3 Strategies to Encourage Pleasure Reading in Secondary Schools

The Value You Can’t Ignore

When discussing reading, whether it’s in an academic paper, a government report, podcast or research blog, one theme will always unite all parties and that is the importance of Reading for Pleasure. There are countless studies which show the impact Reading for Pleasure has, showing its undeniable value in the education and lives of our young people.  

Research by the National Literacy Trust (National Literacy Trust Annual Survey) has found that those children who engaged with literacy are three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing than those who are least engaged. However, in their latest Literacy survey just 1 in 3 children and young people aged 8 to 18 said that they enjoy reading – the lowest since the question was first asked in 2005. Analysis shows that this is a particular crisis for secondary school pupils, as the drop in reading enjoyment is most pronounced amongst children aged 11 – 16.

As a result, more leaders are asking what we can do to encourage pleasure reading in secondary schools. In order to support our children and young people it’s vital that we foster and ignite that love of reading which will not only improve educational outcomes but also support mental health and wellbeing.  

Key Considerations for Reading in Secondary Schools

Knowing where to begin when trying to engage potentially reluctant readers can feel like stepping into a literacy labyrinth.  There are so many suggestions and so many variables. In order to begin the process it’s important to focus on what resonates with each individual or group so that this creates a way to navigate the world of books and ultimately lead the young person towards a love of reading. 

Below are 3 areas to consider initially:

1. Motivation

In his book, Closing the Reading Gap (2020), Alex Quigley discusses the importance of establishing ‘the why’. If we can establish a clear motivation for reading with the young person, this will help firm ‘the why’.  Connecting reading to a person’s interests is crucial. Alex Quigley uses the acronym ‘REAL’ to break this down further.  

R – Am I reading to retrieve information?

E – Am I reading to enjoy?

A – Am I reading to analyse?

L  – Am I reading to make links?

If we can help articulate the reasons and purpose of reading showing that it can encompass these different skills, this acts as a guide for the reader to think about why they want to read.  

This approach to understanding motivation is taken further in Coventry University’s ‘Reading for Pleasure: Reviewing the Evidence’ report.  In this report, they examine the work of Clark & Phythian-Sence (2008) who see engagement and motivation in two broader categories – individual and situational interest.   Individual interest focuses on more specific personal interests whereas the latter is dependent on current context e.g. related to current events and affairs – this could be enjoying crime fiction when popular TV streaming shows become viral.  Understanding what resonates with each reader on an individual and situational level can help teachers guide pupils to understanding which books and genres would capture their interest. Guthrie, Wigfield & You (2012) echo this by stating that we often understand and engage more when a topic or subject is relevant to our needs.  For those that currently struggle with finding ways to promote reading in secondary schools, this gives the first step in unlocking the true motivations and passions of the pupil.  From here, tailored guidance and support to match the needs and interests can be created. 

Additionally, never forget the incredible influence that you as the teacher/educator have.  When working with the Open University, the National Literacy Trust found the following:

“One of the greatest motivators for pupils’ reading habits can be as simple as teachers sharing their enthusiasm for current children’s literature.”

As an important role model, think about the opportunities within the school day to share and recommend books to your classes or form.  The power of suggestion is incredible and for those that don’t know where to start, having advice from a trusted source (such as a teacher) can be that first step into the world of books. 

2. Book Choice

Once the motivations and interests have been established, the next step is deciding which book to read.  UNESCO has estimated that 2.2 million books are published every year. According to ISBN, this would mean there are roughly over 158 million unique books in the world as of 2023. This creates a double-edged sword – a fantastic multitude of books to meet all needs but also so many books, where to begin? 

The KS3 curriculum states:

‘pupils should be taught to: choose and read books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment’

Within this statement, crucially we need to ensure we have taught children how to choose a book relevant to their interests. On the surface this appears a simple task, yet when faced with so many books covering so many topics, it can be overwhelming. This is reflected in the work of Clark & Phythian-Sence’s (2008) who say that if the books aren’t presented in a systematic way which can help students make choices in an informed manner, then actually having a large number of books to choose from can become a negative. With so much to consider, the cognitive overload kicks in and rather than being absorbed in reading, deciding what to read becomes the difficulty – book choice becomes overbearing and cumbersome.  

In his TED Talk, Barry Schwartz the author of the Paradox of Choice, discusses the impact of choice from a study in a US grocery store.  The store had 2 jam stalls with different varieties of jam: one table had 6 varieties, the other had 24.   While the table with 24 was more popular, consumers from the sampling table of 6 flavours were 10x more likely to buy jam.   Neuroscience has shown that our brains prefer smaller sample sizes and we avoid decisions that mean analysing greater groups of numbers.  When applying this to book choice, we need to be mindful of offering too many options – have we shared a short-list of options for readings which can act as a stepping stone into that genre?  Does the school library have recommendations for different themes? Are students involved in discussions about their interests and from this books that would meet their need? We can utilise the principles of scaffolding from our teaching to our support for book choice – how can we help scaffold the journey of book selection for our students? What supports and suggestions will benefit them the most?

Ross (2001) has created a checklist that can act as an initial scaffold to help support students to analyse a book.  These include:

• Analysing the cover – what can we tell from the illustrations, the blurb, the reviews? 
• Thinking about the genre – does this resonate with my personal interests? 
• Does it include qualities of a book I like, e.g. desirable qualities (suspense, unknown settings etc) 

Supporting students to select books which match their needs is crucial to creating motivation and unlocking the joy of reading in secondary school. But remember, it is a process that, for some, may require scaffolds to begin the journey. 

3. Digital Reading

In research to understand more about Reader Identities, both Kolb (Relationships between Discourse, Reader Identity, and Reading Self-Efficacy in a High School English Classroom: A Mixed Methods, Critical Ethnographic Study, 2014) and Hall, (Rewriting Identities: Creating Spaces for Students and Teachers to Challenge the Norms of What It Means to Be a Reader in School. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 2012) found that students in American High Schools only regarded themselves as a ‘reader’ if they were reading in the traditional sense e.g. from a book.  They did not see reading a comic as a form of reading. Therefore, when discussing reading, it’s important to consider and celebrate it in all the various forms.  Digital media is an ever-growing world and if students are engaged in reading activities online this is equally as important as reading from a physical book. PISA found that reading online supported reading development and this led to more proficient readers than those who are not engaged in online reading (OECD, 2010).

This leads to the recognition and benefit of using audio books as well. The National Literacy Trust reviewed the impact of audio books after the pandemic and concluded that it helps to build reading enjoyment (Best, 2020). In their findings from 2021, they discovered that 2 in 5 (44.5%) children and young people said that listening to an audiobook or podcast has sparked their interest in reading books.  A celebration of reading in all its forms is crucial to developing a wider, holistic approach to reading that can encompasses all its varieties. 

What’s Next?

Fostering an environment that promotes reading for enjoyment is no easy task and not something which is a simple add on to the curriculum.  It requires careful thought and consideration about the vision for readers and the necessary scaffolds needed to support all readers in the school to ensure that reading for pleasure is not only part of the curriculum but embedded into it.  

To support schools with this process, the One Education Reading Award has a suite of resources designed to support their schools and their individual needs. The award is split into three areas: Reading for Decoding/Fluency; Reading for Understanding and Reading for Enjoyment, encompassing the whole reading curriculum. These three elements of reading are broken down into key objectives, making the identification of strong practice and next steps clear to schools.  

Over the Reading Award journey, schools use this criteria to guide their development, with an expert-led review of evidence used at the end of the process to assess standards and provide feedback.  With access to over 250 amazing resources, online training and opportunities to visit partner schools, the One Education Reading Award is a truly supportive approach to continuous improvement.  

With proven impact on children’s outcomes, staff knowledge and school systems, the One Education Reading Award is an ideal tool to help support schools to celebrate and develop their Reading curriculum and reading for pleasure.  For further information about the Reading Award please click here.

If you would like further help and support or information about our Reading Award please fill in the enquiry form below or contact our Education Consultant, Liz Dwarampudi liz.dwarampudi@oneeducation.co.uk to find out more.