Teenagers can become reluctant readers. Sometimes this is because most of the reading they do is for school and therefore for work. Another cause may be that they have difficulty reading at the level of their peers. This often leads them to take a defensive position and declare that reading is stupid, not fun or boring.
Parents can help by encouraging independent reading. Independent reading is motivating because it is about choosing a topic of interest to the reader, in this case, the teenager. This is the reading that we all do for our own enjoyment and entertainment. Instead of pushing to read at a particular grade level, allow this reading to be at whatever level the teen is comfortable with. The point here is to reinforce success and create a feeling of confidence. The teen will naturally seek out more difficult material as he becomes more comfortable and confident. Here are some ideas on how to keep a teen motivated to read.
Schedule a weekly trip to the library. Get library cards for each teen. Let them choose any material they would like to look at for the next week. Be open to CDs, DVDs, tapes, magazines, or books. When there is no pressure to choose a particular type of material, teens feel able to choose something of interest and at a level that they are willing to engage in to enjoy. Remember that you want to develop a reader for life.
Encourage your teen to join a book club. Many libraries and some schools have book clubs specifically for teens. Teens enjoy interacting with other teens and can share books of interest to them.
Get a driver’s manual. Most teens look forward to driving. Get a driver’s manual and have them study for the driving test. If they have trouble reading the manual, help them read it.
Weekly kitchen. Work with your teen to set one night a week as their night to cook dinner. Let them choose the menu, find recipes, check that all the ingredients are available, and if not, add them to the weekly shopping list. When they start, you may need to give them a helping hand. As they become more experienced cooks, you will need to provide less assistance. Cooking not only improves reading and math skills, it is a vital life skill.
Pen pals. If your teen has a favorite relative, see if the relative would be willing to exchange letters or emails with your teen. In addition to reading, a sense of connection with others is helpful at a time when teens are looking for answers about themselves and their identity.
Develop a personal library. Encourage your teen to build a library of favorite books. In addition to buying new books, they can add books to their collection through purchases at garage sales, used bookstores, and library sales.
Give your teen a magazine subscription. Pick a magazine that covers a topic your teen is interested in: cars, wildlife, movies, or anime. Another closely related approach is to let them sign up for an email newsletter or ezine.
These ideas can help your teen become a motivated reader and a reader for life, encouraging them to see reading as a way to enjoy and learn more about the world around them.