{"id":79376,"date":"2026-01-14T01:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T06:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=79376"},"modified":"2026-01-14T01:09:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T06:09:00","slug":"want-to-read-more-two-experts-give-their-tips-on-what-you-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/want-to-read-more-two-experts-give-their-tips-on-what-you-can-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to read more? Two experts give their tips on what you can do"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Reading promises so much: better mental health, a sense of wellbeing, cultural and educational enrichment, even greater confidence and eloquence.<\/p>\n

It sounds irresistible; yet for\u00a0many of us<\/a>, the reality is very different. Half of the adults in the UK don\u2019t\u00a0read<\/a>\u00a0regularly for pleasure, and more than one in ten find reading difficult.<\/p>\n

So why does something so rewarding feel so hard to do? For many adults, a disinterest in reading may well start in childhood. In 2025, only about one in three children and young people aged eight to 18\u00a0reported enjoying reading<\/a>\u00a0in their free time. And then if children do not see their own parents reading, they are unlikely to see being immersed in a book as a good use of leisure time.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s Education Committee has recently launched an\u00a0inquiry<\/a>\u00a0to explore how to keep the joy of reading alive.<\/p>\n

In our research, we both (through different angles) explore ways to get people reading for joy.<\/p>\n

Different ways of reading<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Many people grow up feeling excluded from the joy of reading, and this may linger into adulthood. Research consistently shows that both children and adults with dyslexia or\u00a0ADHD<\/a>\u00a0report\u00a0lower levels of enjoyment<\/a>\u00a0and therefore\u00a0tend to read less frequently<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This can be exacerbated by systemic school approaches and priorities that associate reading with national and international\u00a0tests<\/a>. Reading is reduced to a performance metric, rather than a source of pleasure.<\/p>\n

Simple changes, such as altering the physical properties of the titles you read, or choosing graphic novels, can make a big difference. Neurodivergent readers can access books from\u00a0publishers<\/a>\u00a0that specialise in using accessible fonts, layouts and language, for example.<\/p>\n

Audiobooks offer another powerful alternative. Despite the relationship between brain representations of information perceived by listening versus reading is unclear,\u00a0neuroscience research<\/a>\u00a0shows the way our brain represents meaning is nearly the same whether we are listening or reading.<\/p>\n

Audiobooks<\/a>\u00a0can transform stories from something squeezed in between deadlines into travel companions, kitchen buddies, or late-night unwinders. Accessible on phones, tablets, smart speakers and even through library loans, audiobooks fit seamlessly into busy lives. They can be a great way to get into books for those of us with low reading stamina who need frequent breaks.<\/p>\n

For people with ADHD, audiobooks allow for physical movement\u00a0while reading<\/a>. They also engage young children effortlessly. Children, as young as three giggle through lively audio tales and tackle complex narratives with ease.<\/p>\n

One of us (Paty) recalls her daughter proudly saying she could \u201csee\u201d the stories in her head \u2013 like her own private cinema \u2013 even preferring them to TV shows. What she didn\u2019t know was that every laugh and every imagined scene was quietly building vocabulary and nurturing a love for books.<\/p>\n

Read socially<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The social dimensions and shared experiences of reading have been repeatedly\u00a0highlighted<\/a>. An example of tackling some of the systemic barriers around reading for pleasure in big scale is the\u00a0KU Big Read project<\/a>, launched by one of us (Alison Baverstock) in 2015 and which ran until 2024-25.<\/p>\n

Before they started their undergraduate course, new students at Kingston University received a free book in the post \u2013 along with a letter from the author referring to their feelings just before starting university.<\/p>\n

This gave everyone a shared experience, and a book to talk about, before the nerve-wracking first day. The transition to higher education is a momentous step, and the university saw a significant reduction in the dropout rate in its first year of the project.<\/p>\n

The book consistently acted as a\u00a0connector across the university<\/a>, with staff and students helping to choose the book for the year ahead.<\/p>\n

We invite you to put this into practice in your own lives. Look for an in-person or online book group or read-along, and make reading social. The book group that one of us (Paty) attends isn\u2019t about pure literary critique, but about human connection.<\/p>\n

Make reading a pleasure, not a chore<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The charity Reading Force founded by one of us (Alison Baverstock), which promotes the use of shared reading to keep military families connected, has always encouraged making reading fun rather than a laboured and compulsory process. Families are given special scrapbooks to record their shared experience of reading together and the word \u201cliteracy\u201d is never mentioned.<\/p>\n

Reading is promoted as a fun activity for families, with colourful resources, free books and events with key authors such as charity patron\u00a0Sir Michael Morpurgo<\/a>. For families whose access to books may be limited, this can be a gentle, non-judgemental and exciting pathway. Feedback from this process has shown profound connection, wellbeing and emotional satisfaction.<\/p>\n

This emotional satisfaction by reading things they would like to read as opposed to imposed ones is of utmost importance. Pick something that engages you, not the book you think you should be reading.<\/p>\n

Representation and reading<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Feeling represented in the stories you read \u2013 whether through your background, values, or identity \u2013 can be a powerful way to build a\u00a0love for books<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Adults from diverse backgrounds\u00a0have benefited<\/a>\u00a0from joining bilingual groups with their children, creating stories together and engaging with books. The gains are significant, not only in literacy and cultural belonging but also in stronger connections with their community.<\/p>\n

When books showcase a variety of cultures and include characters of all abilities as central figures, they become more relatable and inviting for readers from all walks of life. And it is never too late.<\/p>\n

Author Bios: <\/strong>Paty Paliokosta is Associate Professor of Special and Inclusive Education and Alison Baverstock is Professor of Publishing both at Kingston University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading promises so much: better mental health, a sense of wellbeing, cultural and educational enrichment, even greater confidence and eloquence. It sounds irresistible; yet for\u00a0many of us, the reality is very different. Half of the adults in the UK don\u2019t\u00a0read\u00a0regularly for pleasure, and more than one in ten find reading difficult. So why does something […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[435616],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-79376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-reqding"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWant to read more? 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