I’m going to begin with the assumption that my readers are intelligent and smart people. And they don’t want to be told (once again) that reading matters.
There are enough and more posts, articles, blogs, and listicles enumerating the importance of reading and how it impacts us.
Enough time has been spent talking about it. It’s almost like telling people why sleep is important while they scroll at 2:00 am.
Everyone agrees that reading is good. They list out the benefits. Yet … fewer people are reading.
Weird, right?
The problem is not awareness. It’s the commitment to making it a habit.
Reading hasn’t failed because people don’t value it. The primary reason is it hasn’t found a place in our daily life. It’s become like a cool accessory you like to flaunt but don’t use it regularly.
Reading Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All
I get it. I’ve had a variety of students, from passionate readers to one who avoid reading like some contagion.
Not everyone relates to books the same way.
Some are binge readers who disappear with books for weeks and then don’t touch one for months. I call them the ‘seasonal readers’.
You also have reluctant readers, who associate reading with pressure, marks, or assignments. They’ll read the required number of pages and be done with it.
Most fall into the distracted reader category. They genuinely want to read but easily get distracted. Can’t hold their attention for more than five pages without wanting to check their phone.
None of them, doesn’t matter the category, are bad readers. They’re just trying to fit into a version of reading that isn’t compatible with them.
Picking up the wrong genre or time or location – any of these could be the reason.
Habits stick when they respect your temperament and not when they are forced.
Habits Aren’t Built Through Grand Intentions
Reading habits don’t come from making dramatic resolutions.
“I’ll read 30 books this year!”
Sounds lofty, and maybe doable, if you’re ready to put in the works for the unglamorous consistency it requires.
How about reading 2 pages daily instead of a-book-a-week target?
Or reading while waiting instead of waiting for the right mood?
Reading does not need silence, solitude, or a perfect cup of coffee (though I wouldn’t mind them).
All it needs is a book and intention, and your permission to be ordinary.
Instead of getting creative with the excuses, become boring and associate your reading with something that already exists.
Read before going to bed, or after lunch, or during commute. Let it become a routine like brushing your teeth.
By making it a sacred ritual, you’re creating distance between you and the reading.
Visibility Works Better Than Lectures
Maybe it’s becoming serious, this ‘not reading’ culture. Because many celebrities have joined hands to get the young readers hooked.
It’s not that the celebrities are better readers (some maybe) but they’re making reading visible and glamorous.
When children, and adults, see reading celebrated publicly, they’re more open to accepting it.
Like when Twinkle Khanna visits Crossword bookstore for the scheduled book promotion, more people visit to catch a glimpse of her, maybe even take a pic with her. And since there, might as well pick up the copy of the discussed book.
People imitate behaviour that’s awarded or seen. And they want to be seen with the books recommended by their favourite celebrities.
Schools Need to Do More Than Assign Books
The foundation for this habit has to be laid early. Start at home and school.
If schools want the children to read more, they’ve to stop restricting the reading to only the prescribed textbooks.
- Ensure library periods are not treated as free periods.
- Guide them to choose books they’ll read and enjoy, instead of handing them a reading list for the year.
- Integrate and design assignments around interpretations and summaries.
- Have book reading or storytelling sessions in different languages and not just English to give them a chance to explore other languages.
What if there’s a reward at the end of the year for the student who had read the maximum number of books, and not just for those who get the maximum grades? I’m sure there’ll be different recipients for each of these category awards!
Reward reading efforts because confidence and curiosity grow long before grades do.
Bookstores Can Be More Than Shops
Bookstores can cash in on this by getting creative.
- Themed weekends by genre or author.
- Storytelling sessions.
- Book clubs.
- Mobile libraries.
With summer vacations fast approaching, this is the perfect time to rethink how books can become true companions for the children.
Compete with their boredom, not just the screens.
The Real Shift
A habit is formed when it becomes easy to follow, to come back to.
Same goes with reading. Don’t look at it as some divine ritual needing special attention or focus.
Let it become a part of your daily life. Pick up that book instead of the phone. Replace your scrolling with 2 pages.
So instead of wondering why you’re not able to read, ask yourself what are you doing to ensure you read.
Fix that and the rest will follow.
