Studies have shown that the amount of time spent reading, particularly in younger generations has diminished significantly in recent years. In order to understand how educators can work to address this issue, I interviewed 6 students between the ages of 5 and 13, working to further understand what motivates students to read and what hinders their motivation. Through this study, I found that read-aloud, time to read independently for pleasure, and developing literary self-confidence in students are essential components to developing lifelong readers that have a positive relationship with literature. While much research and change needs to occur to decrease the shifting societal attitudes towards reading, these findings may help educators further understand how they can help build a strong reading foundation within young students.
