Areas of Learning and Experience. 3

Why is Reading for Pleasure so Important? 

The BBC describes reading for pleasure as 'any means of reading that is primarily for enjoyment. It encompasses a wide range of genres and publications, and includes both fiction and non-fiction.' (BBC, 2019).
Reading for pleasure should be encouraged more as a core part of a child's curriculum because being exposed to a wide range of texts can make huge leaps in terms of educational development. (Uk-APPG, 2011:6). Research evidence from Medwell et al., 1998 suggests that teachers who are successful in teaching literacy manage to engage their pupils with the pleasures of reading.
(Goodwin, 2008:5)
Reading can be used as an educational pathway to improved achievement. An increase in the frequency of reading can increase pleasure. (Beaine & Reedy, 2018:146). The pleasure of reading straightforward and entertaining material without difficulty, can increase pleasure while reading as well as the pleasure which comes from understanding difficult content. (Beaine & Reedy, 2018:146). Reading challenging texts can be hard and frustrating but also can be satisfying and rewarding due to a huge sense of achievement. Therefore, a definition of reading may need to include reading for purpose and fulfilment. (Beaine & Reedy, 2018:147).
Reading can be used for great personal enrichment, it can be used to gain knowledge. Which can be rewarding. Reading can extend your horizons, open your eyes to new areas and help you look at life from a different angle or perspective. (Beaine & Reedy, 2018:146). 
Reading can also be pleasurable at a practical level; reading can help you benefit from education, being able to find print. Good academic performance is rewarding to pupils. (Beaine & Reedy, 2018:146). 
Reading can also bring pleasure at a personal level. The impact of the text can trigger emotional responses such as (interest, boredom, delight, fear, amusement, annoyance, indifference, inspiration), which demonstrates that ready for pleasure connects with us at a much more deeper level than other aspects of reading. (Goodwin, 2008:5). Therefore, in terms of holistic development and in particular emotional development; there needs to be more of a focus for reading in the literacy curriculum. (Goodwin, 2008:5). 
Clark and Rumbold (2000) suggests that encouraging pleasure and independence in reading has impact on attainment and also writing ability in children. They found gains in areas such as general knowledge; breath of vocabulary; pleasure in reading in later life; positive reading attitudes to name a few. (Clark and Rumbold, 2000). Language is at the heart of all human communication, I needs to be mastered for learning and as said before, emotional and social wellbeing. The best way to learn language is through books and stories shared between friends and family. (Goodwin, 2008:13, Stebbins, 2015:15). This being said suggest there needs to be easy access to books for children and books should be alongside toys in the toy box as no amount of educational toys can compete with the benefits and skills that books encourage, through looking at the pictures and linking text to those pictures. (Goodwin, 2008:14). Reading a book to a young child each day will encourage the reading habit and after time, the child will start reading without adult encouragement. (Goodwin, 2008:14).

A book I was read too and I was reminded about during my lectures was, 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' by Micheal Rosen (1989). This book provides a brilliant framework for helping young children understand how language works with a fun and exciting story. (Goodwin, 2008:23). It's a highly interactive book which follows a family through different terrains, in their quest to find a bear. During the end they find the bear but they are that scared they run home and the bear is left to live. (Goodwin, 2008:24). The book allows young children to be apart of the adventure, the children are forced to confront their fears and the joy that comes from this book is that the language encourages the reader to join in due to the repetition. (Goodwin, 2008:24). There should be more books like this for children! 

'Were Going on a Bear Hunt' by Micheal Rosen (1989)















References


United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education. (2011). 'Report of the inquiry into overcoming the barriers to literacy.' London : HMSO

Clark, C. and Rumbold, K. (2006). 'Reading for Pleasure: A research overview.' London: The National Literacy Trust.

Bearne, Eve, and David Reedy. 'Teaching Primary English : Subject Knowledge and Classroom Practice,' Routledge, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cardiffmet/detail.action?docID=5178491.

 Stebbins, Robert A.. The Committed Reader : Reading for Utility, Pleasure, and Fulfillment in the Twenty-First Century, Scarecrow Press, 2012. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cardiffmet/detail.action?docID=1137726.














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