As schools increasingly emphasize grades, the space for high schoolers to freely engage with literature decreases. For younger children, reading starts off as a joyful activity and a reward at times. The colorful tales of picture books create new worlds, offering a sense of adventure early on. From listening to the whimsical tales of Dr. Seuss to fantastical bedtime adventures, stories become an essential vessel of pleasure for kids. Allowing children to engage with books sparks curiosity and creativity, fostering a better sense of imagination and a love for reading.
This narrative seems to remain consistent among many adolescents today. However, as they progress through their journeys in school, this joy is overshadowed by a stricter approach to reading generated by the high school system. Reading becomes a duty where students are assigned work that focuses on critical analysis rather than personal enjoyment. Reading comprehension, interpretation, and analytical essays are the linchpins that lead to the decline of a student’s love for literature.
The curricula schools offer develop crucial analytical skills yet miss the mark when addressing the intrinsic love for reading young students have. English classes in high school emphasize the classics, picking apart themes and doing character studies that turn reading more into a multi-layered chore than a hobby. The approach lacks emotional engagement with literature, destroying the natural enjoyment reading provides, and overwhelming students with the pressure to analyze writing. The result is a generation of readers overwhelmed with reading in school and little time to explore reading that excites them.
To reignite the intrinsic passion students have built up since they were young, schools must learn to balance the burden of academic reading with opportunities for personal reading. Through the Freshman Capstone Project, for example, students are encouraged to explore books they find interesting outside of the classroom, inspiring students to reconnect with the joy of reading through their means. Such projects are greatly beneficial to a student’s growing interest in literature.
If executed properly, school curricula can encourage reading as a lifelong hobby, not just a chore to complete for grades. The benefits extend beyond just personal entertainment with many studies linking reading to increased focus, increased emotional intelligence, and increased cognitive function. It also functions as a stress reliever, allowing teens to escape reality for some time. By making reading enjoyable again, schools can help students develop a lasting hobby that improves lives as they navigate their academic journeys.