By: Kennedi Canova
In a world where instant gratification is more prevalent than ever, attention spans continue to get shorter. This means reading just isn’t fast paced or entertaining enough for most teenagers or adults. However, in high school English classes, there is still required reading, and most English classes assign at least one novel, sometimes multiple novels throughout the year. What do Fremont teens and teachers think about required reading?
Reading is proven to have many benefits, hence why it is required in junior high and high school English classes. Some benefits include: improved vocabulary and memory, improved focus and imagination, reduced stress, and it can even help you sleep better.
Ms. Hubner, an English teacher, explains that required reading is really beneficial when you do it in a way that works for students.
Ms. Hubner goes on to say “Giving teenagers a choice in what they read is usually really helpful when it comes to helping them enjoy required reading time. Finding genres they will actually read more of in the future is important too.”
If reading books is extensively beneficial, why don’t more students do it?
Hannah Holly, a junior at Fremont, said “I think teenagers don’t read as often because they haven’t really tried to read or find a book they like. Also finding the right genre can be hard, if people pick up a genre they don’t like they aren’t going to want to try reading again.”
Kate Jenkins, a junior at Fremont, says “I think since reading is required in school most teenagers think of it as a chore. Something that I’ve seen recently is that reading is becoming a sort of trend on TikTok and Instagram so it seems like it’s gaining popularity.”
Each student who had an interest in reading mentioned BookTok, a community on TikTok that gained popularity around 2020. “BookTok” consists of short videos that are primarily book reviews and recommendations. These can be an awesome tool when it comes to finding books and book genres that will interest you. This is because of the amount of creators who could share similar interests as you. Some videos go into depth regarding tropes and character types, while others make videos like “book recommendations based on your favorite movies”. These fun and personalized TikTok videos can give teens, or adults, an easy place to start in the world of reading.
Students at Fremont were asked how they think people can get started with reading.
Getting teenagers involved in the world of reading can be difficult. Dakoda Bird, a Junior at Fremont says “Explaining to teenagers the benefits of reading isn’t very beneficial, I think. Teachers should help them find something that will keep them excited to read and make them want to pick up their book more often. Choosing a good genre or even just choosing short books at first is a good place to start.”
Dakoda goes on to explain that finding a genre that will keep you interested and entertained for 200+ pages is very important. She says “There is a book for everyone, it’s just harder for some people to find it because they don’t know what they are looking for.”
The Fremont school library provides lots of resources for students interested in reading. They have a book of the month, book club, and more. Students can visit the librarians website for a quick genre survey and more information about their activities.
Overall, reading outside of school doesn’t have to be considered a chore and it can be an entertaining outlet for students who are willing to try it out.
