Author: Baldwinsville Schools

Read Out Loud to My Teen?!?

Many parents read to their elementary age kids, but very few read to their teenagers. Parents assume that once a child becomes a competent reader, reading aloud doesn’t have any value. This isn’t true!
There are many reasons to read out loud with your teenager. It helps strength relationships and can provide comforting segues for tough discussions. Listening to a text also helps students develop important comprehension abilities— a skill that requires practice well into adolescence.
When selecting a text to read aloud — start small! Pick a newspaper article at breakfast, or a short passage from a book you found moving. Also ask your teen to read something aloud — a webpage they’re viewing or a magazine article they’re engrossed in. Work up to longer passages, though keep it under 30 minutes. Discuss what you read — especially if it makes you think or feel something important.

Bibliography
Barrett, Virginia D. "Are We Reading to Our Teens?" Book Report May 2000: 35-38. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. UAlbany. 10 Sep. 2008 <http://www.ebsco.com>.
How Parents Can Encourage Teens to Read. RIF. 10 Sep. 2008 <http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=18>.
McGrath, Anne . "A New Read on Teen Literacy." U.S. News & World Report 138.7 (2005): 10-68. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. UAlbany. 10 Sep. 2008 <http://www.ebsco.com>.
Reading Tips and Picks. 2008. Canwest. 10 Sep. 2008 <http://www.canada.com/national/features/raiseareader/tipsteen.html>.
Swenor, Krista . "A Teen Take on Reading." YALS (Summer 2006): 42-44. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. UAlbany. 10 Sep. 2008 <http://www.ebsco.com>.

Durgee Library Media Center

Lindsay Cesari, LMS
Library Media Center
Durgee Junior High School
29 E Oneida Street
Baldwinsville, NY 13027

Phone: 315-638-6082
E-mail: LCesari@bville.org

Durgee Library Media Center

Keep Your Teenager
Reading!

Literacy tips and tricks for parents of teens

Getting Involved in Your Child’s Literacy Learning

Your teenager’s middle and high school years allow them to grow into competent readers, writers, and learners. Sometimes we think of reading as a skill that’s mastered in elementary school, but recent studies show that important literacy developments continue through adolescence, especially competencies like reading comprehension.
As a parent, you play a fundamental role in encouraging your teen’s reading behaviors. One study suggests that regardless of a family’s economic or social status, reading in the home and talking about reading has a positive influence on a teen’s attitude toward reading, reading achievement, and classroom attentiveness. This is especially true among the 12 to 14-year-old group.
Unfortunately, one recent survey of teens suggested that less than 50% of parents encourage them to read. What can you do to help? See our Top Ten Tips!

10 Tips to
Encourage Your
Teen to Read
Set an Example. Let your kids see you reading for pleasure.
Make sure there’s something to read at home. Keep plenty of books, magazines, newspapers and catalogues on hand to encourage random acts of reading.
Share your reading. Comment on something you’ve read in the paper, or leave it lying open on the table and ask for your teen’s opinion on a controversial topic.
Read a book written for teens. Young Adult novels can provide insight into the pressures and problems of teenagers. They might provide a great starting point for a difficult discussion.
Give teens an opportunity to choose their own books. When at the library or bookstore, allow your teen to go their own way and make independent selections. A gift certificate allows them to make decisions about what they buy.
Recognize your teen’s mature interests. Acknowledge the fact that your teen is growing up—suggest some adult novels you think they can handle.
Build on your teen’s hobbies and interests. Look for books, magazines, and newspaper articles that cover your teen’s favorite sports team or band.
Let boys read like boys. Boys, especially when they hit middle school, show a strong preference for non-fiction. It’s okay if they don’t like the latest novel — try a biography or magazine.
Lighten up. Make sure your teen knows it’s okay to read frivolous things for pleasure. Let them know it’s okay to skip parts of a book or leave it unfinished if it gets boring (unless it’s for school!).
Keep trying! For whatever reason, teens go through phases. If they stop reading, don't stress too much. They’ll return to it at some point.