| Reading for pleasure is something that few teens engage in. Yet it is extremely important. Teens that read for pleasure will have better vocabularies, gain new knowledge, and usually do better in school. So how do you get your teen to turn off the T.V. and read a book? |  |
Read Aloud
One option is too read aloud to them. The National Commission on Reading stated reading aloud is “a practice that should continue throughout the grades.” Jim Trelease, author of “The Read Aloud Handbook”, used to read to his teenagers while they were doing chores like dishes or laundry, or eating breakfast. During times like these you have a captive audience. Choose a book or magazine on a subject that interests them and read.
For more information on choosing a read aloud book and for a list of age appropriate novels see my blog: Choosing a Read-aloud Book.
Parallel Read
If reading aloud isn’t something you are good at, or your teen enjoys you can also parallel read with your teen. Parallel reading is when you and your teen read the same book or books on the same topic. Carol Hurst, a frequent writer for the magazine “Teaching K-8”, suggests choosing a theme that you are both interested in like World War II or growing up. Then find a book non-fiction or fiction that addresses the theme. You read the books at the same time and as you are reading make note of interesting things you want to share or discuss.
Set aside a certain time each week to discuss the books you are reading, maybe Sunday morning at breakfast, or a weeknight at dinner. Make the time convenient for both of you so you can stick to it.
During your discussion time have your books close by so you can reference them. The site, Reading Group Guides, has some good guidelines for writing your own discussion questions. Just remember the point isn’t to convince your teen of your opinions; it’s a time to listen to your teen. You might be surprised at what they are thinking about and what you can learn from them.
If you aren’t sure about coming up with discussion questions yourself, choose a book that already has a reading guide with discussion questions written. A good place to start is www.readinggroupguides.com. The site has hundreds of different novels with prewritten reading guides.
If your teen still isn’t too enthusiastic about reading offer a reward for when you finish the book. Go out to dinner together, visit a local museum that features an exhibit on the topic you read about, or visit a place that is talked about in the book. If your teen has a positive experience they will look forward to the next time that you read.