IRA President Gambrell promotes the power of “pleasure reading”

IRA President Linda Gambrell had a confession to make during Monday’s Opening General Session. She said she sometimes fears educators take the joy and pleasure out of reading when reading is taught as simply a subject in school, rather than a way of life.

The way to combat this is to promote pleasure reading in the classroom. “Pleasure reading plays an important role in literacy development,” she said. “It’s through reading we’re able to better understand ourselves, others, and the world around us.”

Gambrell shared results from studies conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts tied to literacy and pleasure reading. They concluded that children and teenagers who read regularly score better on writing tests and other areas of learning.

However, American teenagers are spending less time reading today than ever before. One-in-5 U.S. workers reads at a lower skill level than their job requires. These statistics point to serious potential civic, social, cultural, and economic implications.

“Every school day, 3,000 American students drop out of school,” she said. “This leads to fewer opportunities for advancement and a lower likelihood that they’ll be civically engaged. Simply put, reading changes lives for the better.”

Pleasure reading, Gambrell said, doesn’t have to come in the form of reading everything from magazines to computer screens. “All pleasure reading implies is high motivation and deep engagement,” she said.

To help teachers establish an interest in pleasure reading in their classroom, Gambrell suggested they tease each book to their students. “Sharing just a little bit about a good book is a great way to increase curiosity and promote pleasure reading,” she said.