Cultivating Reading through Environmental Design
This blog entry draws inspiration from a talk given at the NIE-NLB Collaboration, Education in the City on 31 May 2019. I shared about the environmental design factors that can be considered to create environments to support engaged reading at home and in schools.
The five environmental factors are: (1) Books, (2) Light, (3) Space, (4) Time, and (5) People.
Books
“In the absence of interesting texts, very little is possible.” - Ray William, 1996, quoted in Day & Bamford’s Top Ten Principles for Extensive Reading
Children who grow up in homes with many books and adults who support their interest by recommending books, bringing them to the library, recommending books to them are more likely to grow up to enjoy reading. Schools seeking to design reading environments should ensure that students have access to books that are relevant, current and meaningful to today’s teenagers.
In our work on school libraries, we have found that while the number of books in a school library matter, the quality of books is more important for drawing students into the library. Front-facing books and genre displays help both readers and non-readers find books they might like. A constantly changing New Arrivals section pique students’ interest.
Neil Gaiman suggests there is no such thing as a non-reader. Some kids just haven’t found the right books. Schools should design learning environments that are filled with books and put in place practices for book matching, to help students find the right books to get them hooked on reading.
Light
To make reading comfortable, light, noise, temperature, colour are some factors that need to be considered in environmental design. These factors contribute to what students feel about a place.
In my own home, I ensure there are reading lights in the kids’ bedroom and living room, providing cosy corners for reading. In the same way, school libraries should be bright and comfortable places that support student reading.
Space
Creating spaces for reading signal to students that it is a desired activity and creates the desire for such activity. We have found in our study various forms of reading, from browsing to social reading where students share a picture book and individual sustained silent reading.
The school library can provide a space for these different sorts of reading behaviours. Attending to signage to ensure visibility of books encourage browsing behaviour. Providing single high-backed armchairs encourage individual reading. Placing interesting books next to reading spaces can nudge students toward reading these books in these spaces.
Time
Too often, we forget that habit building takes time. Students who come from supportive reading homes tend to have time set aside for reading, whether it’s bedtime reading or restriction to online time. Yet, there is often little time set aside in the curriculum for reading for pleasure.
Reading for pleasure at schools need not only include sustained silent reading but can include book-related activities from Read Alouds to Book Talks. Integrating reading and reading activities into daily routines allows students to learn to engage in reading as a default activity. How often do schools do that? And when educators evaluate the success of their literacy programmes, do they include pleasure or engaged reading as a key success indicator?
People
Finally, most readers will tell you they have experienced many reading adults or peers in their lives - parents who read to them, friends who share books with them, grandparents who bring them to the library. This culture of reading should be replicated in schools. Unfortunately, many teachers may not have enough time to read enough to facilitate student book matching and model positive reading behaviours.
Trained librarians are able to help teachers and students find the right books. Providing that manpower in school can support reading teachers’ work. Dedicated personnel who help teachers and students find the right books should not be underestimated.