bett 2026, one conversation has stayed with me.

Beyond the platforms and product demos, one of the most meaningful threads at Bett 2026 was a shared concern for engagement.

Why reading for pleasure is in the spotlight

This year is the National Year of Reading, an initiative from the Department for Education in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. Reading for pleasure remains one of the strongest drivers of lifelong learning, and in a technology-rich world, the stories we offer children need to feel relevant to the world they are growing up in. The campaign aims to tackle the significant decline in reading enjoyment across the UK and reconnect people of all ages with reading as a relevant and immediately rewarding activity.

Literacy at the heart of Bett 2026

In the Bett Arena, there was a fireside chat between Andrew Ettinger, Director of Education at the National Literacy Trust, and bestselling author of the Skandar series, A.F. Steadman.

A.F. Steadman spoke about her series, which features “bloodthirsty unicorns and magic”, and I found myself reflecting on how these themes could be linked to technology. One immediate connection is through conversations around drones, flight, and emerging flying technologies, helping learners make links between imagination and innovation.

A.F. Steadman also shared a number of practical insights into fostering reading for pleasure and encouraging both learners and adults to fully embrace the National Year of Reading. Key messages from the discussion included:

• Talk about why you enjoy a book.
• Encourage whole-school reading, so pupils and adults alike can share different interpretations and points of interest. Adults need to model reading.
• Promote reading across the curriculum, not just in English lessons.
• Children are inspired to write after meeting an author.  Invite authors into school and ask learners to write reflectively about the author visit.
• Creativity and grammar do not always go together. If you want to write, just write. Make mistakes. Even authors make mistakes, and Steadman encouraged the audience to spot errors in the Skandar books.
• Read anything – books, on-screen texts, song lyrics, graphic novels. Ignite a love of reading in the format that the reader enjoys.
• Do not use reading as a punishment, for example, “read for twenty minutes and then you can go on the PlayStation.”
• For some learners with SEND, reading can be challenging, but it needs to be fun and accessible through formats such as comics, audiobooks, and by working with organisations like the Dyslexia Association and the Campaign for the Blind.

Reading for Pleasure Through a Tech Lens

Earlier, I alluded to making links with technology, which is rapidly changing our world and will shape the future lives of learners. Through a tech lens, here are some of the ways reading for pleasure and technology can be meaningfully combined:

• Ask learners and adults to recommend tech-themed titles to one another. The non-profit Technology Books for Children offers recommended tech-themed titles and supporting resources to help schools discover relevant books.
• In a world dominated by online gaming, where do books fit? Learners can read a book linked to Minecraft and then play the game, or vice versa, strengthening comprehension and engagement.
• If learners have experienced an author visit, writing about that experience helps place them firmly in storytelling mode. Also, if learners have participated in a tech enrichment activity, ask them to write a story about their tech experience.
• Some learners may worry about making mistakes when they write, but as A.F. Steadman said, and I quote – “just write”. Through using tech tools such as spell and grammar check, learners can be supported, and this can reduce anxiety and build confidence.
• For learners who find physical writing difficult or disengaging, speech-to-text tools provide alternative ways to express ideas and share stories.

Where reading and technology come together

Across the Bett show, there were also opportunities to connect reading with technology through structured programmes, including Reading Eggs, an online reading platform which features tech-themed titles, and the Pickatale digital reading platform, which also surfaces technology-focused books.

This year, Pickatale has also introduced an AI picture book creator, supporting learners in reimagining reading through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Using this tool, children can create, think critically, share, and read books in multiple languages. This approach supports children in taking ownership of AI output and using AI safely, creatively and responsibly.

I have also reflected on a phrase you may have heard before – “We need to ensure that children see themselves as readers”.  This is done through ensuring that children see themselves reflected in the stories they read.  In a tech-driven, digital and AI shaped world, tech-themed books can offer a powerful bridge between literacy and the digital world children are already navigating, by helping them to explore technology through narrative, curiosity and imagination.

Embedding tech themed texts

For educators and industry professionals working with edtech, the National Year of Reading presents a shared opportunity to ensure that reading for pleasure evolves alongside technological change, helping to create confident readers who are better equipped for the future.

The non-profit Technology Books for Children is supporting parents and schools navigate this space by curating tech-themed titles that support both literacy and digital understanding, helping children discover stories that reflect the world they are growing up in.

As we begin to look towards Bett 2027, I hope the conversation about the future of education technology also leaves room for a deceptively simple question: what are our children reading, and do those stories help them make sense of the world they are growing into?