“I do not like reading.” “Reading is boring.” Reading is old school.” “Reading takes too long.” “I’d rather watch the movie.” I’m sure many of us have heard these lines or something similar when trying to encourage a reluctant reader to read. We will often hear this from children; however, there are a large number of adults who express the same feelings. This could be problematic for us as a country because reading is the foundation for learning. As self-service automation becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, the ability to quickly read and process information becomes more critical. The only way to develop our reading and comprehension skills is through reading practice and for our reluctant readers or non-readers, they are not getting this practice.
A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in March 2018 titled Who doesn’t read books in the United States? found that about a quarter of American adults (24%) say they have not read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic, or audio. I’m sure we can safely make the leap that those who say they haven’t read a book in the past year are those who don’t find reading their preferred activity.
So how do you convince reluctant or non-readers that they really should read more? How do we help this segment of the population understand how critical reading is to everything we do today? How do we encourage those who would rather watch paint dry than read, to pick up a book and read it?
The good news is that everyone has at least one interest and is likely to have several. There is no topic that has not been written about either in the form of a book or an article. In fact, there has never been a better time in our history in terms of access to information. It is literally within our reach. For example, I love aviation and the idea of becoming a pilot, and even though I haven’t gotten my pilot’s license yet, I am constantly reading books, blogs, and articles that I would read if I were a real pilot. I am interested in aviation and flying a plane, so reading about it is not boring or arduous. I share this story to say that the first step is to get the reluctant reader to choose reading material on a topic that they are passionate about. Allow the reluctant reader to choose for themselves and don’t be forced, assigned, or ordered to read something that doesn’t interest them. Internet search engines have done wonders for being able to read about any topic under the sun. Believe it or not, our way of thinking has a lot to do with the way we see reading. Why not make reading fun? Pleasant?
Second, we must prioritize our time to include some reading time each day. Reluctant readers can start with maybe ten minutes a day and work their way up to thirty and then sixty. In the same way that avid television viewers can sit and watch television for hours, avid readers read many books for hours. If you are an avid television viewer, would it be possible to trade one of your television hours for reading about something you are passionate about or would like to know more about? Think about the long-term benefits of learning something new or increasing your vocabulary or strengthening your comprehension skills. Reading fuels lifelong learning.
This is for the teachers and parents who may be reading this; Never assign reading as punishment. By assigning reading as punishment, we are sending the wrong message and signal. We don’t want anyone to associate something negative (punishment is negative) with something we’d like to see more of, like in this case, reading.
Once the reluctant reader has begun to view reading as something they enjoy, they should use downtime, such as waiting for appointments, relaxing after work, etc., on planes, trains, and buses as opportunities to read a book. bit. Like anything else, reading can and should become a positive habit.
A final step for the reluctant or non-reading reader is to share what you have read either in conversation or instruction. It is said that the best way to learn something is to teach it, and can you imagine how proud a reluctant reader would be of himself after teaching someone else about a subject he read about? Just as we get excited and tell others how great a movie is, we should also get excited and tell others how great a book or article is. We must generate the same kind of excitement that we generate with movies, concerts, sporting events, and other book-related entertainment.
In conclusion, I quote the what we do and why from the Reading Is Fundamental website (www.rif.org) to help us better understand why this article is important:
There is a significant and cyclical literacy crisis facing America today and it begins with our children. Twenty-five million children in the US cannot read proficiently.* RIF believes that together we can make a real difference and set our children on a path of growth and opportunity.
While 76% is a good number, I think we can do even better. 76% are mediocre and mediocrity should have no place in the United States of America. It is up to us who are in the 76% to encourage the 24%. We all need to be lifelong learners and that starts with being lifelong readers.
