Humor and Reading Motivation in Children: Does the Tickling Work?

Abstract

In spite of employing various reading techniques by teachers to motivate their students, some
techniques may be less effective as they tend to repress rather than to motivate reading in
children. Educators to some extent could unintentionally deter as opposed to allay the fears of
reluctant young readers, consequently hampering the development of their intrinsic
motivation for reading. This article sheds light into children’s appreciation of humour and its
effect on their reading abilities; children’s reading preferences, and how to motivate them.
The benefits and significance of humour socially, and cognitively through the facilitation of
playful learning environment , reduction of learning anxiety, and the stimulation of students’
learning motivation, are liable of creating in children the desire for the tickling sensation that
accompanies humourous reading materials. An appraisal of global trend of children’s strong
preference for funny, riddles and joke books, in conjunction with an overview of the sense of
humour, its appreciation and the use of humour as an adaptive mechanism in young readers,
are among the noteworthy insights presented for educators to ruminate upon.