6 Practical Strategies to Motivate Reluctant Readers and Boost Reading Success

Reading reluctance is a big challenge in Australia, not just in classrooms but across the whole country. In fact, according to NAPLAN results in 2023, one in three students read below their grade level.

Unfortunately, beyond school, these habits don’t improve: a major survey by Australian Reads found 55% of teens read only occasionally and 1 in 4 don’t read at all for pleasure.

The good news? The What Kids Are Reading 2024 report shows that students read an average of 17.6 books each this year – up from 13.2 in 2023. It’s a strong sign that reading engagement and enjoyment are growing among those who are actively participating.

But comprehension scores are still only steady at 75%, meaning understanding what they read remains a challenge.

Reading matters: beyond school results, it improves mental health, empathy and life skills.

Strong literacy skills are foundational, influencing performance across various subjects and aspects of personal development.

In Australia, research indicates that students with higher literacy skills often excel in mathematics and problem-solving tasks. For instance, a study by the Australian Government Productivity Commission found that an increase in literacy and numeracy skills by one level is associated with about a 10% increase in wages for both men and women, underscoring the broader benefits of literacy beyond reading itself.

Given these insights, fostering literacy from an early age is important.

6 best tips for engaging reluctant readers

At Renaissance Learning, we understand the reading challenges and are committed to supporting educators with practical tools and resources to engage and inspire even the most reluctant readers.

So, how do we help more reluctant readers get there? Here are six practical tips to engage reluctant readers and free resources to help you make it happen.

1. Set short and achievable reading goals

Building reading habits starts small. Encouraging students to read for just 15 minutes a day or reading a set number of pages can make a huge difference over time. It’s a manageable goal that doesn’t feel overwhelming, especially for reluctant readers who might struggle to settle in for longer sessions.

Short daily reading goals help develop consistency and show that even small chunks of time add up. Students who read just 15-29 minutes a day encounter approximately 5.7 million words annually – nearly four times more than those reading less than 15 minutes. Over time, these habits can expose students to millions of words, boosting vocabulary, comprehension and confidence naturally.

Acknowledging these little successes helps maintain motivation and makes reading feel like a natural routine.

2. Build a reading culture that goes beyond the classroom

If reading only happens in class, students may see it as just a subject, not a lifelong skill. Instead, make reading part of the school’s identity – celebrated and woven into everyday life across all year levels and departments.

This requires a whole-school approach: leadership sets the tone, library teams boost engagement with events and displays and non-literacy staff get involved by modelling reading habits and promoting challenges.

A strong, school-wide reading culture makes reading feel accessible, valued and worth prioritising.

3. Personalise reading to match each student’s style

Reluctant readers thrive when they have a say in what they read. Giving students the freedom to choose books that match their interests helps spark motivation and connection. In addition, some students, especially older ones who are reading below their year level, often want to read without everyone watching.

Use interest surveys and data to create tailored reading lists that reflect diverse preferences. Also, pay close attention to the latest topic and subject matter trends to stock books that are relevant to each cohort.

Digital libraries like myON can support this by giving students access to a wide mix of books, short articles and current events content. Many students enjoy being able to explore topics they’re curious about and choose how they engage with the text, whether that’s reading silently, listening to audio or even recording themselves as they go.

When students pick books themselves about something intriguing to their preferences, they’re more likely to stay engaged and enjoy reading.

Only 28% of Australians are frequent readers, highlighting how important it is to nurture personal choice to develop lasting reading habits. By providing students with the freedom to select books that resonate with them, educators can encourage a deeper connection to reading.

This tailored literacy learning approach supports reluctant readers in developing a lasting and meaningful reading habit.

4. Use insight to inspire growth

To truly support reluctant readers, we need more than good intentions – we need clear statistical insights. Benchmarking tools like Star Reading help teachers understand where each student is starting from by assessing their reading age, reading level and comprehension ability.

This data enables teachers to personalise support, set realistic goals and recommend books at just the right level – without the guesswork. Star Reading even generates parent-friendly reports, helping to strengthen the partnership between home and school so reading growth continues beyond the classroom.

Instead of relying on assumptions, data allows educators to:

• track growth in real time,
• identify comprehension gaps and
• adjust reading programs accordingly.

Even small reading wins matter! Celebrate early improvements to build confidence and keep students motivated. When progress is visible to both teacher and student, it’s easier to maintain momentum.

Reluctant readers are more likely to keep going when they feel seen, supported and successful right from the start.

5. Make it fun: create excitement around reading

Reading should be personally enjoyable. If it feels cumbersome or intrusive, it can turn many people away from picking up a book.

Accelerated Reader creates space for that. Students can read books in any format –whether physical books from the school library or digital libraries from platforms like myON, and then take short, low-pressure quizzes in Accelerated Reader to check their understanding.

It’s a powerful way to track progress and build reading confidence without putting students on the spot.

For those already glued to their devices, reading on a screen might just be the gentlest way back into the world of books.

These tools support micro-achievements too – celebrating quiz-based milestones that nudge students forward in ways that feel personal, not performative. It’s about letting students quietly build skills at their own pace, in a format that suits them.

6. Track progress visually and celebrate growth

When students see their reading grow, motivation grows. So, visual progress tools help build daily habits and show that every 15 minutes counts.

Try this: Download our Reading Growth Chart – a printable, garden-themed tracker where students colour in a leaf, flower or raindrop for every 15 minutes they read. Designed for A4 printing, it’s teacher-friendly and perfect for individual or classroom displays.

This chart supports “15 minutes a day” reading encouragement initiative. Our data shows that students who read for 15+ minutes daily are exposed to up to 6.8 million words by graduation compared to just 1.5 million for less frequent readers.

Use reading milestones to trigger mini-celebrations (like stickers, shout-outs or group rewards). This helps maintain reading motivation.

Practical solutions to help you go further

If you’re looking to bring these student reading improvement strategies to life in your school, Renaissance Learning offers a suite of powerful tools designed to engage students, support teachers and build lasting reading habits.

These include:

• Star Reading: Accurately assesses student reading levels, providing local and global benchmarks. This gives educators clear data to tailor personalised instructions and track reading growth effectively.
• Accelerated Reader: Offers 8,000+ book quizzes to boost comprehension. Students set goals, track progress and enjoy gamified challenges like peer competitions and House points with books matched to their level.
• myON Digital Library: An interactive platform for reading, listening, note-taking, journaling and voice recording. Thousands of levelled books and articles engage students on any device, turning screen time into meaningful reading.

These reading improvement tools work together to support a personalised, data-informed approach to literacy learning that grows with your students.

Want to see these reading solutions in action?

Join our upcoming interactive webinar to discover how educators are using Accelerated Reader (AR) and myON to spark more enthusiasm for reading in students.

You’ll hear real stories from schools embracing personalised reading journeys, House competitions, Book Week celebrations and parent partnerships to make literacy a central (and enjoyable) part of school life.

What you’ll learn:

• Creative ways to use Accelerated Reader to support different learning needs
• How reading achievements are celebrated through House competitions
• Insights into popular myON titles and how students become reading influencers
• How Reading Snapshots help track progress and engage families

Whether you’re a teacher, librarian, school leader or a parent, this webinar session is packed with practical ideas to make reading more meaningful – and more fun.

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