High Schoolers Aren’t Reading Anymore, Here’s Why & The Way Forward

YouTube Video titled 'How I read 100 books a year as a grad student with several jobs and no free time', by Sunny Kim

It’s no secret that children are not reading anymore. While this may not seem like a major issue, research shows that teenage reading is at “an all-time low.”

Reading has countless advantages, including improved academic attainment, empathy, and well-being. However, modern-day teens do not find these reasons enough to develop an interest in reading.

As adults, we can reason with sticking with a process to experience a desired result. Be it waking up earlier to reclaim more hours in our day. Or committing to a new fitness regime to improve fitness levels. Or finally starting that hustle to rake in additional income.

However, when children think about reading, many associate it with a chore or a ‘boring’ activity. This is especially true when this leisure activity is compared to watching TV, catching up with their favourite series, playing a video game, or streaming their favourite TikTok videos.

Why Aren't Teens Reading Anymore?

In an article, the Scottish Book Trust highlights teenage reading habits as at ‘an all-time low’. Though a dwindling general interest in physical books is one of the most obvious reasons for this, a few other barriers prevent young people from truly engaging with literature leisurely.

Though it's common to think technology and social media are responsible for children not reading anymore, it's not that simple. Some of the reasons include:

Lack of access: The Scottish Book Trust's research revealed that some teens have outgrown their books at home, and the books in their school library aren't relevant to their interests.
Misaligned interest: Books they read at school are not relatable to their own experiences or not interesting to them personally.
Representation of reading as an activity: Beyond school and day-to-day life, many teens draw inspiration and are influenced by media formats like TV and film. In this, films.
A lack of patience: Many students aren't interested in sitting alone with a book and reading stories cover to cover (at least not for leisure).

Teens Aren't Reading Anymore: Here's The Way Forward

The reasons teens aren't reading anymore are slightly complex, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. However, I suggest that community is one way to spark their interest again. Book clubs have been around for a while and provide a space for sharing opinions, discussing themes explored, and voicing how they feel about the characters.

Reading in a group can help teens feel less socially isolated, as everyone else will be doing the same. It can also be particularly useful in getting a reluctant reader to participate.

Another way forward is to introduce teens to books in different formats. Some will prefer comics, graphic novels, or audiobooks but are unaware that these exist.

If you'd like some additional tips on helping your teen read more, read this blog post.

The government website has a few top tips on what you can do as a parent to support your child's reading, but if your child is a teenager, these tips may feel a little out of reach. Some of the useful ones on there include reading aloud, encouraging your child to explore different genres and formats of reading,(e.g. audiobooks, ebooks, vooks etc), talking about reading and more.

Dream Team Readers Book Club

With all this in mind, Dream Team Tutoring now runs a book club called Dream Team Reader's Book Club. In this book club, we select a culturally diverse children's book to read collectively throughout the month and spend about one hour or so discussing the monthly pick. There's no pressure to complete the book, but we encourage all attendees to come ready to share their thoughts.

Parents, if you have any questions about the book club, please contact us at hello@dreamteamtutoring.com and we'll be happy to respond.

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