Reading for Pleasure? Helping Students Get There

'Pleasure doesn’t lead to fluent reading; fluency makes pleasure possible.' David Didau

I recently read two short(ish) articles on the topic of students reading for enjoyment. One written by David Didau, the other Allison David. Links to their pages are at the end of this short blog and also in the resource section. In a nutshell…..they both suggest that reading lesson time should be spent teaching children the skills needed to increase reading proficiency. These skills will insure that reading is pleasurable and easy. And, according to Allison David, a student who has an easy time reading is set to be academically successful…as the ability to read well is a stronger indicator of academic success than family background, education, or income.

According to the authors, successful readers must possess phonetic decoding skills (combining letter sounds to form words), vocabulary proficiency (knowing what words mean), and comprehension mastery (understanding what the words together mean). And the mastery of these skills will help make reading easier. Mastery increases the ability to read a variety of sources for any intended purpose, practical or pleasure.

The bedrock of literacy, before reading skills are ever introduced, is physically reading to the student. Reading to them in the classroom and at home…reading to them before they know what books are…reading to them to inspire curiosity…reading to them so they experience enjoyment in the written word…reading to them even after they have started to read…stirring within them the desire to unlock the mysteries of reading for themselves.

For more insight and ideas read articles…
Allison David
https://www.readingzone.com/news/children-s-reading-for-pleasure-in-long-term-decline/
David Didau
https://daviddidau.substack.com/p/the-myth-of-teaching-children-to