Harnessing interest pathways to engage new readers

The hook, not the book” – harnessing interest pathways to engage new readers.

The reading for pleasure crisis among children and adults in England and the UK is well-documented. Just 1 in 2 adults regularly read for pleasure and only 29% of 10-year-olds in England report that they like reading ‘very much’, compared to an international average of 46%. Research conducted for World Book Day shows that a fifth (21%) of children say they can’t find anything they want to read at home, rising to 25% at school.

This impacts educational attainment and life outcomes.

What are interest pathways?

The Reading Agency’s proven method of harnessing the power of interest pathways – topics, themes or existing hobbies and interests – to engage people with reading is an idea that is gaining traction more widely across the sector.

The idea behind “the hook, not the book” is that children or adults should focus on finding a type or topic of book that appeals to them, and view reading the book as an extension of their existing interest, rather than reading as a chore, homework or some that only counts if it is “worthwhile literature”.

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