|
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 The
Family Education Network, 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 Family
Education Network 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.
>
Back
For
permission to reprint this article, please contact the
Capital Region BOCES Communications Service at (518)
464-3960.
|
