Encouraging teenagers to read

When they were very young, they loved books. In their later elementary and early secondary years, they may have even hidden under the covers with a flashlight at night trying to read beyond "lights out" time. But now that they're teenagers, suddenly they would rather be shopping, watching TV, talking on the phone, driving around, or hanging out with their friends.

Yet it is important for teenagers to read and read a lot if they are going to grow into thoughtful, literate adults.
According to the International Reading Association: "The ongoing literacy development of adolescents...requires just as much attention as that of beginning readers. The expanding literacy demands placed upon adolescent learners includes more reading and writing tasks than at any other time in human history. They will need reading to cope with the escalating flood of information and to fuel their imaginations as they help create the world of the future."

Going beyond what's required
Reading is a key part of every school's curriculum. Indeed, the State Education Department now asks that students be assigned at least 25 books (or their equivalent) across the curriculum every year from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Getting students to not only meet their school assignments but to read at home purely for pleasure can produce enormous benefits. For example, Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts on LearningNetwork.com, will tell you that if teenagers are regular readers, they will develop a larger vocabulary, score higher on the SAT exam, find it easier to tackle even the dullest of textbooks, and become better writers.

Perhaps most importantly, Jim Trelease, author of "The Read Aloud Handbook" asserts on www.Trelease-on-reading.com, students who read the most end up achieving the most and staying in school the longest.
At the very least, the teenager who gets used to consuming books in high school won't be so overwhelmed in college when he/she suddenly is faced with reading not three chapters but rather 300 pages a night.

Modeling is often the key
If you've got a reluctant reader, the good news is that it matters less what is read than simply that he/she reads. "Don't fall into the trap of 'thicker is better'," warns Trelease.

Young people should be allowed to read what interests them. For example, if your junior loves music, get Rolling Stone magazine. If he's handy, get Popular Mechanics.
Popular culture is another key. A teenager who gets interested in a movie may very well be moved to read the book. Young people also like to delve into current events and issues that have meaning to them, ranging from the Columbine shootings to eating disorders.

Modeling is often the key to getting teens to read, and experts say it is never too late to start the reading habit, even for adults. The great news is that teen reading material is also likely to interest parents and provide a good vehicle for bonding at this tricky age. This was the case for one mother who read Toni Morrison's Beloved along with her 17-year-old daughter and later went to see the movie with her. "Through our discussions about this rather complicated and emotional story, we learned more about each other, and I came to realize just how deep a thinker my daughter is," this mother reports.

Reinforcing the reading habit
If you're ready to establish or reinforce the reading habit at home, the LearningNetwork.com offers these tips:
* Keep reading materials in every room in the house. 
* Listen to books on tape in the car. 
* Ask older children to read to younger children. 
* Visit libraries or bookstores together. Give your teen
a bookstore gift certificate. 
* Establish a family reading time. After dinner often works best. Allow no interruptions, and allow kids to read whatever they want. 
* Read the same things your kids do. Talk about them together. 
* Read aloud to your kids. Share newspaper and
magazine articles, humorous poems or snippets of
a book you're reading. 
* For ideas on good books for teens, contact your school librarian, the public library or on-line bookstores.