Reading a book shouldn’t seem like a chore. However, that is what many parents report: their bright, engaged, curious and capable children are simply not reading for pleasure.
The other side of the coin is that students are not reading books, but they are, in fact, reading: it’s just on their phones. The reality is that in our technological society, digital reading is a very different kind of reading. Scrolling, texting, chatting, snapping or skimming snippits, while technically reading, doesn’t add up to the same quality of reading that books provide. Deep reading—the kind that builds complex reasoning, rich vocabulary, and emotional empathy—is no longer the norm, and students are out of practice.
An Atlantic article, The End of Reading is Here by Rose Horowitch, examines a growing trend toward students becoming “post-literate.” The article doesn’t say that students are not able to read, but rather that the way they read has replaced long-form, focused reading.
When students stop reading long-form novels, they miss out on so much more than a good story. They miss out on key cognitive skills that lead to academic success.
The reality is that reading requires sustained focus and attention, as well as a host of complex cognitive skills that help students make sense of what they read, process it, and form an opinion. Reading is cognitively complex work, and it matters.
Excerpts of Text in Classrooms
If your student looks at a long page of text and feels daunted, they are not alone. Reading instruction in the classroom has evolved.
To prepare students for standardized exams, many school boards have relied heavily on short excerpts accompanied by quick comprehension questions. While this helps children practice finding quick facts within a paragraph, it skips the important steps required to navigate a 200-plus page book.
And, when students head to college, this lack of practice with long texts catches up with them quickly. It’s not that they are incapable of reading longer materials; they have not built up the necessary reading stamina to process and understand them.
Flexing the Cognitive Reading Muscles
The brain works just like any other muscle in the body; it needs practice and repetition to become skilled at a task. Simply put: the more a student tackles a task, the better they become at it.
Children are not born with reading skills; they build them step by step. First come letters, then sounds, words, vocabulary, and the ability to read a sentence and understand it. When students read a book, they are performing elite-level mental tasks simultaneously:
- Active visualization: picturing settings, characters, and actions without visual prompts.
- Working memory: remembering dozens of character arcs, plot points, and background details in mind over several days or weeks.
- Analytical reasoning: inferring motives, recognizing tone, and evaluating an author’s underlying message.
Not surprisingly, when students read only video captions or short text excerpts, long-form paragraphs and novels can feel both frustrating and annoying. Their brains are not accustomed to it.
Luckily, all is not lost: with the right structure and learning strategies, students can rebuild their capacity for deep, sustained reading.
Rebuilding that capability for long-form reading takes patience, structure, and the right learning strategies.
Strategies to Rebuild Reading Stamina at Home
Reading is a part of everyday life. Luckily, rebuilding the right skills to reap the cognitive benefits of long-form reading doesn’t mean a complete ban on screens or long hours of reading a book.
Restoring the right reading habits is easy with a plan and a few proven approaches.
Use a Stamina Ladder
From all screen time to no screen time is not realistic. Rather than banishing phones and expecting kids to dive into a classic bit of literature, set a manageable daily offline reading target.
Start with a 15-minute target of screen-free reading with an easy-to-read book. Once that feels comfortable and stress-free, gradually increase the time by five minutes each week and the book difficulty.
Read with a Pencil
Skimming a book—moving eyes over the page without processing— is passive. Real reading, on the other hand, is an active process. A simple way to make what you read stick even more is to take notes as you read.
Whether they underline a word or a sentence, write a question in the margin, or add a star beside a noteworthy passage, using active annotation keeps their brain extra engaged while reading.
Beyond “What’s it About?”
Make talking about reading part of the overall reading strategy. When students discuss plot points and characters, it can strengthen their understanding of the material and improve recall. But don’t just ask questions about the plot: try asking more open-ended questions that can lead to discussion, such as:
- “Why do you think that character made that decision?”
- “How would the story change if it were set in modern times?”
- “Did you agree with how the author ended that chapter?”
Audiobooks Are Books, Too!
An important part of reading is enjoying a good story. If your child is unmotivated to read novels, listening to an audiobook can be helpful. Listening to a good story and getting hooked can serve as a stepping stone that encourages children to start reading.
An audiobook can bridge the gap between word recognition and comprehension, allowing students to enjoy the stories while building confidence.
Learn more about reading vs. listening and how kids learn here.
Unlocking Confident Reading with GradePower Learning
Learning how to read and how to read deeply and critically isn’t just about getting better grades in English class. It is about giving your child the tools they need to process complex information, think independently, and feel confident.
If your child is struggling with reading comprehension, keeping up with school studies, or losing confidence in their academic abilities, we are here to help.
Our customized reading programs focus on teaching students how to learn, building core cognitive skills, and developing reading stamina and lifelong self-confidence.
Ready to help your child rediscover the joy of confident reading?
Find a location near you today.
