How to Keep Reluctant Readers From Abandoning Books

It’s late September, and by this time of the year, your independent reading system is probably rolling. (If it isn’t, read this!) You are likely getting in a groove with assigning page goals, and hopefully, you’ve done a few book talks. I bet you’ve made some awesome connections with students over juicy parts of their novels, and I’m sure you have certain books that fly off the shelves as quickly as they’re returned. 

But let’s be real. Independent reading isn’t all butterflies and roses. Every year, we all have a certain group of students who just can’t seem to find a good book and stick with it. These students might be the ones with their phones in their laps, books propped (upside down) on their desks. Or they might be students who tell you that they really love to read, share their favorite book, but can’t seem to find another that meets their expectations. These students may even be the ones who consistently choose books that you know are outside of their reading range, but they choose them because their friends enjoyed them. 

There are countless reasons a student might be a book-abandoner, but no matter the issue, I have some tried-and-true tips (plus, some never-fail titles) to share that will help get students out of their funk and put them on the path toward becoming lifelong readers! 

1. Most (if not all) reluctant readers need to build their confidence. For whatever reason, they don’t believe they can be a reader. They may have lost faith in the idea that reading can be fun; they may simply feel that reading is too hard to enjoy. Whatever the case, it’s critical to scaffold the reading experience for these students so they can gain confidence and build momentum as readers. Try doing this by providing them with shorter books that are also engaging. I like to suggest quick-read books, novels in verse (not appropriate for struggling readers), or graphic novels. I’ll often pick a few off the shelf, really talk them up, and suggest the students read one.

A couple of titles I’ve had success with:

1. Jake Maddox sports novels, like this one (for struggling and reluctant readers)

2. El Deafo ~ Cece Bell

3. Guts ~ Raina Telgemeier

4. The Crossover Graphic Novel ~ Kwame Alexander

5. Crush ~ Svetlana Chmakova

6. House Arrest ~ K. A. Holt

Once students are able to finish one book, they feel a sense of accomplishment and quickly build momentum, especially when you have systems in place in your classroom to encourage this.  

2. Once students have one full book completed, I like to keep them reading with the most engaging titles I have on my shelf. And if a student wants to read five graphic novels in a row, I’m okay with that! When the alternative is reading nothing, I’ll choose a graphic novel any day. But if a student feels ready to move into some chapter books, here are a few accessible and engaging options:

1. The War That Saved My Life ~ Kimberly Bradley

2. Ghost Boys ~ Jewell Parker Rhodes 

3. The Honest Truth ~ Dan Gameinhart 

4. The Playbook ~ Kwame Alexander (nonfiction, but highly engaging for athletes)

3. My final tool is for the kids who are just “too cool” to read. For this kind of reluctant reader, I will often pull them aside and tell them about a title that is “really mature” or “a little inappropriate, but really good.” This is usually enough to get their interest. I might even give them a preview of some pages to give them an idea of what I mean. This tactic—though less appropriate for sixth grade students—works like a CHARM for seventh and eighth graders. In fact, I once had the two coolest kids in the grade reading in my room during lunch (by choice!!) after recommending one of these titles.

Here are my top picks:

1. Tyrell ~ Coe Booth (this was the one my cool boys liked)

2. Hey, Kiddo ~ Jarrett J. Krosoczka

3. Everything, Everything ~ Nicola Yoon

4. Long Way Down ~ Jason Reynolds

5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ~ Sherman Alexie

I hope these strategies and titles give you some direction for helping your reluctant readers! Be patient with kids and with yourself. Reading is a challenge for so many students, especially because they live in a high-tech world of instant gratification. Use these strategies on repeat, and before you know it, you will have a class full of eager readers, and there is simply nothing better!

Almost every single title listed above can be found in my Year-Long Book Talk Bundle. Grab it here! 

Happy Recommending!

♥ Kara & Riley