Building Reading Stamina: Are We at the Point of No Return?

When was the last time you read a book? If your reading stamina has waned and you said more than a year ago, then you’re not alone!

Only 60% of the UK public has read or listened to a single book in the last 12 months, and if you’re a young adult, then maybe you’re also part of the 63.9% of children and young people (between 8 and 18 years of age) who say that they do not enjoy reading. This stark divide between readers and non-readers is even more apparent when taking class and gender into consideration, with middle-class women being the most likely group to tuck into a good book.

This is not solely a UK phenomenon either: educators across the globe are reporting students who struggle to concentrate on longer texts and to achieve reading proficiency. In fact, in 2022, UNICEF reported that only a third of 10-year-olds globally were estimated to be able to read and understand a simple written story.

There is clearly a lack of reading stamina among this current cohort of school-aged learners, but even colleges and post-secondary institutions are feeling the effects of this gap in knowledge. In fact, many university professors have lowered their expectations for assigned readings and are having to change their coursework and reading lists accordingly.

These dire statistics and testimonies beg the question: are we reaching the point of no return?

In my opinion? Fortunately, no!

However, rebuilding reading stamina and achieving reading comprehension is no easy task. What is the cause behind our lagging endurance and what can parents and tutors do to address these challenges?

Why is Reading Stamina So Difficult to Maintain?

Reading endurance is the ability to sustain attention when reading whilst being able to comprehend and engage with the story for an extended period of time.

Think of it like running a marathon: if your idea of exercise is moving from the sofa to the fridge, but you are trying to complete a 10km race with little preparation, that’s just not going to happen. Similarly, the stamina to read, much like your muscles, develops through consistent practice, but many people just aren’t getting enough of that anymore.

Several factors have contributed to this decline, including but certainly not limited to, the rise of social media and AI.

Social media platforms are built around instant gratification, which gives the brain the dopamine rush that makes them so addictive. By contrast, reading requires sustained concentration and works in the opposite way, by delaying the feeling of reward. Given this, children and young adults who spend more time consuming bite-sized content will of course find sitting down and reading a book a mental chore.

With the advent of AI, many students may depend on AI summaries rather than reading the whole text. Sure, this may save time (a lot of time), but a summary is just that. Summaries fail to capture the breadth of a whole novel, and a lot can be lost in the race to expedite reading: from a book’s nuance and subtext to the user’s ability to retain that understanding in the long run.

Why Reading Matters (Always)

Reading is about far more than just the ability to decipher words on a page. The benefits are truly endless: stronger vocabulary, improved critical thinking, and sharper writing skills to name but a few!

We’ve also written another blog about the topic, which you can read here.

Academic success across different subjects hinges on reading: census data covering more than 40,000 students shows that pupils who enjoy reading high-quality books daily score higher in tests.

Besides better grades, reading for enjoyment has been linked to improved well-being and emotional resilience. Children who read also reported feeling more confident and developed greater empathy.

And why wouldn’t we want that for our young learners in this increasingly fast-paced world?

Parents and Tutors: Vital to Success

As the group behind the National Year of Reading reminds us, reading is a gateway that brings relevance and joy to everyday life, connecting people with stories and ideas. Helping children discover (or rediscover!) their joy of reading is a task which falls not only on educators, but also on parents.

Children notice what adults do far more than we give them credit for, and if parents regularly read, then children are much more likely to view this as a pleasurable and commonplace activity rather than simply homework. One study showed that normalising reading as a family is a huge factor in influencing a child to go on and read independently.

I’ve spoken before about the importance of reading to your child, especially through the lens of early intervention, but it’s equally essential that parents also read for pleasure and become role models for their children.

Reducing digital distractions is also another way to help children refocus and potentially rediscover other longer forms of entertainment, like reading. Talking about stories the children are learning at school also helps to build a conversation and to develop literacy.

That being said, if your children are still struggling to read, consider engaging a tutor who can offer guidance to help them develop stronger reading skills. A tutor can provide structured reading practice, recommend age-appropriate books and teach comprehension strategies in a personalised way, which can help to more naturally foster a child’s confidence in reading.

Practical Steps to Build Reading Stamina

If you or your child are struggling to stay focused on longer texts, you can actively rebuild that endurance using a few targeted strategies:

• Start Small and Build Up: Just like training for a physical race, begin with manageable intervals. Set a timer for just 10 to 15 minutes of uninterrupted reading a day. Once that feels comfortable, gradually increase the time by 5 minutes each week.

  
  

• Try the Pomodoro Technique: For older students, use this popular time-management method. Encourage them to read intently for 20 to 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. Breaking the task down into digestible chunks makes tackling a thick novel or textbook feel far less daunting.

  
  

• Create a Distraction-Free Zone: It is incredibly difficult to focus on a book when a smartphone is buzzing nearby. Establish a designated, comfortable reading spot in the house where screens, tablets, and devices are strictly left in another room.

  
  

• Encourage Active Reading: To stop the mind from wandering, encourage your child to engage actively with the text. Ask them to pause after every chapter or section to predict what will happen next, or ask them to quickly summarise what they just read.

  
  

• Let Them Choose: People read for longer when they actually care about the material. Whether it is a comic book, a graphic novel, a sports biography, or a fantasy epic, allowing children to choose their own reading material is one of the fastest ways to build their stamina.

There Is Still Time!

Not all is lost. Recently, more children and teenagers were reported to enjoy reading for the first time in the last 5 years! Maybe it’s the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic finally washing away? Or perhaps it has more to do with who urges them to pick up that book?

Whatever the underlying reason, reading stamina is a skill that can be improved with consistent practice and small changes. Hopefully this has encouraged not only your child, but you to get reading!

Ready to help your child improve their reading stamina and comprehension?

Contact Titanium Tutors today to find the perfect English tutor who can create a personalized learning plan tailored to your child’s needs.

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Blog Post Crafted by Cheryl

Cheryl manages our Admin Team, and is a qualified teacher with 5 years' experience in schools across England and Canada.

Cheryl graduated from University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Education. She tutored secondary school students in English for over nine years in Canada.

Cheryl speaks Cantonese, English and French, and in her spare time, she can be found illustrating and reading children’s books for inspiration.