Reading by Design
Creating reading opportunities for all through evidence-based research
Our Core Pillars
Evidence-Based Research & Publications
We conduct studies on reading behaviors, engagement & adolescent literacy, translating these insights into actionable policy guides for educators and researchers.
School Library Redesign & Spatial Transformation
We guide schools in applying design thinking to reimagine physical and digital library spaces, making them more appealing, inclusive, and tailored to modern student needs.
Professional Resources & Community Outreach
We provide practical tools, media, and training materials for teachers, school leaders, and librarians looking to build a strong reading culture within schools and the community.
The Reading by Design initiative helmed by researchers and educators from the National Institute of Education, and in collaboration with the Curriculum Planning and Development Division at the Ministry of Education, aims to provide evidence-based research to help educators, researchers and the community to support engaged reading across the lifespan.
Highlighted Publications
The State of Teen Reading: How School Matters Report
Global teen reading is dropping even with endless digital access. Explore key insights to help educators build a thriving teen reading culture in Singapore.
The Decline in Volitional Reading: Evidence-Informed Ways Forward
The position paper explores reading among young people, using evidence and student perspectives to guide better educational practices and policies.
Designing School Libraries of the Future Toolkit
A toolkit introducing design thinking for school libraries, with a self-assessment tool and design walkthrough for schools to personalise their space.
The Reading Lives of Teens: Research and Practice
An edited collection sharing the latest international perspectives on adolescent reading habits and practices, and latest research methodologies.
Highlighted Projects
Reading Futures Study (2024-2026): Decoding How the Next Generation Reads
Print page vs. digital screen: how are secondary students really reading today and where is literacy headed next? Over four transformative years, this study tracks student habits in real time to directly shape the future of English curricula and modern school libraries.
On the Road to Literacy: The MOLLY Bus Project
What happens when you bring a library directly to a child's doorstep? This study explores the reading resources of families in rental flats while tracking children aged 5–9 through a MOLLY bus intervention to uncover how community-based reading programs boost young minds.
English & Mother Tongue: How Are Young Readers Adapting?
Building on an earlier baseline study, this longitudinal study led by Dr Sun Baoqi tracks leisure reading trends among Singapore primary school students over seven years (2020-2027). By investigating how reading habits across English and Mother Tongue languages impact fluency, the project aims to ignite a joyful, lifelong passion for bilingual reading.
Designing School Libraries of the Future
In this design-based study, we work with three schools to envision their future-ready school libraries, and create resources to support schools’ capacity for encouraging reading and learning through the school library.
