How We Become Lifelong Readers

How We Become Lifelong Readers

By Jeffrey M. Bowen

When you were a toddler did your parent or a relative tirelessly read stories and nursery rhymes to you?  Was there a special elementary teacher who enthusiastically used books to stimulate your curiosity?   At the dinner table when an odd word cropped up, were you challenged to look it up?  Did someone send you to the local or school library where literary adventures awaited?  

I had these experiences, and perhaps with variations, you did too. These are just a few of the prompts that may lead to a lifelong love of reading.   For instance, by the sixth grade I had devoured every available library book about dogs and knew every breed by sight.  Later on, as a parent and educator, I realized that adolescents who develop a passionate interest can benefit from consuming every relevant piece of literature on the topic.   Lifelong reading needs a trigger, and dogs were mine.

A recent article in Atlantic magazine answered why some people become lifelong readers.  While leisure reading is linked to an array of academic and professional outcomes, the underlying factors are hard to explain.  Motivation is a big stimulus.  The strongest connections seem to be socio-economic background and the culture of reading found in the household.

About half of the American public reportedly have read just one book outside of school or work over the preceding year.   More avid readers account for about 20 percent of adults.   Their habits follow predictable patterns into adulthood.  The earliest readers tend to be more educated, urban, affluent, youthful, and typically female. 

The Atlantic account also suggests that “family scholarly culture” plays a big role.  Books lying around the house provide an excuse to pick one up.  Reading becomes more appealing when it reminds us of chocolate cake instead of spinach. 

Three factors reinforce the lifelong habit of reading for pleasure.  First, becoming a fluent decoder; that is, being able to transition smoothly from print on the page to words in the mind.  Second, bringing background knowledge to the task.  Without some context, one might as well be reading Greek.  Finally, positive motivation should reflect one’s self-image as a reader.  This last factor reminds me of the ambitious elementary kids I used to see hauling around heavy copies of the Harry Potter books.   

Debates about the reading impact of TV, video games, online and mobile devices have grown heated.  Kindles have made library stacks seem antiquated.  Yet my old habits die hard.  I still prefer paging sequentially through a book, ones I can mark up easily, and then store like a historical accomplishment in my bookcase. Even so, I reluctantly admit that the large bright print and cheaper price of electronic books is alluring. 

A deeper concern is that fewer kids are developing the habit of reading.  Little more than a third of American students can read proficiently, based on the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP).  The biggest declines occur in literary experience, not so much in nonfiction reading only for information.  By no coincidence, research shows that, on average, 8-12-year-olds spend five hours of screen time a day outside of school. 

Thus certain trends are becoming evident.  More time spent as a heavy digital user associates with lower reading scores, poor sleep habits and eyesight, weak attention spans, and depressed academic progress.  However, not all of the digital news is bad.  For example, electronic reading programs are helping teachers effectively diagnose reading issues.  Moreover, digital libraries provide broadened access to reading materials.

I take comfort in knowing that high school English classes still require classic novels.   Colleges and universities still prefer students who are culturally literate.  The skills needed to follow a narrative and comprehend text deeply remain an academic aspiration.  Yet digital technology is inevitably reshaping the landscape of leisure reading.

Reading is infinitely practical and useful.  But personal experience has taught me more.  Reading books leads to deep learning especially when it becomes a labor of love.  Hopefully, parents, teachers, and young people will keep finding a good balance between the convenient and immediate outputs of technology and the satisfaction that comes from extended reading for pleasure.         

J.M. Bowen

1/2020