If you’ve heard one too many students tell you that ‘Reading is boring’, then try these reading for pleasure activities from Karl Vadaszffy…
By bringing in books you won’t find on the school’s reading list, you can show pupils that perhaps it’s not the reading that’s boring, but the books they’re reading.
We all know that reading is subjective – what one person loves, another will hate. The key, though, is to work out how to attract students to books so that, on the whole, they have positive reading experiences and, in turn, think positively about books.
Making reading seem fun, exciting and valuable, especially when children have been brought up in a quick-fix culture, is a challenge. But a great solution is closer to home than you might think. Think of what you liked when younger, what you like today and scour the bestseller lists.
Find novels that will grab students, hooking them from page one. After all, bestseller lists are filled with popular novels, and they must surely be popular for a reason.
Karl Vadasjffy is head of English at St Michaelͭs Catholic High School in Hertfordshire. He is also a freelance journalist and bestselling novelist. Browse more reading for pleasure ideas or take a look at our Year 8 English worksheets.
