It is so important when encouraging children of any age to read that they find it a pleasurable experience.
This is the key; if children find a book that they enjoy then they will want to read another book, and half the battle is won!
As adults, therefore, we should be encouraging teenagers to read books that are suitable for them.
In recent years there are many fabulous books that have been written for teenagers, so many, in fact, that it can be rather overwhelming. Try using the brilliant website Love Reading for Schools (https://www.lovereading4schools.co.uk/) which has reading lists for different year groups, as well as one specifically for teenagers and another one for reluctant readers. You have to register, but it is free. Once you have an account you can add Lanna International School Thailand as your school, and then you can access Lanna’s own book lists. These lists are only guidelines, however, so it is good to look at more than one.
It is also critical, as adults, to emphasise to teenagers that it’s okay to not finish a book.
Life is all too short to read a boring book! Having said that, they need to give it a good go. I would suggest reading three or four chapters before deciding that it isn’t for them. But if it isn’t, for whatever reason – go and choose another one. There are plenty out there.
Finally, it is valuable to highlight the other benefits that come from reading.
Teenage life is stressful. There are pressures on teenagers from school, home, friends and life in general, which can be hard to deal with. Therefore relaxation is as essential as eating, sleeping and exercising to keep our teenagers healthy. So, if teenagers are engaged in what they are reading to the point of total absorption in the text, it is a wonderful way to reach a state of relaxation that is necessary for wellbeing. If we communicate to our teenagers the expectation of this benefit, they are more likely to experience it.
