Be sure not to choose books that are “babyish.” Your high schoolers don’t want to feel patronized while reading a book clearly meant for elementary or middle schoolers even if the reading level is right for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pay attention to genres, themes, and authors that resonate with your students.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s difficult today to incorporate controversial themes<\/a> into your classroom, but books that discuss these are likely to engage your reluctant readers. Also look for books with cliffhangers, lots of action, or mysteries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out The Hate U Give<\/a><\/em> or Allegedly<\/a><\/em> for edgy novels sure to grab your readers’ attention. I have even more book recommendations for reluctant readers in this post.<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment that encourages discussion and sharing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Establish a reading community where students can recommend books to one another, discuss their favorite reads, and celebrate literary achievements together.<\/strong> This sense of belonging can be a powerful motivator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick way to do this is to give students five minutes after independent reading to turn and talk to a neighbor about what they’ve read. You could also ask students for their recommendations at the end of the week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our school tried to expand a culture of reading beyond individual classrooms by inviting authors to come speak with students during an annual literary week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The more ways you can get students to talk and think about books, the better!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Pinterest](\"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Motivate-Reluctant-Readers-Pins-2-683x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nMotivate Reluctant Readers Tip #2: Build a Reading Community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n