Let’s face it, many middle and high school students do not complete assigned readings for English classes. Instead, they turn to websites such as SparkNotes, which summarizes books for them. A big reason as to why many students are disengaged in English classes is the way these classes are often structured, leaving very little room for exploration and creativity. While it is clearly important to challenge students in their classes, doing so while they are uninterested and unmotivated does little to actually educate them. Changing the class structure to give students more freedom to choose and explore books for themselves will allow them to become more involved and engaged in their English classes.

Over the years, the amount of students that read for fun has plummeted. A study from the American Psychological Association found that, in the late 1970s, “60 percent of high school seniors read from a book or magazine every day … but by 2016, the number had plummeted to 16 percent.” This may be due to students’ dislike of their English classes, as this is where they get the majority of their exposure to prominent novels and other literature. Another study’s literature concludes that “research indicates that there is a definite theme of student dissatisfaction or concern about the texts they are required or ‘forced’ to read in the classroom,” and that this dissatisfaction is connected to the decline in reading.” English classes are often structured in a way such that students are assigned readings — usually classics. Then, students are forced to overanalyze every detail, sit through classroom discussions they barely participate in and write a report about a book they were likely disinterested in. Associating these experiences with reading can make a student believe they dislike reading, when, in reality, they have just not been exposed to a type of book they enjoy.

There is so much potential to teach students about books in a way they enjoy that will lead them to become lifelong readers. A Live Science survey about boredom among students found that “when asked, the most common explanation of why a student doesn’t like English is the desire to pick how they do their work and what their work is about.” A simple shift to fulfill students’ personal desires could transform the dull classroom discussions dominated by teachers into lively, engaging conversations between students. When a person enjoys a book, it can be fun to talk about it with others. If teachers are having to force students to talk in discussions, they are probably selecting the wrong books. By giving students a choice, assignments will feel less like work and more enjoyable. Studies have found that allowing students to choose their own reading materials increases positive feelings about reading. Not only can giving students a choice of books make them more engaged in class, but it can also encourage them to read on their own time.

This does not mean that the entire current curriculum must be discarded. It just needs adjustment. There are certain aspects of common English curriculum that are important, such as books that challenge readers and improve comprehension, analysis and deeper thinking skills. While classics are typically used for this, other books can do it just as well. Additionally, not every book needs to be extremely challenging. It is just as important to allow students to explore interest in books as it is for them to learn language from them. Exposure to certain themes, ideas and issues is another big reason why classics are used in class. However, non-classics can give this exposure while being more interesting and relevant to students. As Ava Bourdeau, an opinion editor at The Samohi writes, “works such as ‘The Hunger Games’ may not have the most advanced diction, [but] they have turned many young people into avid bookworms, while also dealing with issues of conformity, leadership and identity.” Classics don’t have to be entirely replaced and can, instead, be read in addition to books of students’ choice.

In order to successfully restructure how English classes are taught, there must be a balance between giving students freedom to explore books and improving their comprehension and deeper thinking skills. Setting parameters on book choices and offering a diverse selection should help with this. Based on age and reading skill, students can choose books with a certain degree of difficulty. To make sure there is a diversity of books, they can be separated into different units based on genre, time period and more. When classics are assigned, even giving students a choice between a few classics may be more motivating. Melanie Hundley, a former English teacher and current professor at Vanderbilt University says, “’If kids will read and you can build their reading stamina, they can get to a place where they’re reading complex text.’” Having a larger and more diverse range of literature would be beneficial for the students and teachers, who would no longer have to try so hard to get the class engaged.

Changing how English classes are taught is one of the most important things in getting students interested in reading. The current system implemented clearly is not working, since assigned reading is very unmotivating for students to read and be interested in. By giving students the freedom to choose and explore a more diverse collection of novels, they are more likely to be engaged in class, transforming the environment they are learning in. Hopefully, this will also lead to students developing a lifelong love of reading.

Lily Tener is a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience.