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How to Support a Reluctant Reader

Nov 26, 2024

2 min read


Reluctant readers, or less confident readers sometimes need support and encouragement to find reading material they enjoy. This article will outline ways that teachers can support them to do this.


The Importance of Choice


Giving reluctant readers a choice over what they read is a powerful way to motivate them.


Access to Reading Material


  • Remember that reading does not just have to be fictional books. It might be non-fiction, comics or even Manga.

  • Make sure that you either have access to this in the school library or consider arrange a book swap.

  • Encourage them to read anything that they enjoy. No reading should be off the table, including more interactive types of reading.


Make them Reading Ambassadors



Encourage Social Reading


In your classroom, try to encourage reading as a social activity. One where children sit together and share books and talk about what they are reading.


Encourage Reading Recommendations


  • One of the best ways to encourage reluctant readers is through peer or teacher recommendations.

  • Once a term, ask pupils to bring in and share what they have read and enjoyed recently.

  • If you have a knowledge of children's books you can do the same, or read a few pages from a selection of books or texts that you can display in the classroom.


Think out of the Box


  • Consider using book trailers as a way to introduce pupils to texts. Or maybe give pupils samples of texts throughout the week and leave texts on the class bookshelf.

  • Or if you have a group of pupils, who really enjoy Manga encourage them to read it and then run a drawing competition.


Pageticker and Reluctant Readers


Pageticker, our digital reading diary, will be a great resource for recommending and discovering relevant books. If you would like to keep up to date with news, free trials and offers sign up here.



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