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Too Late to Love Reading?
Teaching Your Preteen the Joy of Books By Gwen Morrison
Reading Is Fundamental, a national motivating force for literacy founded in 1966, offers these tips for parents who are trying to rekindle their child's love for reading.
- Help fit reading into their schedule. Kids say they would read more if they had the time.
- Set an example. Let your kids see you reading for pleasure.
- Give them an opportunity to choose their own material. When you and your child are out together, browse in a bookstore or library. A gift certificate or subscription is a nice way of saying, "You choose."
- Build on your child's interests. Look for books and articles that feature their favorite sports, hobbies or music.
- View pleasure reading as a value. Almost anything your child reads helps build his reading skills.
- Make reading aloud a natural part of family life. Share a newspaper article or a passage from the book you are currently reading without turning it into a lesson.
- Surf the Internet for the hottest titles, and encourage your child to do the same.
"The first thing you should do is find out if there is a problem with your child," says Huntington. "Maybe your child can't comprehend what he is reading or maybe he needs glasses. Speak to your child's teacher or school counselor."
It's important at this age to ask questions of your child if you see a decrease in his interest in anything, and that includes reading. You may discover that he is embarrassed about his reading skills or has other reasons why he is not reading as much.
"I teach an enrichment class for creative writing, and my students are from 11 to 13," says Deanna Luke, a Fort Worth, Texas children's book writer. "All of the parents but one signed their student up because they have some learning issues. By the end they were so empowered that they could imagine a situation and write it down and validate it. That allowed each one of them to become better readers and editors so they could refine their own work."