Why 'reading for pleasure' isn't enough: how to enhance children's reading comprehension

Two critical components that are frequently overlooked in the pursuit of literacy are vocabulary and cultural knowledge. Without intentional efforts to build these, children’s reading comprehension and overall literacy can be significantly hindered.

As students progress through school, they must add at least 3,000 new words to their vocabulary each year (Bringing Words to Life, Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002) to keep pace with the increasingly challenging demands of academic texts. It’s nearly impossible to achieve this goal for the significant majority of children relying solely on reading for pleasure.

Reading for pleasure fosters a positive attitude toward reading and encourages children to develop a consistent reading habit. However, its limitations become evident when we consider the depth and breadth of vocabulary and cultural knowledge required for proficient reading comprehension and academic success. Moreover, we must address how many children are reading outside of school. According to the National Literacy Trust’s 2023 research, approximately 51% of children aged 8 to 18 reported reading for enjoyment outside of school. Factors such as access to books and parental support significantly influence a learner’s likelihood of reading outside the classroom.

As Biemiller asserts, "If we are serious about ‘increasing standards’ and bringing a greater proportion of school children to high levels of academic accomplishments, we cannot continue to leave vocabulary development to parents, chance, and highly motivated reading”. This highlights the need for a structured approach to vocabulary instruction and intentional, coherent strategies being embedded into teaching and learning practices.

The disparity in vocabulary acquisition among children from different socioeconomic backgrounds is stark. The 30 Million Word Gap study by researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley found that by age three, children from families with a degree level education had heard 30 million more words than those from families with a long term history of welfare support. This early disparity in language exposure can result in long-term differences in vocabulary, subsequently impacting reading comprehension and academic success. Therefore, it is vital to implement proactive strategies throughout a learner’s schooling to level the playing field and ensure everyone can thrive in education and beyond. Further studies highlight that if schools rely on reading for pleasure alone the Matthew Effect occurs, in which the vocabulary gap continues to widen and there will be a compounded negative impact on the least fortunate in society throughout their childhood and into adulthood.

Without a strong vocabulary, students struggle to understand even the most engaging stories. Vocabulary instruction is not merely an add-on; it is an essential component of reading comprehension, writing and a source of knowledge in and of itself. A content-rich curriculum that builds vocabulary and knowledge is essential. Teaching specific word meanings, usage, and context helps children understand the full meaning of a text, enriching their reading experience.

Reading for pleasure often involves selecting familiar and enjoyable texts, which may not consistently introduce new vocabulary, varied contexts or complex sentence structures required for advanced reading proficiency.

Furthermore, learners require more than mere exposure to words; they need systematic instruction that builds on their prior knowledge and enhances their ability to use new vocabulary effectively in reading and writing. Without structured guidance, children may miss opportunities to learn and apply new words in meaningful contexts, limiting their language development. Jane Oakhill's 2012 study suggests that educators should focus not only on expanding children's vocabulary but also on deepening their understanding of words and enhancing their ability to retrieve this knowledge efficiently. The Education Endowment Foundations’ (EEF) work also highlights the specific need for direct instruction when it comes to teaching literacy. They note: ‘Reading, writing, speaking and listening are at the heart of every subject in secondary school. Focusing time and resources on improving reading and writing skills will have positive knock-on effects’.

An expanded and also enriched vocabulary ensures faster word recognition, improving reading fluency and efficiency. This automaticity frees cognitive resources for higher-level comprehension tasks, enabling students to infer meanings and understand nuances, thus enhancing critical thinking and deeper comprehension. Repeated exposure to and use of new vocabulary in varied contexts reinforces learning and aids long-term retention.

The research overwhelmingly highlights how imperative it is to move beyond reading for pleasure for the development of young learners. There is an onus on educators to embed literacy across their curriculum, with every teacher being a teacher of literacy (not just the English department). At Bedrock Learning, we see this as an opportunity to bring about positive change and impact the outcomes of all learners.

Below, we share some of the principles and targeted strategies that we deploy when building whole-school reading strategies in partnership with senior leaders and literacy experts.

Effective vocabulary instruction is essential for bridging the vocabulary gap and improving reading comprehension. Educators can utilise Rosenshine’s 10 Principles of Instruction and, for more specific frameworks on vocabulary instruction, Robert Marzano’s practical steps to teaching reading comprehension. Here are some components of structured vocabulary teaching that incorporate these principles:

• Diverse reading materials: Encourage reading across various genres and subjects to introduce new vocabulary in different contexts.
• Interactive reading strategies: Discuss new words, use them in sentences, and integrate them into daily conversations in the classroom to reinforce learning.
• Vocabulary-building activities: Encourage participation in word games, flashcards, and other activities to make vocabulary acquisition more effective and enjoyable. You can download 11 vocabulary games just here.

By applying Rosenshine’s principles and Marzano’s steps for teaching, educators can enhance retention and help learners use the newly acquired vocabulary. As Rosenshine states, "the most effective teachers ensure that students efficiently acquire, rehearse, and connect knowledge." This approach underpins Bedrock’s learning sequence across its vocabulary platform.

To build cultural knowledge, it is essential to provide students with a rich array of texts and experiences that reflect diverse perspectives and contexts, aligning with curriculum standards. Here are some examples of best practice:

• Exposure to a range of cultural experiences: provide books that reflect the diverse culture of your classroom
• Discussions and activities: Complement reading with discussions, cultural activities, and projects to deepen cultural insights.
• Connecting texts to real-life experiences: Relate stories and characters to real-life events and cultural practices to enhance comprehension and retention.

To effectively boost children's reading skills, a holistic approach focused on intentional instruction in vocabulary and cultural knowledge is essential. Schools should integrate both into school-wide literacy programmes, creating balanced curricula that address all aspects of reading development. It's essential that schools have predefined tier 2 and tier 3 words, a plan on how to teach them and a way of tracking individual progress.

This is challenging and schools in the UK require support in doing this, with the ‘do it yourself’ approach not being able to drive the best outcomes. Schools do not have the time or resources to identify which words must be taught, ensure authentic exposure to these words, utilising a wide range of reading materials, and then track the learning at an individual pupil level.

When thinking about that support for schools, many tools designed to improve literacy still require motivated readers. This further embeds the reliance on reading for pleasure and creates an environment where the vocabulary gap widens.

Bedrock Learning offers a whole-school literacy strategy to improve reading and writing skills through intentional teaching. The platform tailors content to individual learning needs based on the teaching principles discussed above, supporting the acquisition and retention of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary. Importantly, it expands and embeds vocabulary knowledge at a scale that would be hard to replicate for each learner without the innovative, time saving tech which powers it.

Advancements in technology and data analytics allow live progress tracking and individual intervention, powered by the platform, which is crucial for developing reading skills and ensuring no child is left behind. You can discover how it is transforming education in schools across the UK.

While reading for pleasure can nurture a love of literature, it is insufficient on its own for developing the comprehensive reading skills necessary for academic success due to its reliance on motivated readers, varied text selection and parental support. Therefore, integrating robust vocabulary instruction and cultural knowledge into the school curriculum is vital for educators to equip children with the tools they need to become proficient, confident and masterfull readers.

As Alex Quigley highlights in Closing the Vocabulary Gap, "a comprehensive approach to vocabulary instruction is needed, one that integrates explicit teaching of words with opportunities for students to encounter and use new vocabulary in meaningful contexts." This holistic approach is crucial for closing the vocabulary and cultural knowledge gaps, ultimately enhancing children’s reading skills and preparing them for lifelong learning. This fundamental principle underpins what Bedrock Learning aims to achieve for every young person.