We Don't Have a Reading Problem—We Have an Attention Problem

Every year, headlines warn us that children are reading less.

Book sales fluctuate. Reading for pleasure declines. Teachers report that pupils struggle to finish novels. Parents wonder why their child would rather spend hours watching short videos than read a single chapter of a book.

The conclusion is often the same:

"Children just don't like reading anymore."

I'm not convinced that's the real issue.

I think we have something bigger.

We have an attention problem.

Reading Requires One Thing Above All Else

Attention.

Before a child can infer, analyse or empathise with a character, they first need to remain focused long enough to understand what they're reading.

Reading is a slow process.

It asks us to concentrate, imagine, question, predict and connect ideas over minutes, sometimes hours.

That's becoming increasingly difficult in a world that encourages us to switch our attention every few seconds.

A World Designed to Interrupt

Today's children are growing up in an environment where almost everything competes for their attention.

Notifications.

Videos.

Autoplay.

Infinite scrolling.

Algorithms that constantly offer something new before we've finished enjoying what we're already looking at.

Many digital platforms are brilliantly designed to keep us engaged—but they also encourage us to expect frequent novelty and instant rewards.

Books work differently.

A novel doesn't flash.

It doesn't vibrate.

It doesn't reward us every ten seconds.

The reward comes gradually, as characters develop, plots unfold and ideas begin to connect.

That takes patience.

It's Not Just Children

Adults often experience the same challenge.

How many of us have picked up our phone while watching television?

Started reading an article only to check a notification halfway through?

Read the same paragraph twice because our mind wandered?

This isn't simply a children's issue.

It's a modern attention issue.

Children are simply growing up in it.

Reading Builds the Attention We Need

Here's the encouraging part.

Attention isn't fixed.

Like reading itself, it's a skill that develops through practice.

The more children spend time immersed in books, the longer they can sustain focus.

That sustained attention doesn't just help in English lessons.

It supports learning across every subject.

It helps pupils follow multi-step instructions, solve complex problems, write thoughtfully and engage in deeper thinking.

Reading isn't simply a way of improving literacy.

It's a way of strengthening concentration.

Small Changes Make a Big Difference

Developing attention doesn't require hours of reading every evening.

Consistency matters more than duration.

Ten focused minutes without distractions can be more valuable than thirty interrupted minutes.

Reading together.

Talking about characters.

Predicting what might happen next.

Laughing at funny moments.

Wondering why a character made a particular decision.

These conversations keep children engaged and show them that reading is something to enjoy, not simply something to complete.

Creating Space for Deep Focus

If we want children to read more, we also need to help them protect their attention.

That might mean:

• putting phones away during reading time;

• creating a quiet space without background distractions;

• choosing books that genuinely interest the child;

• allowing children to abandon books they don't enjoy and find one that captures their imagination;

• modelling reading ourselves.

Children notice what adults value.

If they regularly see parents, carers and teachers enjoying books, reading becomes part of everyday life rather than just another school task.

It's Not Either/Or

Of course, some children have genuine reading difficulties. Others have specific learning needs that require targeted support, specialist teaching or additional interventions.

Those children deserve the right help.

But for many others, decoding words isn't the biggest barrier.

Staying focused long enough to become immersed in what they're reading is.

Recognising that difference matters because the solutions are different.

Let's Build Readers by Building Attention

The goal shouldn't simply be to make children read more pages.

It should be to help them experience the joy of becoming absorbed in a story, discovering new ideas and thinking deeply about what they read.

When we nurture attention, we don't just create stronger readers.

We create learners who can concentrate, question, imagine and persevere.

Perhaps we don't just need to ask, "How do we get children reading?"

Perhaps we should also ask:

"How do we help children reclaim the attention that reading requires?"