World Book Day is more than just a date on the school calendar where everyone gets to dress up as their favourite character (note to self: ask HR if it’s okay for us to dress up at work); it is a global celebration of stories, a tribute to authors, and a vital mission to ensure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of reading.

This year, as lick our thumbs and begin to turn the page towards World Book Day 2026 on Thursday, 5th March, the message is clearer than ever: reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success.

I’m Amber, I’m Skolon’s Marketing Specialist for the UK and I have always loved reading. As a child, I devoured Biff, Chip and Kipper books, read Jacqueline Wilson’s entire bibliography and as an adult, I’m greedily voracious when it comes to reading. I have several different books on the go at once – paperbacks, hardbacks, eBooks and even an audiobook just because I like to keep my mind active and I just love the magical transportation of literature.

Personal anecdote aside…

At Skolon, our mission has always been to make digital learning, and by extension, digital literacy, super possible for everyone.

Delving further, we know that the modern classroom is a vibrant, diverse ecosystem. Some students thrive with a physical book in their hands, while others find their way into a story through a screen, a pair of headphones, or an interactive digital canvas… and guess what?

That’s okay!

This World Book Day, we are proud to highlight how our platform, combined with the power of just a handful of our world-class partners, ReadSpeaker, Pickatale, Kami, and Everway, is breaking down barriers and opening up the world of literature to every single learner, regardless of their starting point.

The power of choice: Why “how” we read matters

For many years, reading was defined quite narrowly.

It meant sitting quietly and decoding text on a page, taking a tattered book home and having your parents sign your reading diary to show that you’ve stared at the combination of letters and punctuation on the page.

Today, however, we understand that literacy is a multi-modal journey.

For a child with dyslexia, a student learning English as an additional language (EAL), or a reluctant reader who hasn’t yet found “their” book or their reading voice, traditional methods can sometimes feel like swimming upstream.

World Book Day 2026 coincides with the National Year of Reading, the first since 2009, a UK-wide initiative encouraging families to build reading habits that last a lifetime.

To achieve this, we must embrace the tools that make reading accessible, engaging, and, most importantly, fun!

Through the Skolon platform, schools can access a curated library of over 5,000 digital tools with a single click. By streamlining access, we give teachers more time to focus on what matters: inspiring a love of stories.

Let’s take a look at how just some of our partners are transforming the reading experience this year.

1. ReadSpeaker: Giving every story a voice

Accessibility is at the very heart of inclusive literacy.

ReadSpeaker is a pioneer in text-to-speech (TTS) technology, providing high-quality, natural-sounding voices that turn digital text into an immersive auditory experience.

For students who struggle with decoding or those who suffer from reading fatigue, ReadSpeaker TextAid acts as a bridge. It allows pupils to listen to a story while following the highlighted text on the screen, a method known as bimodal learning. Research shows that engaging both the eyes and the ears simultaneously significantly improves comprehension and retention.

World Book Day Tip: Use ReadSpeaker to speech-enable classic texts or online articles. It’s a fantastic way to ensure that students with visual impairments or learning difficulties are fully included in whole-class “Drop Everything and Read” (DEAR) sessions.

2. Pickatale: An interactive library in your pocket

If the goal is reading for pleasure, then variety, the spice of life, and engagement are key. Pickatale for Schools offers a massive digital library of over 2,500 books, including titles from renowned publishers like Oxford University Press.

What makes Pickatale a World Book Day favourite is its “karaoke-style” read-along feature. As the narration plays, each word is highlighted, helping young readers connect the sounds they hear with the combination of letters they see.

With engaging animations and integrated book quizzes, Pickatale turns reading from a passive task into an active adventure.

For teachers, the live dashboard provides real-time insights into which books are capturing the imagination of the class, making it easier to provide personalised recommendations that keep the momentum going long after World Book Day is over.

3. Kami: Turning passive reading into active exploration

Reading isn’t just about absorbing information; it’s about interacting with it. Kami is the ultimate digital classroom tool that transforms any PDF or document into an interactive workspace, by identifying what’s been scanned and allowing individuals to interact with it

Imagine a class exploring a digital excerpt from a World Book Day title. With Kami, students don’t just read the text; they live in it. They can:

• Use drawing tools to sketch their vision of a character in the margins.
• Leave voice or video comments to explain their predictions for the next chapter.
• Use the dictionary and translation tools to instantly look up unfamiliar words.

Kami empowers students to “markup” their digital books, fostering a deeper level of critical thinking and ownership over their learning. It’s particularly effective for collaborative reading projects, where students can work together on the same document in real-time.

4. Everway (Read&Write): The ultimate literacy toolkit

Supporting neurodiversity is a cornerstone of the modern British classroom.

Everway’s flagship tool, Read&Write, is a literal “Swiss Army knife” for literacy.

For students with ADHD, the Screen Masking feature helps them focus on one line at a time, reducing visual stress and distractions.

For those with dysgraphia or physical disabilities, Talk&Type allows them to dictate their thoughts, ensuring that their creative ideas for stories aren’t held back by the mechanics of writing.

By integrating Everway through Skolon, schools provide a “normal way of working” that supports pupils during daily lessons and extends into exam arrangements, ensuring a level playing field for every child.

Building a sustainable reading culture

At Skolon, we believe that the “magic” of World Book Day shouldn’t be a one-day event. The true value lies in the habits formed and the barriers removed.
Our platform simplifies the “technical” side of things, for example, Single Sign-On means that pupils and teachers aren’t wasting ten minutes of a lesson trying to remember passwords for different apps. They log in once, and their entire world of reading – from Pickatale’s library to Kami’s annotation tools – is literally right there in front of them.

Strengthening the home-school link

We also know that parents and guardians play a vital role in a child’s literacy journey. That’s why we developed Skolon Guardians. This app gives parents a clear window into the digital tools their children are using at school. On World Book Day, parents can see exactly which digital books their child is engaging with, allowing them to continue the “book talk” at the dinner table.

A final chapter

As we prepare for World Book Day 2026, let’s remember that every child is a reader; some just haven’t found their favourite format yet, and they may not for some time, but it’s great to know that there are so many options out there for them for when they do.

Whether it’s through the voice of ReadSpeaker, the interactive library of Pickatale, the creative canvas of Kami, or the supportive toolkit of Everway, technology is the key to unlocking the door to literacy.

At Skolon, we are proud to be the hub that brings these transformative tools together. By removing the friction from digital learning, we allow the stories to take centre stage.

Happy reading to all – however you choose to do it!

This is Skolon – we gather the best digital educational tools and make them work in the classroom.

Skolon is an independent platform for digital educational tools and learning resources, created for both teachers and students. With Skolon, accessing and using your digital educational tools is easy – security increases, administration decreases, and there’s more time for learning.

The digital educational tools come from both small and large providers, all of whom have one thing in common – they create digital educational tools that are beneficial for the school environment.