In nearly every academic setting, some form of “silent reading” exists, offering a degree of literary freedom, often accompanied by reading logs and the occasional book report. As many transition into high school, the English curriculum increasingly contains required reading, whether it be the infamous “The Catcher in the Rye” or “How to Kill a Mockingbird,” both historically controversial picks. Despite this phenomenon, when students are not assigned 50 pages of reading a night or seemingly endless activities on the same chapter, they become more motivated to actually engage with the material, facilitating better literary retention and allowing them to reap all the benefits of the activity itself. 

For some, the idea of reading up to 50 pages a night seems daunting, terrifying even, especially when teachers decide to include required annotations. Although reading is an integral part of the education process, learning how to balance enjoyment with literature and the overhaul of reading assignments is also an equally important factor. Many students, unfortunately, begin to lose their love for reading because their perception of the activity warps into an anxiety-inducing chore rather than a way to escape stress. According to Stanford Research, 56 percent of surveyed students considered homework a primary source of stress. When reading contributes to that statistic, students begin to resent the activity altogether, resorting to supplemental sources like SparkNotes, completely defeating the purpose.

That being said, educators must remind themselves to ask the following question when assessing whether to push reading in an educational setting or not: Is encouraging reading becoming too overwhelming, or does the activity remain invaluable within the education system?

Reading is a foundational element of the American educational system, with the activity representing a large fraction of what elementary school students are taught. Much of why reading is such an emphasized activity is because it “builds the foundational literacy skills needed to transition from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn.’” With the fundamental ability to naturally process information on a page, critical thinking is thus developed, priming younger students for later years of education.

Much of what reading develops is critical thinking skills —  skills that are crucial for higher-level education and learning. From being able to familiarize oneself with various writing structures to dissecting the syntax of different pieces, reading provides endless opportunities to exercise these critical thinking skills that develop into a collection of nerve fibers in the brain that help it learn and function.

Beyond gaining critical comprehension skills, reading in schools also ensures that students are taught invaluable social lessons about both history and the political characterization of the society they live in. Some novels that are commonly found in school curricula, such as “The Crucible,” allow students to learn about historical events from a new perspective, while simultaneously shining a light on groups that were historically oppressed.

More importantly, required reading often introduces multifaceted topics such as the pitfalls of a non-democratic society. Carnegie Mellon University calls George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” a “work [that] explores and comments on the dangers of authoritarian control and the cult of personality inherent within it, [reminding] us that even the noblest of causes can be subverted by power and greed.” At a time when students are formulating their own thoughts regarding how they will start to shape the future they want to live in, education like this is of the utmost importance. These students will one day directly participate in democracy, and by encouraging voting for the betterment of the collective, we can create a society that will continue to value representative government. 

If students are to be able to truly enjoy and appreciate the experience of reading, they must not feel overwhelmed by the activity in the first place. Reading should never be about filling out a log or meeting a minimum requirement; it should centre around the freedom to explore new realms of imagination. Novels in the standard curriculum can still foster that very same imagination; however, they must be taught and assigned in a creative way, such as creating projects that correlate with current trends to meet the interests of students.

One of the biggest challenges in establishing a curriculum in schools is that students lack the bandwidth to stay engaged and focused. Luckily, alternative and unique teaching methods can combat abhorrence to reading, helping to redefine school-assigned lecture in the eyes of adolescent students. Newsela, an instructional platform, lists several ways to make academic reading more entertaining, including visualizing complex plot lines through fun activities, as well as retelling the stories students read from a different and more relatable perspective. 

Thus, the activity proves valuable and necessary within the education system; an activity that, if anything, should increase in prevalence if we reframe how it is implemented, as stated before.