by beth king

Created on: October 21, 2009

Getting your teen reading can be right up there, in terms of difficulty, with cleaning their room, doing chores and everything else that tends to be an ongoing struggle. Unlike most of the other struggles, which probably will not impact their life, reading is in a different category.

Studies show teens that read often do better on standardized testing, they are normally high achievers and do better in social situations. In fact, whether a child reads often can predict success even more so then other factors such as intelligence and economic background.

Starting early with your child is the best way to develop a habit and love of reading but it is never too late.

If you are one of the many parents out there trying to get your kids to read more, try some of these tips and strategies.

1: Determine if your child is reading below level and if he or she can read. It may be your child is unable to read at the level required. If you become aware of the problem, taking steps to solve it is the first thing to do. Work with the school and outside tutors. Check your community, there may be organizations set up to help kids that are reading below their grade level or that can not read at all.

Sadly, many kids are unable to read past 2nd or 3rd grade level and yet still make it all the way to high school. If this is the problem, becoming aware is the first step to fixing it.

2: Find something that interests your child. In the beginning, it's more important to have your teen reading something and enjoying it then actually what they are reading. Bring in magazines that may cover an interest they have. It could be a sporting magazine or car magazine for boys and fashion and gossip magazines for girls. The point here is to get them reading something they like.

3: Try to slowly move on to novels and books. Know your child's interest. If they are interested in playing a sport for college or a huge football fan, see if you can find a biography about a player or story about a team.

Try to find books that your child can relate to. Finding books that the main character is experiencing or has gone through something your child is also experiencing can be a hit since it not only helps them read but can show them they aren't alone.

4: If a movie is coming out or already out that your child just has to see, have them read the book first. The fact that they are interested in the movie indicates they may be interested in the subject and they are more likely to enjoy

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