想像一下，你踏入一個設備齊全、食材如超市陳列般的廚房（就像MasteChef 裏的廚房一樣），你會否感到更有衝勁去發揮廚藝？相反，若是一個雜亂無章，食物少得可憐的廚房呢，你還會期望在裏面享受烹飪的過程嗎？
或者，當你回到家時，舒適的沙發前擺放著全新的遊戲設備，難道它不會自然而然地吸引著你坐下來開始遊戲，放鬆心情？然而，如果那些遊戲被藏在高高的櫥櫃深處，你還會突然想起來，有興致地玩嗎？
很多成功學書籍為了銷量，總是喜歡賦予主角「人定勝天」的意志力，但心理學、教育學、管理學、歷史學都早已從不同的角度研究明確否定了這種說法。
例如，「使用者體驗」領域有句名言：每讓使用者多一個動作，就可能流失10%的使用者。 這就是「阻力感」的威力。如果你做某些事卻總是伴隨著阻力，即使是再喜歡的事，也會消耗人類有限的意志力。
例如，我有一個從香港帶來豆漿機，我很常使用，但有天它的轉換插頭被我換到了其他電器的座插後，我就沒有再使用了。為何？ 因為現在豆漿機沒有了轉插，我得先將轉插拿回來才行，太麻煩了。
小事尚且如此，更何況那些持續需要意志力的大事？
解決意志力問題的關鍵原則應該是：不是去鍛鍊所謂的「意志力肌肉」，而是當你需要意志力才能做某事前，先反思下是否可以事先改善環境或重新組織流程 ，從而將各類阻力消解於無形。這才是科學實際的方法。
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這和共讀環境有甚麼關係呢？
前面說了，既然看似微不足度的「阻力」也會消耗我們的「意志」，那我們可以反過來啊，透過改善共讀環境，讓共讀這項活動啟動起來「毫不費力」。
人畢竟很容易受環境影響，我們若是能營造一個舒適的共讀環境，提升閱讀的使用者體驗，讓看書變成一件愜意的消遣，哪還需要什麼「意志力」呢？
「設置一個舒適的閱讀環境，讓環境能推動我們閱讀，也讓環境『邀請』孩子到那兒看書、思考、想像和調節情緒。」
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#要讓環境主動邀請孩子來閱讀
大家不妨先靜下來，以局外人的身份來審視一下自己的家居佈置，小孩日常回家後，首先映入眼簾的是甚麼？他們隨手可以拿到的又是甚麼？家居的佈置和你自己內心想要的效果一樣嗎？假如你是小孩，你會被圖書吸引嗎？還是放在四周的玩具更吸引呢？
很多時候，我們抱怨孩子不喜歡閱讀，其實是因為家裏缺乏閱讀的氛圍，小朋友感受不到閱讀的樂趣。一個好的閱讀角，可以為孩子創造舒適的閱讀空間，讓孩子愛上閱讀、樂在閱讀；讓他去發現自己喜歡的書，去發掘自己閱讀的興趣。
「閱讀角＝安靜獨立的空間＋充足的光線＋陳架的書架＋舒適的座位」
- 適合孩子的高度、方便孩子自己拿取的開放式書櫃
- 所有封面都朝向前方作為展示，讓孩子一眼就能看見自己想要選的書，並定期調整書架上面主要展示的繪本種類。
- 為孩子挑選溫馨家具，例如一張舒服的椅子或沙發、柔軟的靠枕、保暖的蓋毯、明亮的立燈。
- 加上清新的綠植質感、童趣的牆面裝飾，讓溫馨的擺設營造出舒適的氛圍
- 盡可能把閱讀角設置在靠窗的位置，以獲得適當的光線照射。
閱讀角的空間不需要多大，只要小小一角落，就可以打造出孩子的一方天地，營造出濃濃的書香氣，讓小朋友來到這裏，就能自覺地生出想要閱讀的欲望。
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#減少環境中的誘因
在共讀環境中，若不希望小朋友會分心，聽了幾句後便跑走，我們就要考慮一下環境中是否有其他會吸引他們注意力的玩具和電子產品。
我曾看過美國一個改善飲食習慣的真人實驗節目，專家為了吸引實驗者一家多吃健康的食物，減少吃零食，就把家中所有的食物一一分類，健康的水果、堅果放到他們一眼看見、隨手可取的地方，然後卻把「垃吸食品」放至儲物櫃的深處。實驗結果證明，他們的確比過往多吃了健康的食物，減少了食其他零食的次數。
與其不斷提醒小朋友多看書，多做運動，少玩電子遊戲，我們倒不如先把家中的環境佈置改動一下，利用調節阻力的方式去影響小朋友的習慣及作息。
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#定時更換陳列架上的書籍封面
小朋友喜歡新鮮感，有時候他們會習慣了平日常見的畫面而變得麻木。若我們定時加入新圖書，像圖書館或書店一樣展示不同的封面，讓它們露露臉。這樣能引起小朋友的好奇心，吸引他們想要知道故事內容。
一旦小朋友讀了展示的圖書後，我們就可以把書插回書櫃中，重新挑選新一批想讓小朋友看的書，這樣我們就能尊重小朋友自由選書的意願，又能鼓勵小朋友主動嘗試新的圖書種類。
若家中的圖書不足，就辦一張圖書館的借書證，每半個月或一個月，帶孩子去一趟圖書館，既能省去很多買新書的費用，又能給予他們對閱讀世界的新鮮感。
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#隨手可取的圖書
要吸引小朋友閱讀，作為爸爸媽媽雖然不可以強迫，但可以用一些巧思去幫助。
例如把每一個隨手可得、小朋友會常常停留的地方，都設一個放書的位置。因為有時候要先從舒適的沙發上站起來去拿書，也是一種無形的阻力，會減少了很多閱讀的機會。而且在小孩的生活範圍內放置書本，也能讓小朋友從小就習慣書本是生活的一分子。
又例如，每當我們一家要外出時，若我的女兒沒有自己帶備圖書，我都會偷偷帶上一本我想要她嘗試閱讀的圖書。在等餐時她無事可做，我就會拿出來讓她自行決定閱讀與否。為了解悶，她通常也會看一看圖書的封面，我也會借機講一講圖書的故事開首，吸引她自行去找結局。
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#請為小孩購買足夠的書
很多時候，我們都希望小朋友能建立閱讀習慣，也知道家中有足夠的藏書量小朋友才能增加閱讀的經驗，可是卻不是每一個家庭都樂意把預算花在購買書籍上。當然我也很明白，移民到海外，工作的收入很難跟在香港時相比，開銷自然要再三考量，這些現實的問題我也一樣要面對。
可是，有些家庭外出用餐，買奶茶零食、買衣服都覺得錢花得理所當然，那為甚麼卻沒有把圖書列入家庭消費的預算中呢？兩本奶茶的價格，可以買上一至兩本不錯的故事書；一件洋裝的價格，夠買數本故事書；可當買的東西變成書本時，很多家庭就覺得價格令人難以下手。
「現代父母絕不是不肯為孩子花錢，而是這是上一代留下來的價值觀，總認為買課外書就是浪費，只有讀學校裏要考的課本才叫珍惜光陰。但是，誰最快改變這樣的觀念，誰就可能是讓孩子贏得在起跑點的第一批人。⋯⋯買很多東西都可以稱為浪費，但買書絕對不是。閱讀對孩子的影響力是一輩子的。」《餵故事書長大的孩子》
我尊重大家的消費觀念，如何花費也是家家有本難念的經。只是想提醒大家，也提醒自己，假如真心希望小朋友閱讀，願意花錢在其他項目的同時，也要捨得花錢買書。
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#將難以抗拒誘惑與習慣綁在一起
在各種有關建立習慣的書籍中，作者們通常建議我們將誘惑與習慣綁在一起。例如想培養運動習慣，可以一邊做運動一邊聽歌； 想培養背單字習慣，可以把單字表放在電腦前，在打開 youtube 前先背5個單字等，讓誘惑與習慣結合起來，將原本就喜歡從事的活動中連結想培養的習慣，執行起來就會比較不費力。
若希望小朋友能看書，可以把小朋友喜愛的小被、毛公仔都放置在閱讀角。或者，不介意的爸爸媽媽，也可以在旁邊放置一些小點心，讓孩子邊吃邊看。
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最後，要再次強調，我們希望達到目標，並不能僅僅依靠有限的意志力或毅力，而是要透過重新塑造工作環境，預先消除阻力的產生。始終人的意志力是有限、是會被消耗的心理資源，不是單純『能否下定決心』的問題。我們要善用讓行為變得容易的環境佈置，幫助我們建立新習慣。
“A Shared Reading Environment”
Imagine stepping into a fully equipped kitchen, with ingredients neatly displayed like in a supermarket—just like the kitchen in MasterChef. Wouldn’t you feel more motivated to cook and show off your skills? Now imagine the opposite: a messy kitchen with barely any food. Would you still look forward to the cooking process?
Or picture this: you come home and find a brand-new game console placed in front of a cozy couch—wouldn’t it naturally draw you in to sit down, start playing, and relax? But if those games were hidden away on a high shelf, would you even think about playing them?
Many self-help books love to sell the idea of sheer willpower—”mind over matter”—as the key to success. But disciplines like psychology, education, management, and history have all long proven otherwise through various studies.
For example, there’s a popular saying in the field of user experience: every extra step you make a user take risks losing 10% of them. This is the power of friction. If doing something always feels like a struggle, even something you enjoy, it still drains your limited willpower.
Take my soy milk maker, for instance. I brought it from Hong Kong and used it often. But one day I moved the power adapter it needs to another appliance. Ever since, I’ve stopped using the soy milk maker. Why? Because now I have to go fetch the adapter first—too much hassle.
If such a small issue can stop us, how can we expect to stick to things that require long-term effort and commitment?
The key to overcoming willpower issues is not training your so-called “willpower muscle”—it’s identifying where willpower is needed and redesigning the environment or process to remove that friction before it begins. That’s the scientific, practical approach.
What does this have to do with a shared reading environment?
Well, if even minor “friction” can drain our will, then we can reverse the logic—improve the shared reading environment so that reading feels effortless to begin with.
Humans are highly influenced by their surroundings. If we create a cozy reading space that improves the user experience of reading, it can turn reading into a pleasant, relaxing activity—no “willpower” required.
“Create a comfortable reading environment where the space invites us to read and encourages children to sit down, reflect, imagine, and self-regulate.”
#Let the Environment Invite Children to Read
Take a moment to pause and look around your home as an outsider. What do your children see first when they get home? What can they easily reach? Does your home’s setup reflect your intentions for your children? If you were the child, would you be drawn to the books? Or are the surrounding toys more appealing?
Often, when we complain that children don’t like to read, it’s not about their attitude—it’s that the home lacks a reading atmosphere. A well-designed reading corner can create a cozy space that helps children fall in love with reading, discover books they like, and develop a true interest in reading.
🌱 A reading corner = quiet, personal space + sufficient lighting + book display shelf + comfy seating
💡 Open shelves at child height so they can reach books on their own
💡 Display book covers facing forward so children can spot titles they like at a glance, and rotate the selection regularly
💡 Cozy furnishings like a comfy chair, soft cushions, a warm throw blanket, and a bright floor lamp
💡 Add plants and child-friendly wall décor to make the space inviting
💡 Place the reading corner near a window if possible for natural light
The space doesn’t need to be large—just a little corner is enough to create a warm, book-filled haven where children naturally feel like picking up a book.
#Reduce Distractions in the Environment
If you want children to stay focused during shared reading time, take a look at whether nearby toys or digital devices might be stealing their attention.
I once watched a reality show in the U.S. where a family tried to improve their eating habits. The experts reorganized the entire kitchen: healthy foods like fruits and nuts were placed in plain sight and within reach, while junk food was hidden in the deepest cupboards. The result? The family ended up eating significantly more healthy food and much less junk.
Instead of constantly reminding children to read more or play fewer games, we can simply rearrange our home environment to subtly influence their behavior through adjusting friction.
#Rotate the Books on Display
Children are drawn to novelty. If they see the same book covers every day, they may become desensitized. But by regularly rotating new books into display—like in a library or bookstore—you spark their curiosity. Once they read those books, you can move them back into the regular shelf and showcase a new set.
This way, you honor the child’s freedom to choose their books while encouraging them to explore different genres. If your home library is limited, get a library card and visit every 2–4 weeks. It saves money and renews their sense of wonder toward the world of reading.
#Books Within Arm’s Reach
You can’t force a child to read, but you can nudge them with thoughtful setup. Place books wherever your child often hangs out—like next to the couch or their bed. Sometimes, just the effort of getting up to grab a book can be enough resistance to discourage reading. But if books are always close by, it subtly teaches children that books are just part of everyday life.
When we go out as a family, if my daughter hasn’t packed a book, I secretly slip one into my bag. When we’re waiting for food, I pull it out and let her decide if she wants to read. Out of boredom, she usually checks the cover, and I take the chance to tell her a bit about the story’s beginning—enough to make her curious about the ending.
#Invest in Enough Books
We all want our children to develop a reading habit and we know that having enough books at home helps. But not every family prioritizes spending money on books. Understandably so—immigrating overseas, for instance, often means adjusting to lower income and higher expenses.
Still, some families have no issue spending on milk tea, snacks, or clothes—so why not books? The price of two drinks could buy one or two quality storybooks. The cost of a dress could fund several books. Yet when it comes to books, many hesitate.
“Modern parents aren’t unwilling to spend on their children—it’s just that many inherited the previous generation’s mindset: that buying extracurricular books is a waste, and only school textbooks are worthwhile. But the sooner one breaks from that mindset, the sooner a child gains a real head start… You can waste money on many things, but buying books is never one of them. Reading’s impact on a child lasts a lifetime.”
— Children Raised on Storybooks
I respect every family’s financial priorities. Spending is personal and complex. But if you truly want your child to read, be willing to invest in books just like you do for other parts of life.
#Pair Irresistible Temptations with Good Habits
Many books about building habits suggest tying a habit to something enjoyable. Want to exercise more? Listen to your favorite music while working out. Want to memorize vocabulary? Put the list in front of your computer and read five words before watching YouTube. By combining temptation with the habit, the habit becomes easier.
If you want your child to read, try placing their favorite blanket or stuffed animal in the reading corner. Or, if you’re okay with it, place a few snacks nearby so they can munch while reading.
In conclusion, to achieve our goals, we cannot rely on willpower or discipline alone. Instead, we must reshape our environment and eliminate sources of friction in advance. Willpower is a finite and depletable resource—it’s not just about “making up your mind.” We need to make smart use of our surroundings to make desired behaviors easier, helping us and our children build lasting habits.