By Lena Perrone
Am I the only one who likes to read? Do other people my age read? Does reading even help me? Many of you may be asking yourself the same questions. Everyone has a different interest and reading style. After gathering student responses to similar questions, you might find some answers!
80.4% of Central DeWitt respondents admit they read. But does reading help with things like literacy, knowledge, and vocabulary? One student said, “Reading has helped build a stronger vocabulary to then use in my own writings. It has also helped me learn different perspectives and to truly appreciate human emotions.” In contrast to this response, others say reading has helped them with nothing.
A question among your peers that varied in answer was, “What is your favorite genre?” In reply to that question, 30.6% of students said that fiction was their favorite genre. You might be curious as to why fiction is most popular among your peers; a source says that fiction books could develop teens' minds to understand ‘who they are.’ According to a Scottish Book Trust article, “Research has shown that connecting with fictional characters helps readers to explore their own identities.”
As part of teen reading studies, an interview with a high school ELA teacher from your school took place. An interview with high school ELA teacher Mrs. Wilke reveals how she feels about teenagers' disinterest in reading. Discussing popular genres among teens, Mrs. Wilke believes that most teens are interested in genres like dystopian, mystery, historical fiction, and sports. Mrs. Wilke tries to promote free reading within her class and feels that teens should be reading daily. She feels that social media may take away teens' interest in reading and that they can miss out on the joys of reading a good book.
American Psychological Association’s article says, “Less than 20 percent of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine, or newspaper daily for pleasure.” With all of this information about teen reading and peers from your school answering questions about reading, do you feel you should be reading more? This research will hopefully help you answer that question!
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