"Why Reading Isn’t as Bad as You Think: A Real Talk for GCSE Students"

Happy World Book Day 📚

I had a great time teaching my Year 9, 10, and 11 classes today, kicking things off with a casual World Book Day discussion: Do you read? What do you like reading? That sort of thing. I was honestly blown away by how many students felt like they were part of a 'dying breed' just for enjoying the simple pleasure of reading.

I told them one of my favourite things about finishing a book is passing it on to friends. But many of them said that while they love reading—most preferring paperbacks over e-readers—they don’t have anyone to share their books with because, as they put it, none of their friends read 😔

Of course some of my students today told me they didn't read at all.  Knowing what you know as a parent and how helpful reading can be, what do you if your child is a reluctant reader?  How can you encourage them to give it a go without it seeming like 'just more school work' 🙄

Reading Shakespeare or Dickens probably isn't your child's idea of a good time. They've got TikTok, YouTube, and games waiting for them The last thing they want is to stare at pages of "thee" and "thou" or descriptions of Victorian London that go on forever 😂

But here's the thing – I'm not here to give them that typical teacher speech about how "reading makes you smarter" (even though it does). I want to talk about why reading might actually be worth their time, especially when they're facing those GCSE English exams.

Reading is Like a Cheat Code for their Exams

Let's be real for a second. GCSEs are important, whether we like it or not. And English can be one of the trickiest subjects because it's not just about memorising facts – it's about understanding, analysing, and writing well.

Here's the secret that good English students know: reading regularly is basically like having access to cheat codes. The more you read, the easier the exam gets. It's that simple.

When you read more:

• Your brain automatically picks up on how good writing flows
• You absorb vocabulary without even trying
• You start to recognise writing techniques that authors use
• Your spelling improves without painful memorisation

"But Reading is Boring!"

Fair enough. If they're only reading dusty classics that they can't relate to, then yeah, it might be boring. But here's where most people get it wrong – reading doesn't have to mean Victorian novels or Shakespeare.

Reading could be:

• Manga or graphic novels (yes, they count!)
• Sports biographies of their favourite athletes
• Fantasy series like Percy Jackson or Skulduggery Pleasant
• True crime stories
• Song lyrics they love (seriously, analyzing Stormzy or Dave's lyrics uses the same skills as analysing poetry)

The secret is finding something – literally anything – that they don't hate reading. Start there!

Reading Makes You Less Awkward at Writing

Ever stared at a blank page during an English exam, having absolutely no idea what to write? That panicky feeling comes partly from not reading enough.

When students read regularly, their brain builds a massive library of phrases, sentence structures, and ideas that they can pull from when they need to write. It's like their brain creates templates that they can use later.

The students who write well in exams aren't necessarily geniuses – they're often just the ones who've read enough to have a mental toolkit ready to go.

The "Five Pages" Trick

If they hate reading, try this: commit to reading just five pages of anything every day. That's it. Five pages.

It takes about 5-10 minutes, and even if they hate every second, it's over quickly. But here's what happens – sometimes they'll accidentally read more because they got caught up in the story. And even if they don't, those five pages a day add up to a whole book every few weeks.

Real Talk: It Gets Easier

Reading is like any other skill – the more they do it, the easier it gets. If reading feels painfully slow and difficult right now, that's not because they're bad at it. It's because their reading muscles need exercise.

The cool thing is that the improvement happens pretty quickly. Within a couple of weeks of regular reading, they'll notice themselves reading faster and understanding more.

Finding Your "Gateway Book"

Almost everyone who loves reading had a "gateway book" – that one book that changed everything for them. It might be a book about football, music, true crime, dystopian futures, or teenage vampires. It doesn't matter what it is, just that it hooks them.

Ask people for recommendations, or better yet, go to a bookshop or library and just pick up anything with a cover that doesn't make them want to die of boredom 😂 The first few books might not be hits, but eventually, they'll find one that clicks 💪

Bottom Line

Your child doesn't have to become some book-obsessed nerd (unless they want to). They just need to read enough to make their English GCSE easier, and maybe – just maybe – find out that reading isn't as awful as they thought.

Give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen?