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Dear Teachers Q & A

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By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Tricks to Encourage Summer Reading

          Question: With my daughter’s compulsion to be on the internet and her mobile phone, my tween just about stopped reading for pleasure during the school year. How can I motivate her to become a reader once more? When she was younger, she could scarcely be seen without her nose in a book. – Not Reading

          Answer: Unfortunately, when the technological world takes over a child’s life and she stops reading for pleasure, she is missing out on a lot of benefits. Reading beyond classroom assignments has the advantage of building vocabulary, writing, spelling and grammar skills. And it is also likely to boost test scores. There is even some evidence that it helps kids think more clearly and solve problems more effectively.

          Today, it is very common for children your daughter’s age and those who are teens to sharply reduce the amount of reading they do outside the classroom. You will need to be creative to reawaken her interest in books. You definitely should encourage her to read books that are tied to her interests. Other books that may reignite her desire to read are those that are parts of series or books that have been made into movies.

          Though you can try motivating your child to read, she still may not willingly put down her mobile phone or stop her online activities. You can try doing some of these things. Resume reading to her before bedtime or after supper and discuss what has been read.  This can encourage her to complete a book on her own. Another suggestion is to set aside a definite time twice a week when the entire family will sit down together in the same room and read for a half-hour, perhaps right after dinner or some other time when everyone is likely to gravitate toward the electronic world. And if she has younger siblings, assign her the task of reading books to them instead of your reading to them every night. She might find this to be fun if she is reading entertaining books to them. Subscriptions to age-appropriate magazines can also encourage your daughter or any tween or teen to read more.

          Recently, we talked to children from elementary school to high school about what they will be reading this summer. Most of the older children admitted that they will be doing most of their reading online. This will include browsing online websites for topics that interest them, and some say they will be taking classes online to learn new skills. A few said they would actually read books—mostly fiction—however, some wanted to read nonfiction, especially history. Genres especially popular with middle schoolers and high school students were fantasy, adventure and science fiction books. And, interestingly, we found a second grader who limited his reading to reading aloud rhyming books to anyone who would listen. Overall, most agreed they actually read more in the summer when the pressure of having so much schoolwork disappears.

          Do talk to your daughter about what she is looking at online. She may be reading more than you think.

Making Transition to High School  

          Question: In the fall, my son will be making the transition from middle school to high school. Are there any things he could do this summer to make this move easier? Moving Onward

          Answer: Your son, like most children, is likely to experience some anxiety about making this transition. Here are some suggestions that may make this move easier for him:

Parents should send questions and comments to DearTeacher@DearTeacher.com and to learn more about helping their children succeed in school visit the DearTeacher website.

©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2021

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.

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