The Habit of Reading in Adolescence

The habit of reading in adolescence is often seen as an obligation. However, it can be just as enjoyable as it is beneficial.

For many young people, reading is synonymous with working, an obligation, a burden. Although adolescence is a difficult time for the whole family, it’s also a great time to instill the habit of reading. At this stage in which the child becomes an adult and forges their own personality, we can show them that reading can also be a pleasure and will bring them great benefits.

Reading for teenagers: A great help

During adolescence, young people open themselves to the world, discovering its beauty but also its complexity. It’s a very complicated moment of transition, as the innocence of childhood ends. Through the habit of reading, adolescents have the opportunity to understand the world around them from new and diverse perspectives.

Novels mix feeling, reason, and imagination, no matter what their genre. But at the same time, they’re always based on real elements. This combination reflects the environment that the adolescent begins to discover and helps him to get closer to it. In addition, the fiction of reading gives them the freedom to imagine, think, and face new challenges.

Adolescence through literary characters

One of the most wonderful properties of reading is its ability to transport us to another world. We get carried away by the story, and inevitably we put ourselves in the shoes of its characters. Reading is feeling countless emotions, with which adolescents identify.

By reading, adolescents develop their imagination and adopt the personality of very varied characters. Through their experiences and their various ways of understanding and dealing with them, young people will learn vital lessons. And even more, they’ll find in these characters company and comfort for the feeling of loneliness that usually accompanies this stage.

Promote the habit of reading in adolescence

Sometimes, the insistence on adolescents to read is so strong that it has the opposite effect. For many, reading is a job, an obligation imposed at school or at home. If we want our children to acquire the habit of reading, we can’t consider it as an extra task.

We have to make young people understand that reading can be as pleasurable as it is profitable. Through the books they read, you’ll find entertainment, but also answers to your doubts and questions. And all this from the vast but small space that is the mind, in the intimacy that’s so sought after so much in adolescence.

Tips if your child doesn’t read

• Look for children’s literature that is to your liking. Currently, the subject matter of this type of literature is very varied and of high quality. You can propose topics that interest them and make it easier for them to read. It’s important to remember that not because we have a certain age do we have to like certain themes associated with it. The important thing is that your child reads and enjoys what they read.
• If they can’t decide on what to read, they can always ask in libraries and bookstores. In addition to guiding them based on their tastes, they’ll be able to recommend a more current and modern reading, which may be more interesting to adolescents.
• Any time is a good time to read. For example, during the holidays, there’s plenty of free time. So much so that many times we don’t know what to do. If you see that your child is in this situation, suggest that they read for a while, or discuss something together that you’ve both read. Those moments will unite you and encourage reading.
• The environment plays an influential role. If the parents don’t read, it’s normal for the child to have a lower tendency to read. However, if you offer a relaxed, comfortable environment in which reading is habitual, you’ll encourage this habit.

• Size doesn’t matter. Don’t offer your child a gigantic book as a their first reading material. It doesn’t matter if other young people have read it, a bulky book can put them off. You can start with collections of short stories, fables, or novels.
• It’s never too late to start reading. Just because your child doesn’t read now doesn’t mean they won’t ever read. The important thing is to find the right material to read. There’s a book for everyone, and surely, with your help, your child will be able to find the one that will excite them and teach them the benefits of reading.

Don’t worry if at first, your child doesn’t show interest. Once a book captures their attention, they won’t be able to stop visiting the wonderful world of literature frequently.