5 ways to encourage your teen to read more

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Many teens just don’t want to read anymore. Instead they choose to sit in front of all the technology that is now readily available to them, whether that is their smartphone, a games console or tablet.

 They are reading, of course, but reading Facebook statuses and their Twitter timeline isn’t quite the same as reading a book. Rather than being educated, they can even end up feeling worse about themselves as they see others doing things that they aren’t.

 So, the big question is; how do you encourage your teen to read more?

 1.Subscribe your teen to a magazine

 This may be one of the best ways to get your teen to read, as it is probably easier to get them to pick up a magazine than a book. Magazine articles are short and fun for teens to read – but they are, of course, still tapping into the joys of reading. Choose a magazine subscription that they will find interesting – perhaps LOOK for your fashion conscious daughter, or World Soccer for a football mad son. A subscription means they will have reading material landing on their doorstep every month, breeding a habit that stays for life.

2.Set a good example

 You can’t encourage your teen to read if you don’t read yourself. So, if you don’t already, start reading and set a good example. You could read books that you think they might enjoy and then pass it on to them after you have finished – they will be more likely to read it if you express how much you enjoyed it yourself. Or, why not set up a “book club” either within your family or with friends and their teens. This turns reading into a social activity, when you can get together once a month and discuss the plot.

3. Make reading material readily available

 Create a bookshelf and fill it with a variety of books that you think your teen might enjoy. If they have easy access to books, then they are more likely to pick one up and read it. These can be bought cheaply on Amazon and then once they have been read you could always put them back on there and purchase some more.

4.Make their next gift a book

 Surprise them with the gift of a book you know they won’t be able to resist! How about the book version of a film they loved such as ‘The Fault In Our Stars’, a book by their favourite vlogger such as ‘Girl Online’ written by ‘YouTube royalty’ Zoella, or the autobiography of their idol, such as ‘Christiano Ronaldo: The Biography’ for a sports mad son. How could they possibly turn it down?

5. Use technology to your advantage

Books can be read using technology too. So, for their next birthday or Christmas present, why not get them a kindle or the kindle app and gift cards so they can purchase eBooks? They may be more willing to pick up an item that looks like their tablet than an actual book. Plus, they can choose the books they want to read for themselves.

 See, encouraging your teen to read is much easier than you first thought!

*This is a collaborative post*