Building a Reading Culture: Strategies for Schools and Classrooms
by Sunaina Narang
In today’s digital age, cultivating a strong reading culture within schools has never been more important. With screens vying for attention and quick consumption of information becoming the norm, the sustained and reflective practice of reading can seem like a dwindling habit. Yet, reading remains one of the most powerful tools for learning, personal growth, and connection with others. A robust reading culture not only improves literacy and academic outcomes but also nurtures empathy, creativity, and a sense of identity. The task before schools is not merely to teach reading, but to inspire a genuine love for it—one that can flourish well beyond the classroom.
Building a reading culture, however, requires more than occasional book weeks or a well-stocked library. It involves an intentional, school-wide commitment to embedding reading in the very fabric of everyday life. This article explores some of the key strategies that can help schools and classrooms foster such a culture.
Making Reading a Core School Value
The first step is to make reading a visible and valued part of school life. This goes beyond simply including it in the curriculum—it must be reflected in the school’s ethos and practices. When reading is celebrated and prioritised across all areas of the school community, it sends a strong message to learners that it matters.
Leadership plays a crucial role here. When school leaders talk about books in assemblies, share their own reading experiences, and support reading initiatives, it sets the tone for the entire institution. Reading should not be confined to English classes alone; it should be embraced across disciplines, with subject teachers encouraging reading in their own areas, whether that’s through historical fiction in history lessons or scientific biographies in science.
Creating a Book-Rich Environment
The environment in which learners grow can significantly influence their reading habits. Classrooms and school corridors should reflect a culture of reading, with displays featuring book covers, author spotlights, learner reviews, and quotes from literature. Class libraries, even in older grades, should be refreshed regularly with new titles that reflect a wide range of interests and reading levels. Comfortable reading corners, beanbags, rugs, or soft lighting can also help create inviting spaces that encourage learners to pick up a book.
The school library, in particular, must be positioned as a dynamic, welcoming space, not just a quiet room for study. It should host events, reading challenges, and book fairs, and should be staffed by someone passionate about books who can guide learners in their choices.
Embedding Reading in the Daily Routine
For reading to become habitual, it needs to be part of the everyday rhythm of school life. Regular, timetabled opportunities for reading must be built into the day, not just during designated library periods but across subjects and year groups. Even ten to fifteen minutes of silent reading at the start or end of the day can make a difference over time.
Reading aloud, often overlooked in older classrooms, remains a powerful tool across age groups. It allows learners to experience the rhythm and richness of language and introduces them to books they might not otherwise pick up. Teachers can read to their learners, or learners can take turns reading to each other, promoting fluency, confidence, and shared enjoyment.
Teachers as Reading Role Models
Young people are more likely to value reading when they see the adults around them doing it. Teachers who talk about books, share their reading experiences, and recommend titles help normalise reading as a pleasurable and important part of life. This modelling should be authentic—when a teacher expresses genuine excitement about a book, it can be contagious.
In schools where reading cultures thrive, staffrooms too reflect this ethos. Staff book clubs, reading displays featuring teachers’ favourite reads, and initiatives such as “Caught Reading” photos of staff with books help make reading a communal and shared experience.
Choice and Diversity in Reading Material
One of the most significant factors in motivating learners to read is choice. When learners are given autonomy to select books that interest them, rather than being restricted to prescribed texts, they are more likely to read willingly and more frequently. This means offering a wide and diverse range of reading material that reflects different genres, cultures, backgrounds, and identities.
It is important that learners can see themselves in the books they read, but also have the opportunity to explore unfamiliar perspectives. Representation matters. Alongside novels, schools should include graphic novels, poetry, magazines, biographies, and non-fiction texts to cater to a broad range of preferences and literacy levels.
Celebrating Reading Without Over-Assessing
While assessment is an essential part of education, reading for pleasure should be protected from excessive scrutiny. When every book is followed by a test or comprehension worksheet, it can quickly sap the joy out of reading. Instead, teachers can encourage learners to talk about what they’ve read, recommend books to peers, write informal reflections, or create visual projects or reviews.
Celebrating reading through displays, certificates, or reading milestones can also help motivate learners. Events such as book weeks, author visits, or reading challenges bring energy and excitement, while traditions like mystery reader sessions or themed book days create lasting memories and positive associations.
Learner Voice and Leadership
When learners are actively involved in shaping the school’s reading culture, their engagement deepens. Schools can establish learner reading ambassadors or library monitors who help organise book-related events, recommend books, or run lunchtime book clubs. These roles empower learners and give them ownership of the reading environment.
Learner input can also be sought when updating library stock or planning reading initiatives. What genres are they interested in? Which authors do they want to see more of? When learners feel that their preferences are heard and reflected, they are more likely to engage with what’s on offer.
Partnerships with Families and the Wider Community
Reading habits don’t begin and end at the school gates. Schools must work in partnership with families to support reading at home. Simple strategies such as sending home recommended reading lists, holding parent workshops, or sharing tips for reading aloud at home can make a significant difference.
Schools might also invite community members, grandparents, or local authors to read with learners or share stories from their own lives. Creating intergenerational connections around books reinforces the idea that reading is a shared and valued experience across age groups and backgrounds.
Harnessing Technology Thoughtfully
While it’s true that technology can be a distraction, it also offers new possibilities for encouraging reading. E-readers and audiobooks can support reluctant readers or those with additional needs. Online platforms and apps can help learners track their reading, write reviews, or connect with wider reading communities.
Digital storytelling tools, book-themed podcasts, and virtual author events can also provide immersive and interactive experiences that complement traditional reading.
Sustaining the Culture
Ultimately, building a reading culture is not about one-off initiatives or short-term projects. It is about sustained, whole-school commitment—where reading is not just a subject, but a way of life. It requires consistent investment, creativity, and collaboration among teachers, leadership, learners, and families.
The rewards are profound. A learner who reads for pleasure is not only more likely to do well in school, but also more likely to develop into an empathetic, articulate, and curious adult. In building a culture where books are treasured and reading is celebrated, schools give their learners a gift that lasts a lifetime.