Mother, author, teacher and now PhD student Jessica Pawley Copping shares her insights and research into how to encourage teens to read more.
As a boys’ school English teacher, parents often asked, “How can my son improve at English?”
The answer: Read! Read lots and read widely.
But then came the follow-up: “But how can I get him reading more?”
I’ve been working on this since 2010. My Generation Icarus series was inspired by students I worked with as a Teacher Aide, and led to several author tours promoting reading across NZ.
But a few hours with students weren’t enough. Books require time!
Finally, after earning my Master of Arts, my first year of teaching was in 2020. Yep, that year. Still, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t convince my students to read. Library periods were exhausting! While whole-school strategies existed, there was little evidence to help a solo teacher, especially around audiobooks, ebooks, and EdTech.
Therefore, I began my own research. My findings (and my experience as a parent of teens) reveal the following for teen reading success:
- Build AGENCY & ACCESS: Teens sometimes just don’t know what books they like – tastes change with age!
Can they describe their top genres and what they want from a book? Can they predict the genre from the cover and blurb?
Many are disconnected from TV, movies and books, relying on the feed to serve up content. They lack the knowledge to find long-form stories they’ll enjoy.
When did your child last visit the bookstore or library – or their websites? Support them to choose!
Audiobooks are also great. Active and fidgety readers (like my son) can listen while shooting hoops, drawing, or commuting between activities. Students with lower literacy should read along – help them adjust the narration speed to match their eye-reading speed. - Make it SOCIAL: Talk about what you’re reading! Are you enjoying it? Why (or why not)? Encourage your teen to share their thoughts on their books.
Consider reading the same book and comparing notes (a great bonding activity).
Ask your parent friends what their own kids are reading, and pass on those titles to your teen.
Teens value peer recommendations the most. - Protect the TIME it takes: We know too much screen time is bad for teens and their sleep. Perhaps give your teen 30 minutes of screen-free reading at bedtime for a slightly later lights-out. They might sleep better, too.
Or, offer 2 nights off dishes in return for reading.
Play an audiobook in the car, or while they do chores.
There are always pockets of time to invest in reading – and if you show it’s worth their time, they’ll become less resistant.
After all, if we don’t visibly value their reading, why should they?
The fact you’re signed up to the Kiwi Kids’ Bookstore newsletter shows that you do. On behalf of myself and NZ children’s authors – and your children – thank you, and good luck!
For more on my research and more tips, visit www.LearningToLoveReading.nz
