London: Children may be reading more passages in school than ever, yet many are finding less pleasure in reading books. An emerging debate is questioning whether the way reading is taught could be partly responsible for this change.
When books become endless exercises
A recent discussion in The Spectator highlights a concern familiar to many parents and teachers: children are often asked to analyse short extracts rather than simply experience a complete story.
Instead of following a novel from beginning to end, pupils may spend lessons identifying metaphors, adjectives, sentence structures and other literary techniques. The approach can help develop specific language skills, but critics argue that it can also make reading feel like an examination rather than an enjoyable experience.
The article points to the growing emphasis on assessment, suggesting that children can become focused on finding the correct answer instead of becoming absorbed in the world created by a book.
From curious readers to ‘hasty readers’
The concern extends beyond whether children enjoy reading. The article refers to recent PISA findings and describes a growing group of students as “hasty readers” — those who move quickly through text but struggle with more complex questions requiring deeper understanding.
Some teachers also report that children can read words aloud and identify literary devices but struggle to retell a story, imagine what might happen next or understand a passage in its wider context.
Bringing back the joy of stories
The debate does not suggest that teaching language skills is unnecessary. Rather, it raises a question about balance.
Children need opportunities to study how language works, but they also need time to become lost in a story, discover characters and read simply because they want to know what happens next.
A child who grows up seeing books only as examination material may eventually associate reading with work. Giving children opportunities to read complete books for pleasure could help ensure that learning to read also means learning to love reading.