To Read Books Or To Read Hobbies?

Okay, so you might be scratching your head at that title. No worries, just hang in there with me, I'll clear things up.

Every day, I'm talking with teachers, literacy leaders, and headteachers. One hot topic that keeps coming up is the wide-ranging interests of students. This isn't exactly headline news, right? Kids have always had their own individual tastes and passions. It's not like there was ever a time when they were all programmed to like the same things.

We all get that. But here's where it gets tricky. This is where the topic gets interesting. Schools are facing a big challenge: getting kids to read for fun. Convincing young people to love reading in this age of distractions is no small feat. And yeah, you've heard about all the distractions before - it's been discussed in countless articles, TV shows, and chats over the past decade.

But here's something most people working in schools agree on... if we want students to willingly pick up a book (or, heaven forbid, a homework worksheet), we need to offer them reading materials - novels, short stories, you name it - that align with their varied interests.

In this blog, I'll share the thoughts I've heard from school staff on how we can tackle this issue. Here we go.

Table Of Contents

• Personalised Reading Lists
• Book Clubs
• Mixing AI and Humans

Personalised Reading Lists

So when I've been asking teachers for ideas to help us get texts to pupils that are directly related to their interests. One topic that comes up each time is a personalised reading list. It sounds great. But there's a big challenge with this. Before I get to the challenge, here's a summary of what around 5 or 6 teachers have suggested a personalised reading list is and what it can do.

So, this would involve having conversations with the pupils to understand their interests and hobbies and then curating a list of books that align with these interests. For example, if a student is interested in alternative music, they might enjoy reading biographies of musicians or novels centred around life on tour.

Challenge: One challenge with this approach is the time it takes to create personalised lists. But then the next problem is searching for and finding relevant books. Then, the biggest challenge. Certainly these days! Budget! Unfortunately, schools just don't have the budget to buy books and texts in this way.

Book Clubs

Another good idea that's been floating around is starting book clubs focused on various interests. Kids with similar passions can get together, read the same book, and chat about it. It's a great way to build community and promote learning from each other. Sounds awesome, right? Many of the schools I've been working with have tried it out and seen some real success. But, they've also shared that it's not without its own set of hurdles.

Challenge: Coordinating and running multiple book clubs can be a bit of a juggling act. It demands time and dedication, not just from teachers, but also from school staff and the kids themselves. Plus, there's a risk that some kids' interests might not find a place in these clubs, leading to them feeling left out. That's the last thing we want. The whole point is to create an environment where reading is fun and shared. If we end up excluding some kids, we'd be going against our very goal of making reading a joyous experience for everyone.

Mixing AI and Humans

Alright, before I dive in, I just want to put my two cents out there. And luckily, it seems like a lot of the fantastic teachers and school staff I chat with are on the same page...

AI is incredible, but the real magic happens when we strike the right balance between AI and human collaboration. It's not just a theory anymore - it's reality. There are plenty of tools that have popped up this year (crazy, right?), that have found that sweet spot between tech and touch. But then there are others that swing too far into the AI realm, churning out content that's, well, kind of blah and lacking that human spark.

Done with my soapbox moment. Most of you reading this are probably nodding along because you're school staff and, in my experience, most of you share this view.

So, I've been chatting with educators recently, and they're keen on using AI to craft both fictional and non-fictional texts and short stories that cater to each student's interests. Of course, we shouldn't stereotype, but let's face it, there will be those classic groups who love football or the latest pop sensation. We might already have books and texts for these pupils. Or maybe we don't. Either way, teachers tell me they want to leverage technology to create text and comprehension quizzes about these topics to ensure pupils are really getting it.

But here's the kicker—teachers want to do this for pupils with unique interests too. Let's say there's a Year 4 pupil who can't get enough of The Beatles. A short story about Taylor Swift isn't going to cut it for them. They're not going to be excited to read that.

Now imagine if AI could whip up an engaging story for that one student about how John, Paul, George, and Ringo created the iconic songs on the Sgt Peppers Album. Talk about personalised, human, and engaging! That's how you cultivate a real love of reading: by offering topics that are custom-tailored to their interests!

And here's the best part: this technology already exists. Go check out Reading On Your Head or send me a message, and I can fill you in.

This is some seriously ground breaking stuff!