How do I get my teen to read more books at home?
By Patricia Descallar
Is your teen saturated in screen time? Would you want your child reading more books, not status messages? It’s definitely good to want this. According to The Reading Foundation, “academic, emotional and social issues abound for children who are poor readers. Children who are behind their peers in reading struggle with low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy.” Reading helps children develop their knowledge and imagination, the same knowledge and imagination clipped and curtailed by excessive use of social media and other digital distractions. As children become teenagers, they start forming their core beliefs and personality traits, so it is all the more imperative for parents to encourage the reading habit at this crucial and delicate stage.
Since 2009, THE LEARNING LIBRARY has helped hundreds of children develop their love for reading. Based on our 14 years of experience in the field of reading enrichment, here are four ways to motivate your teen to get off Facebook and face a book instead:
Show your kids that you read too.
This terrific article from The New York Times says, "If you want to raise a reader, be a reader." What children see, children are bound to do. If they see you turning pages instead of scrolling through them, they're going to pick up on that behavior too. If you want to make reading a habit in their lives, make reading a habit in your life as well. Seeing you read will make them curious about reading. They’re most likely going to ask about what you’re reading, take that opportunity to make some recommendations and suggestion for them too!
Let your children pick their own books.
Exposed to all sorts of influences as they are, kids are already getting to know themselves and developing their own sets of interests. The next time you visit a bookstore, let them choose their own titles. Rather than requiring those so-called "classics" or "must-reads" that may not resound with their sensibilities, give them the go signal to go for whatever strikes their interest. Whether they’re getting into that hot new novel trending on #BookTok or catching up on the latest installation of their favorite manga, letting them choose their own books will help spark and maintain their interest in reading by making the act of reading something they can look forward to. You can sign off on the level of appropriateness as you see fit, but other than that, let them have that fun and freedom. The more they enjoy reading, the more they're going to want to do it.
Have your kids meet fellow readers their age.
Reading is typically seen as a solitary activity, but it's actually very social! When your child reads something that excites them, they're going to want to talk about it. At home, ask them about what they're reading. Steer clear from vague questions like, "How's the book?" in favor of more specific questions to encourage children to retain information and think critically.
Reading will also be a lot more fun for your kids if they have other kids they can do it with! There's nothing like gushing about a plot twist or favorite character with people who are reading the same thing! Aside from their classmates at school or siblings at home, kids can connect with other like-minded peers at THE LEARNING LIBRARY. Through our ENGLISH EDGE program, kids are grouped by age and skill level to make their English language learning fun, engaging, and easy to follow! Our online classes for kids ages 8-16 teach grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension using a variety of activities to keep kids interested and inspired.
Lifelong readers are lifelong learners. To schedule a free reading assessment or a free trial class, email us at inquiries@learninglibraries.com or send us a message on Facebook!
Patricia Descallar, a lifelong reader with a degree in English Literature, is a Reading and Writing Coach at The Learning Library.