Parents can influence teen reading habits

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By Maria Levetzow | Wednesday, October 4, 2006 11:41 PM CDT | () comments

IS this your teen: At school by 8 a.m., in class until 3 p.m., at afterschool activities until 6 p.m. dinner, then homework until 9 p.m. or later? Throw in time with friends, family and maybe a part-time job or church functions, and you’ve got one fully-booked teen. What’s missing from this list of whirlwind activity?

Reading.

Teens are reading, of course. But too many of them are not reading for fun. They’re not reading for the joy of discovering new worlds, escaping their reality or finding the comfort of having their lives mirrored in others. They’re not receiving the cognitive benefits of recreational reading: improved vocabulary and spelling, increased comprehension, academic success and a broader view of the world around them.

In a 2005 online survey done by SmartGirl.org, the majority of the teens responding said they enjoyed reading. So what’s stopping our teens from reading for pleasure? Mainly, it’s because they just don’t have time. The survey also said that most teens would read more if they knew about good books to read.

And this is where parents come into the picture; you have great influence over teen reading habits. Here are some tips to help your teens feed their need to read.

n Read. Set the example for your teens. In the SmartGirl.org survey, the majority of teens who responded to their survey answered “Parents” when asked “Who encourages you to read for fun by setting a good example or by telling you?” Read stuff for you, stuff for them, for fun, for information. Just read.

n Make time to read. Consider doing an at-home version of school’s sustained silent reading, where everyone in the family — everyone — just sits and reads for 15 minutes or so. Or designate one meal a week for reading while eating.

n Keep reading material in the house. Visit the library often and use that library card. Have a variety of topics, and a variety of formats: magazines, newspapers, books, graphic novels and audiobooks. Keeping a wide range of materials in the house will guarantee that your teen will find that just-right something when they have a few minutes to spare.

n Talk about books. Talk about what you’re reading, talk about what your teen is reading. Books are a terrific way to initiate difficult discussions. Talking about the choices that characters make in a book is another way of introducing and reinforcing your family’s values and beliefs.

n Don’t forget the nonfiction. Boys, especially, enjoy reading nonfiction for fun. Let them.

n Let your teen choose what they want to read, as much as possible.

n Find good titles to read. Come to the Bettendorf Public Library or go to the Bettendorf Public Library’s Teen Page at

www.bettendorflibrary.com/teen. Click on Good Books for lists of books by topic and book reviews from teens. Feel free to talk to or e-mail to see what I recommend.

Maria Levetzow is the young adult librarian at the Bettendorf Public Library. You can contact her at 344-4175 or mlevetzow@bettendorf.org.

Teen Read Week

Teen Read Week is Oct. 15-21. It is sponsored by the American Library Association. The Bettendorf Public Library will celebrate the week with a visit from author John Green. He wrote “Looking for Alaska” and “An Abundance of Katherines.” For more information, visit www.bettendorflibrary.com/teen.