School curricula focuses heavily on rigid lists of required materials and hitting academic benchmarks. Rarely does a reading-specific curriculum encourage creativity or allow students to read what they want, how they want, at their own pace.
I was always a kid that enjoyed the structure and discipline of your "standard" curriculum. My media icons were the Hermione Grangers and Rory Gilmores. But my experience isn't the standard, and that's why standardized learning can be a hinderance to growth.
If you're already feeling insecure about your reading ability, having your teachers place you on a scale that says you're "below average" while being forced to meet criteria that doesn't interest you can be frustrating and overwhelming. So, how do we engage children where they're at in their literacy journeys?
Understand academic labeling & the pitfalls
We often think of reading on a binary: readers and non-readers.
As internet users, we might associate readers with the aesthetics of BookTube, BookTok, or Bookstagram—pretty shelves with the most popular YA and New Adult books lined with fairy lights and candles. Some setups may have a fantasy or dark academia spin, others might feel color-coordinated and as clean as a chic bookstore's display. In whatever form they come, these aesthetically pleasing online personas often evoke the idea of a reader to us. It's certainly the way the lifestyle of reading that's marketed to us in these microcommunities.
It shouldn't be a surprise that children also have an idea in mind of what a reader looks like. If asked, they can usually tell you if they think they are or aren't in that category.
To them, readers can read well—out loud and quietly to themselves. Readers can read quickly and comprehend everything on the page with clarity and focus. Readers are intelligent and usually one of the smartest students in the class. None of this has to be true, but it's certainly what I used to associate a "reader" with as a child; it's how adults viewed young readers around me. I distinctly remember parents and teachers praising a child who read and read a lot. It was a sign that they were intelligent and capable. That impression of young readers still persists today, and it can come with added pressure for a child.
Some students might consider themselves a non-reader if:
They don't have a home environment that encourages reading
They have a learning disability or disorder that makes reading taxing or difficult
They haven't found the genre, characters, or format that resonates with them, so they think books just aren't their thing
They don't feel as "smart" or as fast of a reader as their peers, so they're disheartened early on when they "fall behind"
Whatever a child's discouragement is with reading, these obstacles can be overcome as a teacher, librarian, parent, or friend of a child who might be struggling to connect with reading.
Academic labels are some of the most damaging in our educational system. While many school systems have worked hard to meet a student where they are and avoid divisive language when we talk about students' educational needs, we still have a long way to go.
"Even when placed in academic courses, students labeled with [a learning disability] may be at a heightened risk of academic marginalization as a result of school processes associated with their label." (Shifrer, Dara, et al., 659)
Studies have proven that students who are associated with learning disorders or disabilities have exhibited negative attitudes towards their education and abilities overall. Kids understand that their academic standing doesn't just put them at a disadvantage for the types of opportunities they may receive later, but it also creates unnecessary competition with their peers in the classroom setting. For some, understanding their learning disabilities or disorders can give the student answers to questions they may have been struggling with internally—questions about why they can't seem to focus like their peers, sit still like their peers, comprehend as quickly as their peers, etc. However, the strain that can come from being told you're not performing at a level that's deemed "normal" will cause frustration.
Reading is a necessary skill, but even the use of the term "skill" can be disadvantageous. It affirms that reading is something that can be taught and earned, but it also suggests that there's a scale of aptitude that may or may not be easily climbed. Systemic and systematic suppression and assumptions about students can affect the opportunities and treatment they receive in and out of the classroom—assumptions and stereotypes can be affected by a student's race, gender, class, and language proficiency. Inherit and learned biases that we have as protectors of children can affect the type of child that we may picture in our heads when we think of someone who is struggling with reading. Once we confront these biases, we can begin the process of making learning a comfortable and accessible experience for all students.
Students deserve the opportunity to feel empowered and creatively learn so they can move past the discomfort of reading. And for those who oppose reading on all fronts, making the experience less dreadful can help them hate it just a little less. That small inch towards enjoyment can open up a world of opportunities for a student.
Trust a student's needs and make them comfortable with learning
Kids know who they are and what they want. There are some children who will naturally be more vocal about it than others—quick to tell you what they do and don't like; what their boundaries are with learning, entertainment, and social interactions. Others might be conditioned to just seek the advice of the adult, even if it's not something that interests them.
Whether you're dealing with a confident child or a reserved one, when a child tells you who they are and what they want, it's your job to listen to them and guide them respectfully.
"Children are fully realized human beings." - Aeriale Johnson
Just as it's true when working with adults, it's true when working with kids that meeting someone where they are and giving them respect for their interests and boundaries can go a long way. Just because a child is a child doesn't mean we, as adults, are owed any information they aren't willing to share, or that our way of guiding them in their literacy journey is the most effective.
Even when you're using programs that are proven to work, that formula can change for another child. You may have to get creative when the usual method doesn't work or makes a child uncomfortable. A child still wants the experience of learning to be safe and fun. Discipline helps them understand structure, but you don't want them to be intimidated by the process.
Put the learning back into the kids' hands:
Let them choose the books that interest them—in whatever genre or format that draws their attention most.
Walk them through the first few pages or complete book for them, and then take care to point out illustrations, themes, and bigger words.
Give them the chance to ask questions and make their own observations.
Have them read through the book at their own pace; always show patience and attention.
Ask them what they think of the book and make sure you know if they want to keep going with it, or if they want to try something else.
Give them breaks and make sure they're in a comfortable environment. They're not in a true classroom setting, so they can feel free to relax some and focus on the task at-hand.
I've incorporated my own additions to learning sessions to help ease students into the experience. This includes the tips below and having toys built for fidgeting and sensory needs. I have a few fidget toys in various colors, and a pack of small Squishmallows (all the rage with these kiddos). When I have these in sessions, I let them pick out what works best for them to hold and fidget with it while they focus on their reading.
Sensory toys aren't just for those with autism or ADHD. Children who aren't diagnosed with any particular condition still need something to calm their nerves when they're being asked to do something that's taxing or frustrating for them. It's the same as the stress ball that's likely sitting on your desk right now.
Sometimes, just squeezing a little froggy companion while they're focusing hard on their words can do wonders. Whatever options you have, clean them after every session. This isn't just a COVID rule. Kids are messy, and you have your own germs you're unknowingly passing along. The cleaner the better.
If you have the ability to play music, find out what music they like. (Sometimes a little pack of earbuds that you can properly clean, set to a low volume, may be necessary if you're somewhere that audible music may not be allowed.) Give the child a playlist that's soothing or potentially not so distracting from the task at-hand. Make multiple playlists that they can listen to.
Consider the least egregious of musical options available to you—nothing with profanity or vulgarity and avoid specific holidays or religious ideals. Neutral and fun. For older ages, upbeat and bouncy music may work fine and not be distracting, but I try to keep the tempo middling to slow.
I have a playlist of gaming music remixes with songs that are classified as Lo-Fi, qualified by terms such as "chill" and "soothing". Games that the kids can recognize make the experience feel more personal without being an overt distraction.
Get involved as a parent/guardian
Reinforcement at home is key, but it's completely fair that not every household has the time together that may be required to work on homework or reinforce good studying/reading habits. That's why it's important to find what time you can, but don't make it a chore for you or the child. Make sure that time together is as enjoyable as it can be. Find something about it to make it a relaxed time and a subject/book in the format that works best for both of you that you can enjoy.
Reading is more than just opening up a hardcover book whose spine is broken and pages well-loved. Reading is still reading even if it's a picture book, comic book, graphic novel, poetry collection, fiction story, ebook, or audiobook.
Practicing writing is just as essential in a child's application of reading. Offer them creative ways to practice their writing. Write a story together, start a journal or art journal where they can be hands-on and try their hand at stream-of-consciousness writing. Find writing workbooks with fun colors and characters that make it fun to create new games or stories out of.
Focus on what you can influence
As Pernille Ripp once said:
"We should help each child believe that they are readers. That books are for them. That they too can immerse themselves in something so deeply that they almost forget to breathe. Yet, I must remember, that if I tell a child that they must love reading, some children will rebel simply on [principle]."
Despite our best efforts, not every child is going to love reading. But just as Ripp has stated, educators, librarians, parents, and friends can help a child hate reading just a little less.
Sources
Shifrer, Dara, et al. “Equity or Marginalization? The High School Course-Taking of Students Labeled With a Learning Disability.” American Educational Research Journal, vol. 50, no. 4, 2013, pp. 656–82. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23526101. Accessed 20 Oct. 2022.
Ripp, Pernille. "On Hating Reading." Pernille Ripp. 18 Aug 2015, https://pernillesripp.com/2015/08/18/why-its-ok-if-students-hate-reading/.