Reading for Pleasure
I’ve been reading Donalyn Miller’s book “Reading in the Wild – the book whisperer’s keys to cultivating lifelong reading habits” (Jossey-Bass 2014). I thought I’d share some pearls of wisdom that relate to why we’ve started the Reading for Pleasure program at Wyndham Central College. Below you’ll find some information about why it’s so important that we encourage reading and what we can all do to help.
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A University of Oxford study found that reading books for pleasure had the strongest link to higher paying professional jobs. No other out-of-school activity for 16-year-olds had such an effect. Not sports, attending cultural events such as concerts or museums or practical activities such as cooking and sewing, had the same degree of positive causality. (p.xx)
Some studies suggest regular reading not only contributes to academic and economic success but also “social and civic sense”. Readers tend to vote more, volunteer more and support cultural events more than their non reading counterparts. “We all benefit when more people” (p.xxi), if readers have such remarkable outcomes, then we all have a duty to ensure as many of our students as possible graduate from our college as readers.
Some students just fall in love with reading - what about those that don't? In Donalyn Miller’s “Reading in the Wild” (2014) the authors assert that it is possible to develop readers by ensuring the following five factors are prioritised.
1. Dedicated time to read.
2. Self-selected reading material.
3. Share books and reading with other readers.
4. Have reading plans.
5. Know what you like to read the topics authors and genres
Children require constant encouragement to read. Developing this habit can require years of effort, one or two years with an encouraging teacher or class, on its own is not enough. (p90) Sadly, negative stereotypes exist for reading and these often thwart the desire of teens to keep reading. If we want children to read more, we must provide them with classrooms, libraries and homes where reading is the norm.
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At Wyndham Central College we have made significant progress toward these goals. Every student at our college has dedicated time to read books of their own choice via our Reading for Pleasure program which occurs during Wyntime at the beginning of the school day. Reading for Pleasure occurs throughout the week with years 7 and 8 having three sessions of Reading for Pleasure and years 9-12 have two sessions each week.
Families can build on this work by asking students what they are reading at school? If you’re not sure what to ask, try some of these.
- What did you read in Reading for Pleasure today?
- Tell me more about it?
- Why did you choose that?
- What are your friends reading?
- What is your teacher reading?
- What would you like to read about?
- Have you visited the school library?
If you have any questions or suggestions about Reading for Pleasure, please feel free to contact me via email at: