A seminar themed "Inheriting Knowledge Through Books: Pathways to Promote Family Reading in the Context of National Reading Legislation" was held in Beijing on March 23. Experts and scholars from the education and publishing sectors gathered to discuss how to translate national reading legislation into grassroots practice and explore the final steps needed to move from "national reading" to "family reading."
The year 2026 will mark the first full year of implementation for the National Reading Promotion Regulations. These regulations fill a legal gap in the rule of law as it pertains to the reading sector. For the first time, the regulations legally establish a National Reading Activity Week, set for the last week of April each year. They also stipulate that funding for national reading initiatives must be included in the fiscal budgets of county-level governments and above, and that the development of reading infrastructure should be incorporated into urban planning. These concrete and actionable measures provide solid support for the in-depth development of national reading.
From an educational perspective, a researcher and core expert from the National Language Curriculum Standards Revision Group highlighted the profound impact of the regulations on youth reading. She specifically focused on Articles 29, 32, and 39, pointing out two key terms: "Juvenile and Children's Reading Plan" and "Reading Courses." This is the first time such a reading plan for young people has been explicitly proposed within a reading regulation. The implementation of this plan involves schools, parents, and society at large, requiring comprehensive planning regarding which books children should read, the applicable age ranges, and the respective responsibilities of each party. The establishment of reading courses aims to improve the quality of reading guidance, clarifying what to read, where to read, and the methods to use.
It was emphasized that reading courses should not be confined to schools, and the pool of reading guides should be expanded accordingly. Family reading is a form of family life, a shared reading behavior and activity participated in by all family members. Family reading should not be simplistically defined as parents instructing children; books for parents and children can be placed together, borrowed and recommended mutually, allowing for the sharing of reading experiences within an equal relationship.
Reading care must extend to every member of the family, with particular focus on the key groups of the very young and the elderly. With the aging of the population, retirees who are in good health and possess a certain level of education have become a significant part of the readership. However, current reading resources often present challenges such as fonts that are too small, books that are too heavy, and glare from glossy paper. Public reading facilities and home reading environments also require further improvements in age-friendly design to ensure that elderly individuals can easily access and enjoy reading services.
Participants agreed that a most significant change following the implementation of the national reading legislation is the shift from merely advocating "reading more" to deeply exploring how to build a sustainable reading ecosystem. Schools, families, and society must collaborate to ensure that high-quality reading resources equitably benefit every household, truly bridging the final gap from "national reading" to "family reading."