The discussion was moderated by the Dean of the Faculty, Enric Vidal, and included contributions from lecturers Mariona Graell and Maria Pujol-Valls; lecturer, pedagogue and literary critic Joan Portell; public library network librarian Marta Cava; and student, primary school teacher, and pioneer of the story-gami technique, Laia Carnasa.
“Reading is a personal act in defence of intelligence.” With this statement, dean Enric Vidal opened the round table, raising the question of which factors are most crucial for fostering a reading habit among children in the digital era. "School libraries must be strengthened. They must cease to be places of punishment or canteens," asserted librarian Marta Cava. In the same vein, she stressed the importance of having motivated and well-trained staff who can identify the best books for both the classroom and school libraries. "Books cannot always remain the same; they need to change, and for that to happen, financial resources and time are required," she added. "Books cannot be permanent; they must represent different genres and languages," she continued.
In a context where reading comprehension results have been poor – particularly in Catalonia, as shown in recent PISA reports – experts shared reflections on how to reverse this trend. "Reading is approached individually in schools, when in fact it is a social activity. "Reading is approached individually in schools, when in fact it is a social activity. Schools should serve as forums, places for discussion," explained literary critic Joan Portell, who recently published Espigolant per la LIJ: fortaleses i debilitats (Sifting through Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Strengths and Weaknesses), an analysis of the current state of children's and young adult literature in Catalan.
14- to 24-year-olds: the most avid readers
According to the 2024 Conecta study, conducted by the Federation of Publishers’ Guilds in Spain, the age group that reads the most in their free time is 14 to 24-year-olds, with 75.3% engaging in regular reading. Despite this positive figure, this leading publication – supported by the Ministry of Culture – does not include children under 14, the stage at which reading habits are formed at school. Meanwhile, the Publishers’ Guild of Catalonia reports that book sales in Catalan are on the rise. However, these figures contrast sharply with the PISA report on reading comprehension, which places Spain below the European Union average and ranks Catalonia among the worst-performing regions in the country.
One of the key factors in developing children's reading habits is the role of families. "We do not know enough about families in schools. Various studies indicate that home is where the reading habit is most strongly nurtured," noted UIC Barcelona lecturer Joan Portell. According to the expert, one potential approach is to apply "positive discrimination" towards pupils who already have this habit ingrained, allowing efforts to focus on families where the school "will be key to fostering a reading habit, as it is not present at home." Faculty dean Enric Vidal added that "schools must play a role in addressing inequalities."
One of the proposals presented during the debate was the Story-gami technique, a methodology led by former UIC Barcelona student Laia Carnasa, which involves telling stories through origami. "It stimulates imagination and an element of surprise, and it has been proven to increase interest in reading," explained the expert in paper folding and teacher at a school in Barcelona.
Another practice championed at the round table was reading aloud at all ages. "It seems that reading aloud is not encouraged in secondary education. I once read a passage from The Hobbit by Tolkien to my students, and they wanted to hear more and have me continue reading out loud. However, my aim is for them to become interested in reading and continue on their own at home," said Marta Cava. Mariona Graell supported this idea: "Creating literary discussions helps establish safe spaces where children can develop a reading habit," she concluded.
At a time when screens increasingly dominate children's leisure activities, experts proposed various strategies to cultivate a love of reading. In every case, they stressed that future teachers must be passionate readers themselves so they can pass on that enjoyment to younger generations.
