Why are Finnish kids so smart?

After reading "What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart," an article published in the Wall Street Journal, I have come to various conclusions as to why Finland has gotten education right, and why the US is still struggling. As we discussed in Ed Psych last week, learning reading is quite possibly the most important skill a child needs in order to obtain academic successes. If a child does not learn to read, and read well, at a young age it could essentially ruin their chances of learning anything well in their future. You cannot escape reading no matter where you are, or what class you're in (even in math there are word problems). In the article the author made a big deal out of the activities the Finnish children do that are the same as American children, but the most important activity was an activity that isn't as popular in the States as it is in Finland. The author made mention that the majority Finnish children read constantly, along with doing other activities. I know that when I was in elementary school and middle school, I was terribly unconcerned with reading outside of class. I never really had the motivation to read, even though I was reading at a "college reading level" my 7th grade year. I enjoyed some of the books when I read them for class, but I think it made it seem like a chore to have to read a book by a deadline. I would much rather just read at my own pace, and take time to fully enjoy being in the book. The real question in America is how can we motivate kids to read, and not get frustrated with the reading process? If we can answer that question, and solve that problem, our national education system could quite possible become the pinnacle education system in the world.