It comes as no surprise that most students do not like to read. In this day and age of Internet and texting, it seems the only thing that kids read these days are a series of letters and numbers. However, studies of yesterday and today show the importance that reading has in student success rates. Children who read more outperform those that don’t academically. In addition to classroom performance, well read students perform better on standardized and entrance tests than their less read counterparts. Reading also serves as an important outlet to the world. Reading exposes children to things they may not have learned about in the media or classroom, and it does so in greater detail.
How do you lead students away from the passive world of music videos, Internet, and texting? You do so with creativity and patience. The following tips will help educators tame the technology beast in the most resistant child.
Make Reading a Priority
First and foremost, make reading a priority. Work with administrators and librarians in planning a line of action for increasing reading campus wide. Set aside a time of day when everyone reads quietly for at least a half hour. Share with your students in reading activities by organizing literature circles, participating in book discussions and reading classroom stories with them.
Subscribe to literature they will enjoy such as youth magazines, popular books and entertainment newspapers aimed at young people. If they are resistant to reading the classics, at least a pleasurable read about the latest sneaker trend or hottest software would awaken them to other reading possibilities.
Make Reading Fun
Let students pick their own books for assignments. Learn about their individual interest outside the classroom and connect them to great books. Have students lead discussions about the books they have read. Students love to be the center of attention from time to time. This gives them an outlet to do that. Bring aspects of the book to life in the classroom by listening to music mentioned in books or viewing photos of people and places connected to the stories.
Compare and contrast books with videos. Students will always say the book is better, which encourages more reading. Start book clubs for students as an extra curricular activity. In your book club, allow students to have snacks and drinks as they discuss important themes in books. Allow older students to read to the younger ones. This encourages reading on both ends.
The final nail in the anti-book coffin is to incorporate incentives. Put students on a point system for books. Reward a certain amount of points for every book they read and a certain amount of points for difficulty level. Then give them a prize or party for reaching a certain level.
Involve Parents
Have parents read to their kids daily starting at an early age. This will make it easier to instill the value of reading in them. Parents can also take their children to the library and bookstore instead of to the mall. Have them pick out their own books. Be open-minded, but stay firm in your beliefs.
Parents can lead by example by reading in front of their children, and they can also write friendly reminders and notes to their children. This will encourage reading and strengthen family bonds. If you witness them continuing to spend a generous amount of time on the Internet, show them how to subscribe to teen news web pages and bookmark important homework help websites.
With these tips in hand, your students should be reading more frequently in about six months. Don’t make reading stressful for students, because it will make them hate reading more than ever. Don’t make a big deal about it either. If done properly, your students will be reading more often and with increased pleasure. By the time summer rolls around, students will find themselves asking, “Mom, when’s our next trip to the bookstore?”
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