Reading for Pleasure: Understanding Decline and Promoting Reading

Abstract

Children’s and young people’s motivation to read has shown a declining trend over time. This master thesis explores, through a literature review, the benefits of reading enjoyment, the challenges associated with fostering reading motivation and proposes measures to enhance reading engagement among children and young adults. The aim is to develop a deeper understanding of how teachers can contribute to promoting reading enjoyment.

The study is based on a review research method, where relevant studies have been used to shed light on the three focus areas mentioned above. In addition, discourse analysis of policy documents, such as the national curriculum and project documents from the government, have been conducted.

The study shows that reading enjoyment offers significant benefits on a personal level, as well as within education, professional life, and society at large. The main challenges in promoting reading motivation include a reduced ability to focus, time constraints, and changing reading habits at home. The findings emphasize that student autonomy is crucial for fostering reading engagement. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of cooperation between schools and families in cultivating children’s reading habits.

KEYWORDS

Reading enjoyment, Reading for pleasure, Declining reading trend, Silent reading, Reading promotion