This week, I received an email from Marleen, which I share here with her permission, about how to work on reading in class.

Dear Pedro,
I’m a Dutch language teacher in upper secondary vocational tracks (society and welfare, care). To promote reading and writing, I replace one lesson a week with a reading hour for my third-year students. They can choose their own book, with a few conditions: it must be Dutch fiction and not comics (graphic novels are allowed).
Each week they read for 40 minutes. In the last 10 minutes, they write a short summary of what they’ve read. Up to the winter break, they have to write at least 5 sentences; after that, 10.
I correct all the summaries weekly and return them afterwards. At the end of the school year, I give students a survey.
Now that we’re starting a new school year, I wonder how I can further increase their reading enjoyment and improve their skills. Am I overlooking something?
Thank you!
Marleen

She also sent me an overview of the results, but for privacy reasons, I won’t share those here. What I can say is this: the weekly reading hour does make a difference. Many students who initially found reading boring changed their minds, and some even started to enjoy it genuinely. At the same time, most of the reading still stops at school: very few continue reading at home.

Here’s the advice I shared with her—maybe it inspires you too:

You’re already doing a lot of the right things. For the coming year, you might focus on minor tweaks that lower the barrier and add a bit of fun:

• More variation. Summaries are helpful, but mixing it up can work wonders. Ask students to make a short social media post, pick a striking quote, or pitch their book in pairs.
• A broader range. Fiction remains the base, but some students engage more easily with non-fiction or texts related to their field (care, welfare, society). You could allow this occasionally. Another option is to have them read different texts around a shared theme and then bring them together for a discussion.
• More exchange. Libraries and book swap shelves often don’t attract them, but you could keep it small-scale: a short “book tip round” in class or a digital noticeboard for recommendations.
• A book club feel. Occasionally, read the same text together and discuss it as a group.
• Make progress visible. Keep a class bookshelf (real or digital) showing everything they’ve read together—it often works better than individual lists.
• Small reading goals. Many students say they’d like to read more, but don’t get around to it. Challenge them with something small and doable, such as ten minutes once a week at home or outside the reading hour, and let them share their progress.
• Highlight progress. They found the summaries tough at first but admitted they improved with practice. Show examples of that growth—it builds confidence.

This way, the core of your approach stays intact—choice, calm, and regularity—but you add just enough variety, visibility, and ownership to make the effect even stronger.

On this blog, you can find more (e.g. here). But if you have any other tips? Feel free to add them!

P.S.: For reading, always also check Timothy Shanahan or Dan Willingham.