As our children get closer to their teenage years, reading can often take a backseat to other enticing social activities. Face it, even though they know intellectually the important role that reading plays in their academic success, they can always find something better to do than crack open a new novel. But, there might just be something parents can do about that.
There appears to be a decreased interest in reading for many children at or around the age of 9, even in those who loved reading prior to that. Experts attribute this to the child's ever-increasing busy schedule as they become more involved in extracurricular activities.
Children that are 9 to 10 years old enter the 'world of distractions. With after-school activities, team sports, dances, television, video games, computer time, etc., this leads to less time for reading.
This is the time that parents need to try to make reading fun again so their children will make time for it.
Make it fun and interesting again.If your preteen saw the Harry Potter movie, have her read the book. If he is interested in baseball, have him read a sports biography.
Reading Is Fundamental, a national motivating force for literacy founded in 1966, offers great tips for parents who are trying to rekindle their child's love for reading.
- Help fit reading into their schedule. Kids say they would read more if they had the time.
- Set an example. Let your kids see you reading for pleasure.
- Give them an opportunity to choose their own material. When you and your child are out together, browse in a bookstore or library. A gift certificate or subscription is a nice way of saying, "You choose."
- Build on your child's interests. Look for books and articles that feature their favorite sports, hobbies or music.
- View pleasure reading as a value. Almost anything your child reads helps build his reading skills.
- Make reading aloud a natural part of family life. Share a newspaper article or a passage from the book you are currently reading – without turning it into a lesson.
- Surf the Internet for the hottest titles, and encourage your child to do the same.
"I teach an enrichment class for creative writing, and my students are from 11 to 13," says Deanna Luke, a Fort Worth, Texas children's book writer. "All of the parents but one signed their student up because they have some learning issues. By the end they were so empowered that they could imagine a situation and write it down and validate it. That allowed each one of them to become better readers and editors so they could refine their own work."
Luke says it is important to encourage your child to read about what they like. "The more they read about what they like, the more they can read about the things they need to know," she says. "It is the old adage, 'Practice makes perfect' that applies here."
With all the choices available to children these days, reading is just another thing to do. Children need to remember the importance of reading, and it's up to us as parents to keep the spark flickering when so many other things seem to be in the way. Set time aside for reading. Turn off the television. Put away the cell phones. Make video games disappear for the allotted time. Everyone read.
Parents need to show the importance of reading for pleasure. They can do this by demonstrating that they read for pleasure themselves. Children learn by example: good and bad. To cultivate a love of reading in your child that lasts a lifetime, you must provide the example through your own actions.
Besides the old standbys that are on every school reading list, there are excellent contemporary authors writing for the teen genre. Below are several newer books that are highly recommended for teen reading.
This is also great link that offers an extensive list of choices for your teen's summer reading.
http://www.justreadflorida.com/recommend/PublicDisplay.asp
1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
© Katherine Tegen Books
This book has placed debut author, Veronica Roth, on the New York Times bestsellers list and has been called 'a brainy thrill-ride of a novel' by BookPage.com. It is the start of a series in which book 2, Insurgent, was released in May 2012. Teens who like thrillers with lots of twists and strong characters will really go for this book.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
© Dutton Juvenile
Another
love story but it is seeped in the reality that there are teens who are
fighting cancer and their lives are going to be cut short. Sometimes
these teens are lucky enough to fall in love and have a partner to help
them while they are dealing with the questions one asks themselves when
facing the end of one's life, like 'Did my life matter?' or 'How will I
be remembered?' The teen couple in this book gets that lucky.
This book is sad, touching, thought-provoking and worthwhile. I highly recommend it for your teen and for you!
This book is sad, touching, thought-provoking and worthwhile. I highly recommend it for your teen and for you!
Feed by M.T. Anderson
© Candlewick
This
is a great book for teens who are into computers, social networking and
video games - which is pretty much all teens, right? A futuristic story
about a group of teenagers who decide to go to the moon for spring
break. While there, their feed - an information feed placed in their
brains at birth - breaks. So, they end up in the hospital 'empty
headed'.
Feed, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, is witty and entertaining. Most importantly, your teen will need to use their brain to get the message, as the characters learn to use their own brains as well.
Feed, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, is witty and entertaining. Most importantly, your teen will need to use their brain to get the message, as the characters learn to use their own brains as well.
