6 Ways To Encourage Your Teenager to Read

As an English teacher, this is one of the most common questions I am asked by concerned parents. Although you can’t force your child to read, there are some things which may help the reluctant reader to engage a little more. Here are my top tips!

1. Find something they enjoy

This is really the key to getting your teen to read and although it sounds obvious, it’s amazing how little thought is put into it. All reading is valuable; your child does not need to be reading Dickens or Shakespeare to benefit. Most teens love going to the cinema and will also probably be watching a fair amount of television or watching online series via Netflix; think about the genres they are watching and find books related to these. The most popular series tend to be based on fantasy or science fiction and there is an infinite supply of these kind of books. Of course, many films are based on novels so there is no harm in actually reading the original novel of a favourite film. Non-fiction is as important as fiction and reading biographies and autobiographies of people they admire can also be a great way to get a reluctant teen into reading. Magazines and newspapers are also really useful tools for the reluctant reader as the articles are fairly short and there is a wealth of different topics. An article is one of the most common forms students are asked to complete for the non-fiction writing part of the GCSE, so knowing the style and tone of articles is of utmost importance.

A great source for finding out the latest best reads for children is the Book Trust

2. Try a short story compilation

One of the key reasons students are sometimes discouraged from reading is the time it takes to finish a book. It can seem like a thankless task when you can just watch an episode of something on Netflix in half an hour. Short stories are great for those teens with a lower attention span as they provide full satisfaction in one sitting. A short story is also great for future GCSE skills as they show how to structure an entire story in a relatively low number of words, encapsulating a beginning, middle and end within a short time frame – this will model to your child how to do the same when they need to write their own creative writing in the English Language GCSE. There are lots of short story compilations out there in a variety of different genres.

3. Set time aside

For the very reluctant reader, it can be helpful to have some mandatory reading time each day to get them into the habit of reading for pleasure. Build this into your child’s routine before they switch on their computer, games console or the television or encourage reading before going to sleep. Just 20 minutes a day is scientifically proven to raise IQ, develop empathy, expand vocabulary and (if you read before bed) improve sleep patterns.

4. Encourage challenge

There are lots of great reading challenges out there which make reading fun and introduce an element of competitiveness. With specific objectives laid out, it can be more motivating for children to want to finish that book! There are some great ideas for reading challenges here.

A reading bingo is also a fun way to motivate children to read. You simply cross out the challenges on a grid as you complete them. You could offer incentives for a horizontal or vertical line with a ‘top prize’ for a full house! You can easily create your own, but an example can be found here.

5. Look beyond the prose

It is tempting to think of reading as just fiction and non-fiction books, but it can be a revelation to step into the world of poetry and drama instead. Poetry has the added bonus of being very quick to read but containing a wealth of imagery and literary techniques, everything needed to help develop inference levels at GCSE. Reading a play can be useful for teens who don’t really connect with long descriptive passages but want to get right to the action – also because plays are designed to be a couple of hours on the stage, they can also be read in a relatively short amount of time. Screenplays are also useful as reading tools, especially if your child has an interest in film.

6. Be a role model

Finally, you need to practice what you preach! Make sure you have books in the house and make time for your own reading. If your child sees you with a book, they are more likely to look on reading as something enjoyable and important.

Good luck and happy reading!