Tips for Encouraging Reading in Teenagers

  Many parents report that their kids start to lose interest in reading during middle school, as school work gets more challenging, homework is ever-increasing, and schedules get even more jam-packed. Reading suddenly seems like a chore; something that is expected of middle schoolers rather than something they can do for fun. Keeping a middle schooler motivated to read can seem like an impossible (and thankless) task, but here are some ideas for keeping the reading momentum going: 

1. Make sure reading doesn’t get lost amongst all of the homework, extra-curricular activities and social engagements—if your child is too busy and stressed out to read, they will start seeing it in a negative light. Ensure there is enough time for them to read, and involve them in the process of choosing the best time for daily reading. If you’re really struggling to set a daily reading schedule for your kids, try to fill small gaps in your schedule — like the ten minutes before soccer practice starts, or while you sit in the doctor’s waiting room — with reading. Remind your child to bring a book with them, and pack a spare in case they forget. Every moment counts, and these are moments that add up over time.

2. Set an expectation for reading. If your child naturally loves reading and consumes book after book, this may be an unnecessary step. But for reluctant readers, try putting a reward system in place for reading where your child is incentivised to finish an attainable, pre-agreed number of books per week or per month. Involve your child in choosing a suitable incentive, and where possible relate the incentive back to reading (e.g. allowing them to choose three new books from the bookstore) so that they don’t start thinking of reading as a chore that they need to get through to earn a reward. 

3. Try to be realistic about where your child is at with reading. Reading together at home or talking to their English/language arts teacher will give you a much better idea of the level of books that they should be reading so that struggling readers aren’t getting overwhelmed by content that they can’t fully comprehend. Remember that it’s better for your child to be able to understand most of what they read than for them to be suffering books that are deemed appropriate for their age yet too challenging for them. If you suspect your middle schooler is losing interest in reading because they’re reading books that are a little too tough, check out some of these high interest/low level books that they are bound to enjoy and may give them back some confidence in their reading (link: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/high-interest-books-struggling-middle-school-readers.html) 

4. Don’t push your preferences on your middle schooler: you may disapprove of the books they choose, but it’s crucial that they are reading for pleasure, and to do that they need to be making their own decisions about what they like. Whatever the format (books, comics, graphic novels, ebooks, etc.) or topic, show interest in the books your child chooses even when you have none, and encourage them to talk about what they read with you. Wherever possible, try and have more in-depth and adults conversations about books without turning it into the (gasp) hated parental lecture. 

5. A lot of middle schoolers really care about what’s popular, so take a look at best selling books for middle school, as they may be more motivated to read and discuss them. You can also keep an eye on TV shows and movies that have been recently adapted from books and are popular or specifically interest your child: ask your child to read the book first with the promise of watching the movie or show together later. If you don’t think this would work, or if your child struggles with comprehension, try flipping it: watch the movie first, then have them read the book. 

High schoolers have a lot in common with middle schoolers when it comes to the sheer amount of responsibilities that are a part of their school experiences. As almost-adults, things have never been more stressful or busy in your teen’s life. Reading is most likely associated with schoolwork and the pressure of standardised testing, and for many high schoolers there just isn’t enough time in the day to sit down and enjoy a peaceful hour or two of reading. High schoolers are also more immersed than ever in digital and social media, with data suggesting that increasing screen time is leading to decreasing rates of reading. Still, it’s not all bad news: plenty of teens still read, and even more could be coaxed back into reading with the right attitude and content. Check out some of our ideas for encouraging high school readers: 

1. Now is a good time to be realistic about how reading will impact your teen. Being a strong reader will open up options for them as they think about next steps after high school, but this doesn’t mean that we should leave kids who struggle with reading behind. If your child finds reading challenging, look for real-world examples of people who have faced similar struggles with reading and persevered. Whatever your child’s reading level, have open and honest discussions about where that is, where they want it to be, and how they can get there. Don’t limit the conversation to their academic careers, either: try to connect reading to their hobbies and show them how they can further their own interests through reading. 

2. Be mindful of how our digital culture is affecting teens, and try to work with it rather than against it. New technologies have always been a cause for concern among the older generation — Plato famously mistrusted the spread of writing, which took over from oral tradition and, in his mind, discouraged us from using our own memories. Over 2000 years later, we all know how indispensable writing proved to be for humankind, and it’s very possible that in another 2000 years we’ll say the same thing about digital media. Either way, the internet and social media are here to stay. Try to focus on the positive ways in which it can connect you and your high schooler — who never knew the world before social media existed —  to reading rather than focusing too much on the negatives. There are countless websites and apps that allow you to buy, rent, rate, recommend, and discuss books and other kinds of written media. Do your research and encourage the use of your favourites, perhaps downloading them together or sharing family subscription plan. If distractions and multitasking are a problem, brainstorm ways to overcome them together, perhaps by enabling the “do not disturb” mode or having a realistic expectation for reading time versus other screen time. 

3. Start reading the news with your high schooler and try having genuine, mature conversations about the way current events impact them and the world around them. Draw their attention to bias, opinion versus fact, and fact versus fiction. Teens take in a lot of their news through social media, and high school is the last chance you’ll have to ensure that they leave your house as informed adults who think critically about the sources of their information. 

4. Make space for young adult literature in your life. Shakespeare and Dickens are classics and are worthy of being studied, but they can be hard to get through and completely unrelatable for your average teen, sometimes putting them off reading altogether. Young adult (or YA, as it’s commonly known) may seem melodramatic or trivial, but there’s a much higher chance of your high schooler enjoying and relating to the characters and themes found in books written especially for their age group. There is also value in you, the parent, reading YA too — not only will it remind you what it feels like to be a high schooler, but you may find them genuinely captivating, giving you more opportunities than ever to talk and connect with your teen.

5. Don’t underestimate how irresistible the adult section of the library can be for high schoolers. Every avid adult reader I’ve spoken to remembers the thrill of finding a book that they suspected their parents wouldn’t have wanted them to read, and devouring it in secret while learning about things like relationships, crime, or the human body and all of its messy mysteries. High schoolers are children on the cusp of adulthood, and they have a million questions that they’re probably too embarrassed to ask you, their parent. We all did. Mature books offer a glimpse into a world they’re about to enter, and can be an intoxicating journey that they can undertake in the safety of their own home. If you’re worried about giving your high schooler free rein in the adult section, select some books you think they’ll like and leave them lying around the house for them to “discover.” 

  As your child is progressing more and more to become independent, gentle hands are crucial to their sustained enjoyment of reading. They may become overwhelmed and surrounded by homework assignments and required readings as they work their ways closer to university, but the seed of a healthy habit has already been cultivated and encouraged by your participation in discussing and enjoying the books they personally cherish. The more positive experiences of reading they have with them, the more you can feel confident that after long hours of studying and test preparation, your child will be itching to get back into the stories they’ve been reading, and, hopefully many more (and diverse) ones to come.