Family Support: Connecting Reader (Ages 11–14) and Independent Reader
Continue reading aloud to your child. Read young adult or adult novels together.
This may be the only time you can have genuine conversations with your teenager!
Read the same books your child is reading so you can talk about the books
together.
Continue to visit the public library.
Talk about the books and materials you are reading. Acknowledge your teen’s
mature interests and recommend appropriate adult books.
Discuss the concepts, symbols, well-written passages, and the author's craft
as you read.
Help your child make time for reading and set goals as a reader.
Help your child find books. Keep up with new books by talking to teachers,
friends, librarians, and bookstore staff. Share book reviews.
Encourage wide reading of many genres and types of texts.
Ask your child to discuss his or her favorite genres, titles, and authors.
Ask your child to explain why he or she likes or dislikes a book or author.
Discuss articles and editorials from the newspaper. Share the sports page
or entertainment section.
Have your child read the map when you’re going somewhere new.
Provide support as your child reads informational texts in many subject
areas.
Provide encouragement as your child tackles challenging reading projects.
Give your child a subscription to a teen or adult magazine based on his
or her interests. Even if you might prefer a different subject matter, it
will keep your child reading at an age when reading tends to decline.
Start a mother-daughter book club with friends (or father-daughter, mother-son,
etc.).