Teen Reading: How to Help My Teenage Reader

Help for Teenage Readers

Literature

If your teen is having trouble following the plot of a story, use summaries and comprehension questions. Although it might help, you don't necessarily have to read the same text to engage in these activities. Depending on how difficult the text is, have him stop after reading a few pages and retell what he just read. The summaries don't have to be long; however, he should be able to identify the main events in the story.

If your teen's teacher has provided comprehension questions to go along with the text, encourage him to review the questions before reading so that he knows what to look for. If no comprehension questions were provided, then come up with your own. Ask questions like, 'How does this chapter relate to the central theme of the story?' or 'What changes have you noticed in the characters since the beginning of the story?'

Sometimes, literature doesn't appeal to teens because they can't relate to the characters. If your child understands the plot, but is simply uninterested and unmotivated to continue reading, help him make personal connections to the text. Begin by asking opinion questions, such as, 'What do you think of the story so far?' Remember, it's okay if he says he doesn't like it. Just make sure he backs up his opinion with specific evidence.

Ask him questions that challenge him to draw connections between the story and his life. Do any of the characters remind him of someone he knows? Is there a situation in the book that makes him recall a situation he's experienced or seen? Look for universal themes, like jealousy or ambition, and use them to draw parallels between the story and your teen's life.

Nonfiction

Reading nonfiction is different from reading literature because it tends to be more fact-based. First, help your teen identify her purpose for reading the material. Perhaps it's research for a paper. For all nonfiction pieces, your teen should be thinking about whether she agrees with the author or not.

Because nonfiction writing can be dry and didactic compared to literature, it may also be more difficult to understand. Encourage your teen to take notes while reading. This will keep her actively engaged and may even help her finish faster because she won't be distracted.

Afterward, help her consider how the text relates to real life. Look for newspaper articles that have a similar topic. For instance, if your teen is reading a physics textbook, you might look for articles on new research that's being done in the field. If she's reading about social studies, look for recent political events that parallel those she's reading about. If she sees that schoolwork relates to the real world, then she may become more interested and engaged in reading.