[planet-and-halo]

This exact phenomenon is discussed in "Punished by Rewards." It's probably one of the best possible ways to train kids that reading is no fun, of no benefit to them, and should only be done if promised some kind of prize.

[gbrown]

In elementary school we had something like this - we had to read a book from a different genre every month in order to earn a food item for the end of year picnic. I was constantly reading just science fiction, and ended up with only pickle relish, despite reading more than most of the other students. I don’t think the exercise convinced anyone who wasn’t already into it that reading is good and fun.

[908B64B197]

That's just... strange.

The correct approach would have been to either leave a student reading a lot alone, or to steer him toward other genres that are similar to Sci-Fi ("Hey gbrown, this other author has a similar style to X I see you enjoy, but it's not true sci-fi... you'll see").

[gbrown]

It was long enough ago that I honestly don’t recall whether or not the teacher tried that. I may have just been stubborn lol.

[adflux]

A smart friend of mine proudly stated how little he read in high school, and that he has not read a single book since. He is 26.

[planet-and-halo]

Whenever people say that, I feel a little bad because I suspect their education failed them. But I also think of this Otto von Bismarck quote:

"Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others."

[SlowAndCalm]

I read a lot of novels in school and not many after. Reading is a vital skill but reading novels is not; a separation that was never conveyed to me to in school. For every great novel I have read, I've read countless more terrible novels and there is no greater waste of time than reading something terrible. Not reading artfully constructed prose has definitely taken a toll on my own writing though, as evidenced by this comment!

[planet-and-halo]

The emphasis on literature is definitely part of the problem. I was lucky enough to take an AP English Language class my senior year of high school, where the focus was on short essays and other nonfiction. That's what really ignited my love of reading. Before that I did enjoy my sci-fi novels, but I was much more of a TV/movies/video games person.

[hobs]

Throw a bad book in the trash.

Don't read books you hate, just like you shouldn't converse with people that frustrate and anger you.

That being said, a novel is one of the most intimate conversations you can have, so don't give up on them because you have had bad experiences in the past, find a new partner to talk to!

[mastersummoner]

I find that pretty interesting. I've read a decent number of books of being lengths in my life; I'm no great reader, but I'm not a particular slouch either. And almost every book I've read I found very enjoyable; if I didn't, I usually put it down and not pick it up again.

But then, I tend to read stories by authors I already know I like, or those that are recommended or otherwise considered to be worthwhile reads.