ABSTRACT
Reading for pleasure, a term more commonly used in England than elsewhere, is essentially volitional, choice-led reading of any kind of text. This chapter, examines the tensions and challenges that exist for teachers seeking to redress the balance, argues that in order to build readers for life, not simply readers for the system, opportunities need to be seized to create interactive and reciprocal reading communities. It explores the benefits of reading for pleasure are discussed, then the evidence with regard to children’s dis/engagement as readers is presented, before the nature of reading communities and the challenges and possibilities offered by their construction. Considerable international evidence reveals that reading for pleasure and reading engagement are strong predictors of reading attainment. Multiple studies from across the world and over time indicate that reading enjoyment has a strong bi-directional link with reading attainment.
