New research to get young people back into reading for pleasure
Young people are more likely to find long texts unappealing to read, particularly with all the digital distractions. To improve young people’s reading skills, Elise Swart and Hannah De Mulder are starting an innovative study to make reading fun again.
They want to use appealing materials such as comics (the Donald Duck version of Don Quixote, for example, or the graphic version of The Assault by Harry Mulisch) to gradually lure school students towards longer and more complex texts.
Why this research on reading for pleasure is needed
It’s becoming a common theme in the media: worrying stories about young people’s reading skills. Many only read if they have to and they often avoid long texts. This affects not only their language development but also their social skills. ‘Reading is good for your social development. It helps you see things from other perspectives’, explains Swart (an assistant professor at the Institute of Education and Child Studies). ‘So it’s about not just increasing your vocabulary but also developing empathy and critical thinking skills.’
‘Reading takes concentration and concentration is something you have to train’
The researchers have noted a decline in children’s attention span. This is partly due to the constant flow of information and distractions from digital media. ‘Reading takes concentration and concentration is something you have to train. But to develop these concentration skills you first have to get children interested in reading.’
The role of comics as a stepping stone to longer stories
Swart and De Mulder (an assistant professor at the Centre for Linguistics) use comics to make reading more appealing. These serve as a stepping stone to longer stories. The researchers hope comics’ visual appeal will convince schoolchildren that reading is fun and relaxing. Then the next step is discovering longer books for themselves. ‘Comics are an easy form of storytelling that doesn’t overwhelm you with masses of text’, says De Mulder. ‘You learn what a story is and how it is told, and you actively use your imagination. That gives you a sense of satisfaction. This is in contrast to films, series and games, for instance, which fill in a lot of the gaps for the viewer.’
Societal impact
The researchers hope this research will impact not only the educational development of young people but also how they function in society. ‘Low literacy skills make it harder for you to participate in society’, says Swart. ‘For instance, if you don’t understand patient information leaflets or find it hard to follow the news. Our research is about more than reading books alone: it’s about developing essential skills.’ They hope the research will ultimately help foster social cohesion. ‘If people are not as good at reading, this can play into the hands of greater polarisation and less understanding of others.’
A great start thanks to Martijn Ridderbos
The research is getting off to a great start thanks to the fundraising support of Martijn Ridderbos, Vice-Chairman of the university’s Executive Board. As a leaving gift, he is fundraising for this project. ‘The money he raises will allow us to conduct this research on a wider scale,’ says Swart. ‘We are starting with a pilot and will scale up as we secure more funding. We want to involve teachers and schoolchildren in this process. If we work together, we can develop learning materials that tie in with children’s perceptions and broaden their horizons.’
With this unique interfaculty collaboration between linguistics and pedagogical experts, Swart and De Mulder are offering a concrete solution to declining reading skills and motivation in the young. ‘We are pleased that Martijn is helping make this research possible, especially given our concerns about the planned cuts to research and teaching. Each step we take is a step towards a brighter for all young people in the Netherlands.’
Would you like to donate to this research? See the options on the Leiden University Fund’s SteunLeiden page for this project.
To the crowdfunding