Seriously and simply. Make the reading experience as fun as you can make it. There are so many different ideas that come to mind when I think of how to make reading enjoyable for the child and adult alike. But, what it really boils down to is . . . what does “fun” look like for the individual in question.
One person’s idea of fun is not necessarily the next person’s idea of fun. So, I want you (as the adult reader or as the adult of the child reader) to truly break down what incentivizes you or your child/student to read. What’s in it for you or him or her? There has to be a draw (a pull) somewhere. And, it’s your job to find where that draw or pull resides.
Now, I’m going to take the discussion to the “mandatory reading” focus for just a moment. “Mandatory” tends to have one of those negative connotations automatically assigned to it. And I think a lot of the negative vibing comes from the idea that you really don’t have a say in the matter. You’ve been given a directive, more than likely without any of your input, and you’re expected to carry it out (regardless of whether you approve of it or not).
Does that sound about right?
So, when you’re looking into the reading experience for yourself or your child/student, we ALL know that mandatory reading is a given. We see examples of this all the time in such arenas as formal education and the job scene. You know you’ve been given a reading assignment or two or a bunch that you would never choose to read of your own volition. And, you did what you were instructed to do. You read whatever it was you were instructed to read but didn’t enjoy the reading experience. Probably because you were forced to engage with material that didn’t interested you on any level.
So, think about what I just said in the reverse. If you had the option to choose your reading assignment — I mean . . . you had all the freedom to acquire the reading source of your dreams — what would it look like?
In fact, I want you to do a little voluntary reading assignment for me, pretty please? It involves the 10+ questions below, which will help formulate what floats your boat when it comes to reading material. Check out the following questions for you and your child/student to ponder:
- What do you find entertaining when reading?
- What do you find interesting when reading?
- What kind of reading material makes you think?
- What kind of reading material makes you want to investigate/explore more?
- What kind of reading material makes you interact/actively participate with it?
- What kind of reading material is hard for you to put down?
- What genre of reading material can you read over and over again?
- What book series have you enjoyed reading?
- Are there books that you’ve read more than once? If so, why?
- What characteristics must a book/reading material possess in order to get your attention?
The 10 (really 11) questions I just presented to you are a way to help you distinguish the kind of reading material that may incentive you or your child/student.
Why not make reading fun, enjoyable, entertaining, engaging, interactive, exploratory, thought-provoking . . . for YOU? It has to be about YOU and what works for YOU. Remember: we’re not all wired the same way when it comes to our reading preferences. And, what works for one won’t work for all. I can guarantee that.
As a matter of fact, take me, myself, and I for just a moment. I’m currently reading a book by author Joanna Penn, entitled Audio for Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting, and Voice Technologies. Some might say, “BORING!” And, they would be entitled to their opinion. The book is not a fiction novel that will take me to faraway places in Utopiaville, where everything looks, feels, smells, sounds, and tastes better.
No, this book I’m currently reading is not that type of book. But, it interests me just like a fantasy book might interest the next person. I’m very passionate about audio and getting more and more into doing audio work. So, this type of reading material is my jam right about now. The helpful information is quite engaging to me and makes me want to interact with it by following the tips that are outlined in its words on the pages. Therefore, I’m reading for fun and being educated at the same time. WIN-WIN all the way around.
Hey, and if you’re interested in audio work such as voicing audiobooks and podcasting, you might want to check out Joanna’s book as well. Within her book, she includes additional references to go to (outside of her book) that might also be interesting to you as you go on your pursuit of audio. Check it out by clicking on the link below:
Audio for Authors(This post contains an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases if you choose to use the Amazon.com link above. Please read my full Disclosure for more information).
But, that’s just me and what incentivizes me to read these days. I enjoy reading about topics that can help me in my career as a creative entrepreneur. Very enjoyable for me — maybe not so much for you. And that’s what makes reading so individualized and why mandatory reading usually doesn’t work when it comes to catching everyone’s interest. Simply stated, the “incentivizing to read” process is a process that caters to the unique individual each of us represents.
In wrapping up this discussion, I want to leave you with this recap of what I’ve been trying to say this whole blog post. And here it goes: figure out what you (and/or child) like to read (refer to your answers for the questions above) and do more of THAT reading. In this voluntary reading space, you have a choice in the matter. Incorporate your type of reading into your weekly reading regimen to help balance out those reading assignments that are less enjoyable but have to be done. And that, my friend, is one way to make reading fun.
degreesofmaternity.com 
I’m telling you Phil — I absolutely love hearing about the actual methods of teaching used in the classroom. It’s real-life stuff, and I appreciate learning from it. It helps me to formulate the direction that I’m going in my pursuit to help young learners. And, I do think it’s more difficult to get an older child to develop a deeper appreciation for reading when it wasn’t instilled, promoted, and cultivated in that child at a very young age. I think that’s why my focus has always been drawn to the elementary-age child. My goal is to encourage reading and writing development at the foundation, so that that foundation can start out with a strong appreciation for reading and writing early on and keep on growing from there. I know you worked with the older age groups of children; but if you can think of educational resources or methods that you’ve seen provide growth results in the young reader and writer, please feel free to enlighten me. I’m wanting to continue in my pursuit to incentivize children to read and write by bringing in strategies that will motivate them to grow in their learning. Thanks so much for sharing with me. I feel like I’m one of the students in your class. Hee. Hee. Have a great day, Phil.
LikeLike
Jana, “Read what you enjoy” – excellent recommendation! From my experience most readers will certainly get more satisfaction when reading a book that they have selected themselves. Students in the classes I have had experience with certainly prefer this, although about half of a class will appreciate a class reader where the whole class reads and explores the book together. Usually the class then has to answer questions on the text and make their own assumptions about the characters. The major problem with this is that the other half hardly participate at all as the subject matter is of no interest. Books selected by the students are usually reviewed by each student answering certain questions as they go (plot, sub-plot, characters, writers motives, underlying messages etc). For those who can be coaxed to read regularly and independently, your suggestion to “Read what you enjoy” is certainly very relevant. I cannot say that I have ever managed to get any high school student to read regularly and independently if they had not learnt to read and enjoy it in primary school. The answer is – they must be proficient early in their education – their ability and subsequent enjoyment will not come later.
Regards, Phil
LikeLiked by 1 person