Rekindle the Love of Reading for Secondary Students
December 12, 2024
I have always been a reader. I can remember asking for “one more” story at night, reading by the streetlight in my bed when I should have long been asleep, and trips to the library all year long, but especially for the summer reading program. The characters in books were constant companions, and their adventures were exciting escapes from reality.
In elementary school, there was designated time for silent reading, and everyone would immerse themselves in a story. As I moved through the school system, I, like many others, was given fewer opportunities to read in school. It was no fault of my teachers or school district; it was simply what happened as we moved through the years. The love of reading to simply read and enjoy gets lost, and, as a high school English teacher, it is a goal and passion of mine to bring this love back for secondary students and beyond!
According to the National Literacy Trust, only 34.6% of 8-18-year-olds said they enjoy reading in their free time. This is the lowest this statistic has been since the NLT began surveying children 19 years ago. This statistic has stuck with me as I planned and prepared for my high school English classes this year.
I have always shared my love of reading with students and offered opportunities for reading, but I wanted to be more intentional with the hope the love of reading would be reignited. I challenged myself to build a community of readers, while simultaneously challenging my students to become (or re-become) readers. High school students are busy. Many are involved in extracurricular activities, hold jobs, play sports, volunteer in the community and more. There is no doubt that their free time is precious, which means that if I value reading, I need to make the time for it in my classroom.
As I have worked to build and celebrate the readers in my classroom, I have learned there are two key components to being successful: time and choice.
Educators know there is never enough time. However, by making the time for students to read self-selected books, they see that I value it. The time could be used for so many different things in the classroom, but by setting aside time to read – even just a five or 10 minutes a day – they recognize it is important. Making it a part of the routine, as much as writing and assessing, adds value. I won’t say that making the time is always easy when there are so many other things to do, but the reward of seeing students reading and asking for more time is invaluable.
Secondary students are independent and thrive on choices. By allowing students to find books that are appropriate for them as an individual is a key component to a reading culture. With the addition of technology, books are literally available to students at their fingertips.
As a lifelong reader, I was surprised by how many of my students did not have library cards. Our local library set each student up with their own card and showed them how to access books digitally. The number of audiobook users exploded in my classes this year! Encouraging and exposing students to different genres allowed each student to find themselves in a story. Through technology, our classroom library and school library, each student was able to find a story that fit their needs and interests.
Simply put, the love of reading ebbs and flows as students move through the traditional education system. Never stop encouraging students to rekindle their love (or at least like) of reading and offering opportunities for reading as possible.
This is the third in a series of guest blogs by the 2024-25 Michigan Regional Teachers of the Year. Laura Baker is an English teacher at Shepherd High School in Shepherd Public Schools.