TEENS AND READING: BUIDLING STAMINA

Want to help your teen read better? The following guidelines for adolescent readers can help.

READING STAMINA: THE SECRET TO SUCCESS

Start with books that interest you. Later, when your stamina is better you can read more challenging books.

Start with fiction or narrative nonfiction (nonfiction in story form). You’re better off reading narratives (books told in story form with a beginning, middle and end) when building your stamina.

Set a reading time limit and stick to it, gradually increasing your time on task every few weeks. If your mind wanders don’t sweat it; go back to the last part you remember and read it again. In time, the need to reread will grow less and less.

Don’t compete with others. Go at your own pace. Gradually, your pace will increase. Also, your peers who rush through books may not comprehend everything they’re reading, so don’t fall for their competitive bravado. Reading fast doesn’t always translate into reading well.

After reading a chapter predict (in your head, to a partner or in writing) what you think will happen next. Revise your prediction every two or three chapters based on new information. (I though so-and-so was going to happen when the character said such-and-such. Now that yada-yada has happened I know I was wrong. I now think that blankety-blankety will happen).

Avoid other stimuli like playing music, answering phone calls or talking to others (except when summarizing to a partner).

Learn to accumulate text (to hold previous chapters in your mind while reading ahead). This can be done through the following techniques:

 Skimming the previous pages before reading the next part.

 Summarizing the previous pages in your head in 4-5 sentences. (Say the book title and character names in your head when summarizing.)

 Summarizing the previous pages aloud to someone else in 4-5 sentences. (Say the book title and character names in the notebook when summarizing.)

 Summarizing the pages you just read in a notebook. (Say the book title and character names in the notebook when summarizing.)

 Noting important plot developments by placing a post-it tab at that particular spot in the book. Skim all post-it tabs before reading the next chapter.

Hal W. Lanse, Ph.D. is the author of READ WELL, THINK WELL: BUILD YOUR CHILD'S READING, COMPREHENSION AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS