by Todd Daigneault

Created on: October 20, 2009   Last Updated: October 25, 2009

You want to encourage your teen to read. For starters, get them off all of the endless texting for a bit, and all of the shorthand that it entails. Proper written English and grammar is starting to be like the way algebra was to the generations before. You see twenty year olds who can barely read and write, almost just to a barely functioning level, never mind teens who aren't too far beyond. Constant texting and using the shorthand of it is, causing a huge drop in reading and writing abilities. This Internet age is wonderful in many ways, for delivering the written word en masse. But unfortunately many teens text and download music and video games. They get a spectacular appreciation of a cross-section of digital music, and hone their eye-hand coordination to almost military levels in playing video games, but their reading and writing skills end up considerably atrophied.

A good way to encourage your teen to develop good reading habits, irregardless of their level of comprehension, is to read and write (both going hand-in-hand). Like anything in life, the only way you get good at it is to do a constant level of reading and writing. For your teens on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites, is to encourage them to write far more than just the brief, obligatory updates on these sites-with the computer 'shorthand'. Get them to write short articles and the such on posting sites like Helium. With no charge, and an excellent listing of subjects relevant to teens, they can write many articles. In the process, they can develop good reading skills, and make a little profit at the same time.

As they write more, their reading/writing skills become more developed. It benefits both parent and child, as your teens become more literate through the developing of god reading habits. Becoming more than just functionally literate, benefits your teen throughgout his/her life. It makes it much easier for them to go to college/university. With much higher literacy skills, they can also get into better jobs and advance more easily. Starting with something basic, as adding far more info and updated info on their assorted sites, You can also encourage them to write short articles on a variety of subjects appealing to teens on Helium or other public posting sites, building up their literacy skills,

Going far beyond that, you can also download books on the Internet, on a wide assortment of subjects appealing to them. Pull your teen away from the computer and take them to the library, where they can do more than just text and download music, et al.. Make it a family day and give them some incentive, via a nice lunch or some other incentive. There are many books in the library, fictional or elsewise, appealing to kids. Starting them reading at a young age, be it books and articles on the Internet or in print form helps them with reading and comprehension. As a parent, you are delighted that your teens are developing good literacy skills, and your kids benefit with a far more rewarding and better life, immersed in almost another reality of knowledge and learning.

Good literacy skills are developed during the formative years of youth. With so many kids graduating from High School with poor reading/writing skills, helping them to start at a young age, even pre-teen, goes a long way towards them developing absolutely critical literacy skills. Such skills that go a long way towards helping them in their journey into young adulthod and beyond.

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