One-to-one reading support is typically viewed as the domain of primary education. It’s rare to see this practice carried over into secondary settings. But putting aside the common constraints of time and resources, it’s worth asking: do one-to-one reading sessions still have a place in secondary schools?
Reading for pleasure is an ongoing challenge at secondary level. According to the , the percentage of children who say they read for pleasure drops from 46.9 per cent of those aged 8 to 11, to just 29.5 per cent of those aged 11 to 14.
Secondary teachers have a clear responsibility to re-engage children with reading, not only because it enriches their lives but also because of the powerful impact it has on learning outcomes. Pupils who enjoy reading are to have above-average reading skills than children who don’t enjoy it.
The answer, for early readers, can sometimes be as simple as more rich reading practice. Research shows that even brief daily reading sessions of five to seven minutes can lead to meaningful improvements in reading skills and motivation. A recent highlights the power of this approach, demonstrating that short, focused tutoring in early years literacy led to measurable gains in fluency and engagement.
Reading about this study, I was struck by the idea that such short sessions could make a big difference, and I wondered if a similar approach could work for older students. In a bid to get more of my own students reading for pleasure, I decided to try short, one-to-one reading sessions, and, after some informal experimentation, started to use this approach regularly.
So far, it seems to be having a positive impact. Anecdotally, I have noticed a shift in my students’ overall attitudes to reading.
How to boost reading for pleasure
So, how exactly does this method work?
I run the short, one-to-one reading sessions with key stage 3 students in library lessons and tutor times. Each session lasts for five to seven minutes. Doing several of these sessions can be time-consuming, so I decided it was worth focusing on the students who stand to benefit the most. The first step was to identify the students who were most disengaged, through observations conducted during library lessons or independent reading time.
During the sessions I let the student read for the full five to seven minutes, intervening only to correct fluency errors. This ensures that a decent section of the text is covered and helps to maintain the flow of reading. There is a temptation to turn these into guided reading sessions, and a few questions at the end can be useful, but I’ve found that interruptions during reading should be kept to a minimum.
It’s a simple approach. But how well is it working? While the Stanford study focused on younger learners, I have found that the timeframe they used is also effective with KS3 students. These short, targeted sessions offer more than just academic support; they give students valuable one-to-one attention, which builds confidence and helps to sustain their interest. In many cases, these sessions also help to strengthen the student and teacher relationship, which I feel can be half the battle when it comes to encouraging independent reading.
For teachers interested in trying this approach for themselves, I would recommend starting this work early in the school year and committing to the sessions for an extended period of time, be that a month or half a term.
Early intervention allows for targeted support before disengagement deepens and reading drops off entirely.
Building reading habits
Where families are supportive, I’d also recommend sharing the approach with them. This can help to encourage regular reading at home and reinforce the progress made in school, even once the intervention is over.
It’s helpful, too, to explicitly teach students the principles of habit formation. Drawing on the work of James Clear and others, you can introduce strategies such as habit stacking, where reading is linked to an existing routine like finishing homework or brushing teeth. This makes reading easier to remember and more automatic.
Environment design is also important, so encouraging students to establish a regular time and quiet space for reading can reduce friction and reinforce the habit.
Tutor time or other regular daily slots offer a practical opportunity to embed these routines. When reading becomes part of a predictable daily rhythm, it shifts from being yet another school task to becoming part of a child’s identity as a reader.
Naturally, time and resource constraints make all of this easier said than done, but helping children to finish enjoyable books that offer the right level of challenge is incredibly rewarding. Even if this happens in short bursts, experiencing that sense of accomplishment can create a positive motivation loop, encouraging them to keep reading.
Erin Miller is head of the English faculty in an international school
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