What do teenagers read?

This is the question I asked all the teenagers I teach: 

“Nothing” was the response I got at first, which was sadly, what I expected. 

However, when I delved deeper, they do read; very few of them read novels BUT so many of them read a myriad of different styles and genres, an extensive range of titles. 

I found this uplifting. Okay they aren’t reading Dickens or Austen but they are reading. 

Many of them read motivational books, people they have discovered on line, through social media and through podcasts that have sparked an interest. Self-help, business books, history, medical journals, health and fitness. These are just a few of the subjects that were mentioned. 

A few read novels: one student in particular reads classic literature in their native language. One student reads crime novels and another Young Adult fiction.

We made a mind map on the board; it was a fascinating picture of what sparks interest in teens of today.

Some of them read the news, online. Many mentioned lyrics and subtitles for films. Comics and graphic novels were listed too.

Bear in mind the majority of students I am working with study who in English, this is not their native language.

This rudimentary survey of twenty students really warmed my heart. It is difficult teaching. It is hard preparing so many for a 2nd let alone a 1st language exam. Therefore,

reading is essential to all subjects across the curriculum and should be an integral part of people’s lives.

(This is an article I wrote for MTA.)