1. Do you know how to help your teenager develop good reading skills? Take our quiz to find out…

2. When was the last time you saw your teenager reading?

3. Good readers read at every opportunity. Good readers can also identify a favorite book/genre/or author. They can identify the types of text they enjoy the most. Ask your son/daughter about his/her favorite books!

4. When looking for a book for your child, do you look for a book he should read, or a book he wants to read?

5. To have good reading skills, teenagers must be engaged readers. Find something that he/she is interested in, not something you think your child should read. You can expose your child to classic literature or other genres when he/she is ready.

6. Do you have a wide variety of reading materials in your home? What types of materials should be made available?

7. Research shows a direct link between the number of books in the home and the reading skills of children. You may wish to subscribe to a variety of magazines or newspapers, have some reference materials (dictionary, thesaurus, almanac), as well as fiction and non-fiction books. Enjoy non-traditional books as well, like graphic novels and comics.

8. Do your children see you reading? Do they ever see you looking up information?

9. Kids learn by example. If you demonstrate that you value reading, then they will value reading as well! Kids also need to see that reading is a useful and important skill. Showing your children how you learn information in real-life situations will help them apply these skills in their lives!

10. Do you go to the library with your child?

11. The library is a pretty cool place to be. Take a family field trip there and you will see that there are many programs and activities for teens. The Edmonton Public Library website has a teen section in which kids can discuss books they like. Kids can also participate in the Young Readers’ Choice Award voting or Summer Survivor programs.

12. Have you ever read the same book as your child and discussed it?

13. This is one of the best strategies to help your child improve his/her reading skills. Discussion helps us remember what we read. We build a community of readers through sharing. As parents, we have the opportunity to share how we feel about issues or events through shared reading. This helps kids clarify their own opinions and values in a safe & supervised manner. Through this discussion, kids will be encouraged to read closely and find support for their opinions.

14. In your home, has reading ever been a punishment?

15. When we are frustrated, it can be tempting to say, “Go to your room and read!” Try to avoid this. It reinforces that reading is a punishment and we only read when we do something wrong.

16. How can we make reading an enjoyable experience?

17. Encourage a comfortable reading space. It shouldn’t be the bedroom – that is a comfortable sleeping place and we don’t want kids to think that reading and sleeping go hand in hand! Provide a comfortable chair, good lighting, and some snacks. Make reading a social experience. Share what you are reading. Even if they don’t show it, teenagers often crave their parents’ company!

18. When your children were young, you probably read to them… Now that they are teenagers, you will want to read with them… This will help you encourage a life-long reader!