Engaging reluctant readers: Hope Education shares 10 tips and ideas

World Book Day is being held on Thursday 4th March and for the event, leading UK educational resource supplier Hope Education, have decided to focus on the reader who may not be looking forward to celebrating their favourite book: the reluctant reader. Working with teachers and educators, Hope Education has compiled 10 easy to apply tips and tricks to engage reluctant readers of all ages.

  1. Be a reading role model

Children learn by example, so it is always a great idea to make sure you are giving your class a vision of what reading for pleasure looks and feels like. Have books on your desk, be willing to share what you are reading and suggest new books you think your class will like which are not necessarily on your reading list.

  1. Schedule a D.E.A.R

No, we are not talking about penning letters (although it is a great idea to encourage reading!). D.E.A.R known by its full name as Drop Everything and Read is an effort to get pupils reading more often without it being pencilled in. It costs nothing to implement and you simply get every member of the school or class to stop what they are doing and pick up their current book of choice; making reading more of a ‘go to’ activity in a reluctant readers world. Best of all, it gives you, the teacher, a moment to catch your breath and immerse yourself in a different world.

  1. Start a book club

We might be in the midst of a pandemic, but book clubs are still a great way to engage shy and reluctant readers via Zoom for distance learners or in appropriate bubbles in the classroom. Get reluctant readers on board by asking them what they want to read, whether it is a subject, author or length of book. Add some excitement by asking children to design a bookmark or book jacket to accompany the chosen novel.

  1. Fill their world with books

Books, books, books. The more choice you provide children, the better. Although some children may feel overwhelmed with too much choice, so consider creating themes on your classroom book shelves. For reluctant readers at home, encourage care givers to make books more easily accessible at home.

 

  1. Speak to an author

Contact a local author in your area and invite them to join your class electronically through video calling and ask your class to prepare questions for the meeting. Plus, with the ability to connect electronically, it is a fantastic, shared opportunity for home and classroom learners. Encourage reluctant readers to participate by

  1. Donate a book on your birthday

Re-frame how your reluctant readers see books and encourage children to donate a book from their collection to their classroom. Engage them with both the class and the book and ask them to explain the story to the class and why they should read it too. Peer recommendation is a great way to engage reluctant readers.

 

  1. Host a reading challenge

Friendly competition is a great way to engage children who shy away from story books. A reading challenge gives your class a goal and unites both children learning in the classroom and at home and gives them a reason to read. It could be anything from reading a set number of books, to fulfilling a checklist or even recreating a famous scene from a book. Add prizes to really bring the challenge to life!

 

  1. Book of the week

Find some space in your classroom and dedicate it to ‘book of the week’. Whether it is a new arrival, the most read book in class or the novel of a film recently on television; bring one book to life each week in new and exciting ways to encourage children to pick the book up and to read. You could further engage reluctant readers by asking them to nominate their favourite book for book of the week.

 

  1. Craft a reading corner

Put ten minutes into your diary (yes, we know this might be the biggest challenge!) and browse Pintrest and Instagram to give your reading corner a makeover. The importance of crafting an accessible, inviting reading corner in your classroom cannot be understated. Some reluctant readers can feel reluctant to engage with the space, so make sure to include magazines and comics to broaden the appeal and to make the space feel accessible. Once a reluctant reader is in the space, it is far easier to engage them with more weighty literature than the tempting comics!

 

  1. Write book reviews

It has been the favourite of book shops, especially in recent years, but a humble book review can do wonders for engaging with those who may otherwise avoid a book. Encourage children to write reviews of the books they have read and enjoyed and pin them in a special area of your classroom, perhaps the recently revamped reading corner.

Ultimately, these tips are intended to feed into one, big overarching idea…which is that reading is fun! Whichever way you decide to encourage more reading for pleasure amongst pupils, give it your full attention and the time it needs to make reading a regular habit. Before you know it, you will soon find even the most reluctant reader will become a budding bookworm.

In addition to sharing tips for reluctant readers, Hope Education’s Managing Director Chris Mahady and members of the team across the business will be coming together to read aloud from their favourite books on World Book Day on Facebook (www.facebook.com/HopeEducationUK), Twitter (@HopeEducationUK) and Instagram (@HopeEducationUK). Join us on the day to guess their book of choice and come and celebrate one of our favourite days in the literary calendar.

 

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