Princess Adeoye ’27 used to spend hours reading for pleasure. Now, the only books she reads are assigned for school, she said.
“I used to read a lot when I was younger, but now, with hours of homework, extracurriculars and activities in my life, I simply do not have the time to read for pleasure, but I wish I had more time to read.”
Gemma Friend ’28 also said she no longer has time outside of school.
“I love reading when I have the time, but I don’t often read other than articles that my mom sends or over vacation and summer.”
Reading outside of school enables students to explore their interests.
“When you have to do something, it makes you want to do it less,” Gemma said. “Because, when you’re reading for school, you always have to do it, but reading for fun can be whenever you want, which can make you enjoy it more and build a deeper connection with the book.”
David Xiong ’26 reads 30 minutes per day of articles and novels outside of his school-assigned reading.
“Reading in school and outside of the classroom are very different experiences,” he said. “Reading in school, you read with an analytical mind, with certain techniques. ‘What is the significance of the symbol in this particular passage?’ And while those are good tools for understanding a book, doing that all the time can make you lose the enjoyment and beauty of reading.”
Over the summer, David read “1984” by George Orwell for pleasure.
“‘1984’ was a truly influential novel for the way I think about politics, the way I think about government systems and the way I think about oppression in different societies. I wouldn’t have gained that experience if I had not read something outside of the English curriculum.”
Many at school take reading for granted, David said.
“A lot of people don’t realize this, but reading is a way of understanding the world and shaping your worldview and engaging in perspectives. Whether you agree with the book or not, it is an enriching intellectual experience.”
According to Upper School (US) English Department Head Ariel Duddy, English teachers understand that students don’t have much free time but still encourage them to read outside of their classes.
“There is real value in reading a book for pleasure when you don’t have an end goal,” she said. “You are reading to enjoy the novel and get to see the world from someone else’s shoes and perspective. But I hear from my students that, with the general amount of academic and extracurricular workload, they had to stop reading for pleasure at some point, but sometimes it is important to squeeze some time in.”
The US English Department strives to engage students with a diverse selection of novels and foster a genuine enjoyment of reading, Ms. Duddy said. She has noticed significant differences between students who read and don’t read outside of class, she said.
“I can often tell which students are readers outside of school. Their vocabulary tends to be better, they have variety in sentence structure and they often have a higher level of critical thinking.”
Ms. Duddy hopes that more students read during their free time.
“Ask a librarian, an English teacher or anyone who loves books for recommendations based on books you’ve enjoyed in the past or topics that might interest you,” she said. “Once you find a book that engages your attention, bring it everywhere with you! Waiting for a ride? Read! Procrastinating on homework? Read! Sitting on a bus or train? Read! Many of us automatically turn to our phones at any free moment; what if we used just a portion of that time to read a book that interests us instead?”
