Forced Reading vs Leisure Reading

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 The difference between forced reading in school and leisure reading can be felt more than seen. You had no choice in the book when forced to read it. Leisure is when you get a whim to read something in your own free time, a free choice to make. Let's dig into the difference, and why forced reading might deter some kids from reading later on. 



Forced reading is what makes some kids regard books as homework, making kids who read a lot 'nerds'. Reading is a fun time, but does forced reading assignments make kids put it into the 'chore' category? That's one of the topics at hand today. 

The other topic is the major difference between forced and leisure. Leisure readers are many in this world, myself included. This form of entertainment will never die. It feeds the film industry ideas, lets introverts tell a story without making eye contact, and expands our minds to many different ideas. It is not forced reading because the avid readers in the world pick what they like from a shelf without any curriculum to tell them what to buy/borrow. Forced reading is when you are assigned a book and no choices are given, or only two or three choices are given. 


The Difference

The forced reading experience can lead to many things. Forced, in this case, is when you have no or few choices of which book you can read. You are told "read this" and it is not a friendly suggestion. It is usually followed by vocab, plot questions, and a book report. This is usually for students. Some books turn out to be great, others turn out to be terrible or hard to read. What you get is that the student might love the book or hate the book, some not even opening it in favor of Spark Notes and cheating off a friend. An unmotivated student (of any age) who hates a book will skim and Spark Notes to pass the test. 

Leisure reading is picking up a book you want to read off of a library or personal shelf, reading it at your pace, and putting tabs where your favorite quotes are. An entirely different feel from forced reading, leisure is when you choose to pick up a book to fill time you freely have. This is downtime and your choice of hobby. You can put it back at any time or abandon it if you hate it. No report, no authority saying you have to understand it, no comprehension questions. You can review it if you like, or not (though please do, it helps authors). 

Why Forced Reading Causes Less Leisure Reading 

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The thing about all those book reports is this; you don't have time to read what you want, or you hit a reading slump because you don't like what you are reading. Slumps happen because you are not reading what you like. Slumps make you look at books and say "I'd rather play video games". Forcing a child to read only what you give them will backfire and make them hate reading. 

When it comes to kids, they have a lot of screens to entertain them, but that isn't the topic at hand. Children who hate reading are usually students. Another factor is the parents and their reading habits. Have a mom with five books who never reads? Kids might not pick up the hobby. Have a mom with a 300 book TBR who has them all over the house? Kids might pick up a book or two young. 

Content of books makes a difference, too. Books that bore a child or are way too hard for them will turn them off to reading. Kids ignore what doesn't engage them or keep their attention. I had books that I ignored and books I read over and over, both in the same laundry hamper. Reading level matters, as well as genre and liked topics. 

If you are a teacher, you might consider a library book report, which would allow kids to choose a library book of their genre and preferred topic. Basically, let them choose from a section at their reading level. Some kids are gifted in reading. Others are not so gifted and might compare reading levels, prompting some to give up early. Be aware of reading levels. I was gifted and every substitute librarian who told me "that's not your reading level" made my blood boil. Kids should have a choice. If they find something with adult content on accident, simply converse with the child about the book and help them process it. Or prescreen the book so they don't find it (though they might just come back to the library without the class and read it anyway). 

Trouble with eyesight might also be an issue. My husband has eye problems and it is hard to read. He listens to audiobooks. I know you have to know how to read as a kid, but maybe pair it with an audio version if you can. It might help your child understand and know how words are pronounced. Try it. See if they get it faster. Kids who can't sit still might have more fun this way if you give them a fidget or an art project with the book. 

Getting Back Into Leisure Reading 

You want to read more and you are out of school? Great, as an adult no one is telling you what to read in your spare time, unless you have reader friends who desperately need someone to discuss a book with. (I've been that friend. Don't judge me.) 

The first step is what you like and what genres look appealing to you. Movie tastes usually extend to book tastes. If you loved Alfred Hitchcock, try suspense. Love Hallmark romance? Try the romance section. It's not as hard to find what you like as you think. Consider audiobooks or ebooks, as well as physical pages. 

The next step is to accept not every book is your taste. Seriously, if you hate it put it down. Refine your genre choices and keep going. Find book lengths you can easily read, or challenge yourself to a longer book. It's all your choice, really, because this is your book list and not anyone else's. 

Try reading challenges. Try re-reading what you liked as a kid. Try new things. That's a lot of the word 'try', but I'm making a point. Jump in with both feet and let yourself be immersed. Sit on a beach with a beach read over vacation and see how it feels. You might like it. If you like one book, make the reading goal only a handful of books, maybe five a year. You know how much time you have, so set a goal you can reach. 



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Morrow is released! This novella is the story of two women writing a family history for the Morrow family. They find a nasty secret while researching. Will they survive their internship? 

Sign up for my newsletter at this link to get a free first chapter. All you need to plug in is your email. You'll also get a free first chapter of Wrenville, my first novel. 

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