5 Activities That Promote Reading Among Teens

Around the globe, there are entities and associations that proclaim the benefits of reading, especially among youth. In fact, reading is becoming more and more important every day, given that the distance between youth and reading is getting greater and greater .

This is quite understandable. Books don’t have the same effect on their senses as the latest TV show or virtual reality glasses. And if that weren’t enough, books require effort and comprehension.

Just the same, home isn’t lost. Many teens really do enjoy reading and are more than happy to continue expanding their libraries .

As parents, we can carry out simple actions that can spark an interest in reading among teens. For those who already like to read, these activities will encourage that feeling even more.

Below, we’ll tell you more about these useful activities.

Activities that promote reading among teens

1. Purchase books that interest them

A basic point in motivating someone to partake in any activities is that it be interesting to them. Therefore, we must look for reading material that is related to our teenagers’ favorite things .

For example, if your teen is passionate about a specific sport, athlete, coach or team in particular, that can be your inspiration. At the same time, if your child loves psychology, or a specific band, you can also look for reading material based on those interests.

As for activities, there are two activities you can employ. The first is to get your child a library membership and see what materials you can find on the subjects he or she enjoys.

The second is to take your child shopping at a bookstore. What’s great about bookstores is that they’re a world of their own. This can be a great motivator for teens .

2. Movies can be very helpful

For many teens, reading a book may seem like a pointless waste of time if they’ve already seen the large screen version. However, movies can also serve as the perfect bait to get children interested in reading .

Give your children the literary version of the movie or series they love so much. Then, suggest discussing the differences and similarities. In general, the books tend to be much more interesting and detailed than their screen interpretations. Without a doubt, your child will come to appreciate this.

3. Aim at creating habits

Book lovers and those who aren’t interested in reading at all have one thing in common: They both need the right time and space to carry out this activity .

So then, a good way to encourage reading among teens is to establish a certain time each day or week to talk about reading. During this time, you can comment on, debate about and recommend books. In other words, create a sort of family “book club.”

Logically, to make this work, you also need to establish a habit of sitting down and reading in silence. 

While it may seem strange, silent reading is a very pleasant group activity. Take advantage of these moments to spend time with your family, each member reading his or her own book.

4. Reading out loud

When you think about teens reading out loud, the first thing that comes to your head will probably be a classroom. At school, teachers can propose a variety of activities that involve reading and discussing different literary works .

However, you can also do this at home. How? By asking your children to choose phrases from whatever they’re reading – whether it be a book or otherwise – to share with the family.

If you have a small child in your home, you can all take turns reading bedtime stories. This includes older siblings. 

Remember that reading out loud is a fundamental process when it comes to improving communication and vocabulary among teens. Therefore, encouraging this practice is highly beneficial.

5. Go a step further

Many books have to do with other aspects of the artistic or cultural world. For example, if a teen reads a book that takes place in a specific historical place, then you can organize a trip to visit that place.

Some teens enjoy reading self-help books or biographies. If that’s the case, then look into exhibits or talks where your child can meet or learn more about this inspiring person. Concerts, plays and even sporting events are ways in which we can bring a book to the next level.

As we said before, encouraging reading among teens requires sparking their interest. If not, we won’t get anywhere.

Forcing children to read at this age will only produce rebellion and even more aversion than before. Therefore, it’s better to present reading as something enjoyable, relaxing and beneficial.