Students in high school are expected to read more difficult and sophisticated material, perhaps every night. A great way to get ready for this heavier workload of “serious” reading is for your teen to read things that are fun. The more he reads—no matter what it is—the better and faster he will learn to read, and the more he will remember and understand.

Here are some ways to try to get your teen to do more reading:

Get the family involved. Pick a time, perhaps on Sunday evening, when each family member is usually home. Make a favorite dessert or snack. Then have a family reading hour.

Talk with your teen about some of his favorite things—such as music, sports or cars. Then head to the library. Encourage him to check out some books and magazines about these interests.

Give your teen an incentive to read. Some families have a system where children must put in a certain amount of reading time if they want to have TV, telephone, or computer time. It’s worth a try!

Ask your teen to read about the movies he wants to see. If the movie is based on a book, he should read the book. If not, challenge him to read all reviews of the movie he can find. Let him use the information in the reviews to convince you to allow him to see the movie.

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