Why Read?

Why read? What is the point of reading in higher education if students can succeed in their classes without reading? Using Wigfield and Eccles’ Expectancy-Value theory of motivation as a framework, I explore why different instructors think their students should be reading and whether students share these motivations. Instructors and students attribute value to reading differently. Instructors value reading for what it allows students to do and become. Students may value reading but still not read depending on competing factors including time available and assessment tasks required. The essay concludes by asking higher educational professionals to consider what, if anything, should be done to encourage the reading of difficult texts in classes.