Techniques To Inspire KS2 Children to Read For Pleasure

October 21, 2018

Encouraging students to read for pleasure helps students, parents and teachers alike. If they naturally like to learn, they will be willing to go further in their studies and be better able to conquer unfamiliar subject material. Fostering a sense of responsibility and curiosity in students is nurtured by instilling in them the habit of reading for pleasure. Independently choosing books that pique their interest helps them to develop into well-rounded individuals with a passion for knowledge. They can read books related to favourite hobbies, things they are already learning in school, or things that they want to learn more about. Or if it just books that scare them off, you can take a look at these 5 techniques to encourage reading with no books involved!

Lifelong readers all have one thing in common: they have a deep love of reading. Creating that routine in early education makes reading a comfortable hobby that the student can enjoy for their entire lives according to Point to Point Education. Additional encouragement and support in the classroom give students confidence and the tools they need to develop into students with a passion for reading.

It’s an activity that students and people of all ages and abilities can participate in, and a teacher’s help can go a long way in making a love of reading a permanent fixture in the life of a child. Peers and adults alike can support each other in their reading in different ways. Reading challenges are one way that schools and teachers can make reading fun and exciting. Students can compete for the total number of books read as well as understanding of the material in reading challenges.

Peers can discuss their favourite books together, and at the end of the year, whoever does the best in the reading challenge gets recognised with a certificate or award. This allows for friendly competition that promotes learning and reading can be a fun experience for everyone, and those students that do exceptionally well are rewarded for their hard work and dedication, making it more likely that they read for years to come.

Helping children pick out both fiction and non-fiction books lets them be more well rounded as readers as well as individuals. They might be interested in age-appropriate magazines or comic books, and these can offer them valuable learning opportunities and might develop their interest in writing. Reading in their free time helps children to be curious and engaged in school. In their independent studies, they might learn subject matter that is important yet not covered in school. When they do learn it in the classroom, they will have a multidimensional perspective on it based on their own knowledge.

Create the Setting

The best way to help students to be independent readers is to create an environment that is conducive to it. Every educator has different methods in encouraging reading. Some might have a small classroom library, or others might bring students to the library at the school.

A personal library at home is a great way for students to develop a reading habit and to have a collection that they can show off. Carving out specific reading time, optimally daily, is another way that students will become more invested and engaged in their learning.

Another good tactic is to have a comfortable reading area, with a soft chair or seating where students can read either alone or together, and to have a policy where students can get equal time in the reading area.

Some schools have a school-wide daily reading time where students are obligated to read a book of their choosing. This can have good benefits, such as seeing their peers immersed in learning as well as students knowing that they are responsible for their education.

If this isn’t a school policy, try to make it a policy in the classroom on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Students with teachers who value reading and let them know that are more likely to take an interest in reading.

KS2 Reading List:

Here is a selection of books that you can add to a child’s required reading list or a classroom’s library appropriate for the KS2 age. Take a look at these Mazzini reading lists for kids for more ideas.