Literally Speaking
Reading for pleasure as a teenager is a strong factor in determining future social mobility. Indeed, it has been revealed as the most important indicator of the future success of the child. That was the startling finding of research on education and reading carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisainfocus/48624701.pdf
Teachers have recently assessed where our Year 7 and 8 students are sitting on the Literacy Continuum with regard to reading and comprehension- our school's focus areas. Now we need to concentrate on getting our students to read a wider variety of texts and for longer periods of time (30+ minutes). Parents can help. In fact, it's vital that you do.
Evidence about the benefits of parents being involved in their children's literacy activities is overwhelming. Research shows that parental involvement in their children's learning positively affects the child's performance at school (Fan & Chen, 2001) in both primary and secondary schools (Feinstein & Symons, 1999), leading to higher academic achievement, greater cognitive competence, greater problem-solving skills, greater school enjoyment, better school attendance and fewer behavioural problems at school (Melhuish, Sylva, Sammons et al., 2001).
As an adult, you know that reading is important and you obviously want to make sure that the teenagers in your life grow into adulthood with all the skills they need to succeed, but perhaps the teenagers in your family were once avid readers but now hardly ever open a book, or perhaps they never liked reading in the first place.
So, how can we help teenagers decide for themselves that reading is important?
Ways to encourage teens to read...
- Set an example.Let your child see you reading for pleasure.
- Furnish your home with a variety of reading materials.Leave books, magazines, and newspapers around. Check to see what disappears for a clue to what interests your teenager.
- Give teenagers an opportunity to choose their own books.When you and your child are out together, browse in a bookstore or library. Go your separate ways and make your own selections. A bookstore gift certificate is a nice way of saying, "You choose."
- Download books onto your child's iPad, iPod, tablet or laptop. Students love tech gadgets, so make the most of them.
- Build on your teen's interests.Look for books and articles that feature their favourite sports teams, rock stars, hobbies, or television shows. Give a gift subscription to a special interest magazine.
- View pleasure reading as a value in itself. Almost anything your children read—including the Sunday comics—helps build reading skills.
- Read some books written for teens.Young adult novels can give you valuable insights into the concerns and pressures felt by teenagers. You may find that these books provide a neutral ground on which to talk about sensitive subjects.
- Make reading aloud a natural part of family life.Share an article you clipped from the paper, a poem, a letter, or a random page from an encyclopaedia—without turning it into a lesson.
- Acknowledge your teenager's mature interests.Look for ways to acknowledge the emerging adult in your teenager by suggesting some adult reading you think they can handle.
The fundamental message is that if we want our children to be as successful in life as they can be, they really need to read, and it's our job to encourage them.