Reading for tween/teens

[Anonymous]

My kids read a lot of trash - think selection series. They are in middle school where they are in "Advanced English for all". The standards are so low and they have to read so little for school.

I'm thinking this summer I need to institute some sort of "assigned reading" curriculum where they read at their actual lexile level and do some questions - nothing major - maybe 30-45 mins/day. Is there a website that provides this free? I noticed Khan Academy has an ELA section, but was curious if there are others out there. I noticed the ones they use at school - newsela, readworks, are all paid services.

[Anonymous]

That sounds hideous.

It’s natural for people to read “trash” for fun. Most people do. You can force them to read “real” books and answer comprehension questions, but they’ll probably end up reading a lot less.

I HATE summer homework for kids. If your boss gave you a project to complete over your vacation, it probably wouldn’t feel like much of a vacation. Kids should work hard during their school year, but should get to enjoy their vacation. Growing up, I loved school, and learning in general. I started each year excited about my classes. By the time spring came, I felt I was barely holding on by my fingernails, just trying to make it to summer. I needed the downtime of summer vacation to recharge for the next year.

If you want to expose them to better literature, you should show them it can be appealing and be willing to invest yourself in the effort. Go see Shakespeare at the Folger, or watch film adaptations. Read a book together out loud or listen to an audiobook in the car. Take turns picking books (you may need to read Selection or some other trash when they pick, try to be as gracious as you expect them to be for your pick) and discussing them in a family book club/special dinner. Maybe set up a competition for who can read the most books from a list of classics (there are several), and the winner gets a prize (maybe spending money for their choice of books). Here are some examples of lists:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2022/05/100-must-read-classic-books

https://libguides.waukeganpl.org/book-lists/misc/bbc-100-books

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/classic-literature

[Anonymous]

We do this, minus the comprehension questions.

In the Lexie website, you can search for books within a given lexile range and filter by topic, genre, fiction/nonfiction, etc. My 11 and 13 yr old have to pick at least one book within their lexile level (they use the search and filter to their interests) and one choice book. Usually they bring one to school for silent reading and keep one book at home for free time.

Plus I read to both every night, individually. This is typically my book of choice. They still love being read to and I pick books I think they will enjoy but just not pick to read themselves.

[Anonymous]

We have been doing this with short stories, mainly having them read classics that DH and I remember reading in middle school. Much to our disappointment they said "The Lottery" was the "most boring thing ever." A lot of classic short stories are available online and we just print them out.

[Anonymous]

You want your kids to love to read, right? Please don't make it a chore. Make a weekly trip to the library, combine it with a trip to get a treat if you want to, but please don't force them to read things they don't want.

[Anonymous]

I put together a summer reading shelf last summer for my then 11 and 13 year olds and it was fairly successful. They’re both big readers, but I wanted to push them into slightly more challenging books they’d never choose on their own. We are generally big library users, but I bought brand new paperbacks, which seems to help entice them. They were not forced to read anything, but encouraged to choose among them. My husband and I actually ended up reading a few ourselves, so it was nice to all talk about them.

[Anonymous]

My mom used to give us a present for every 10th book we read on or above grade level. After we read it we had to tell her the title, author, and what the book was about and our impression. It could literally be "Mommy, I read Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews about these siblings that get shoved in an attic by their mom and grandma to wait for their grandpa to die so they get money, only their mom is trying to make them die. I loved it!"

Fun fact: Because of that book, I can't eat powered sugar on anything, lest it be arsenic.

[Anonymous]

Agree that reading for fun means making the library trips fun and letting kids choose. That said, my kids were open to suggestions and I also looked for good ideas that would be interesting but supplement school. Google Battle of the Books.Their list of books is always good. And maybe Newberry Medal winner lists from the last few years.

[Anonymous]

Yikes. Over the summer, my son has to read for 30 minutes a day, his choice among a group of books that I select (but target to being something he has a reasonable chance of being interested in). But no comprehension questions or anything. It's designed to hopefully be moderately enjoyable, if not at least painless.

[Anonymous]

This may not work at your kids' age unless they are really extrinsically driven but you could do some sort of bingo card type thing with a worthwhile prize if they complete it.

We did this for our two when they were in 3rd-5th grade. Options at that point included reading a book written in the 20th century, a sci fi book, a biography, book set in another country, Newberry medal winner or honors, book where the main character is of another race or ethnicity than you, book where the main character is a different gender than you. My older DD would read Harry Potter and fantasy books all day long, this was a good way to get her exploring other things. My DS was a year younger and this was a good way to get him to try things beyond graphic novels.

When my kids were 9 and 10, they'd do this for the promise of a giant sundae with all the toppings at our favorite ice cream place at the end of summer. This might not work for a 12yr old, but if there's something high value maybe it's worth a shot. I would NOT mandate certain books or answering questions. The goal is to broaden their exposure but let them choose the actual books. We would go to the library or sometimes even the local bookstore and they could talk to the librarians and booksellers to pick things out.

[Anonymous]

You can find summer reading lists for private schools on their websites. You can even look at NYC or LA or whatever city schools you want. You could use these as options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom used to give us a present for every 10th book we read on or above grade level. After we read it we had to tell her the title, author, and what the book was about and our impression. It could literally be "Mommy, I read Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews about these siblings that get shoved in an attic by their mom and grandma to wait for their grandpa to die so they get money, only their mom is trying to make them die. I loved it!"

Fun fact: Because of that book, I can't eat powered sugar on anything, lest it be arsenic.

HAHA i feel that

[Anonymous]

I don't make my kid read anything, but I do suggest things. She loves fantasy, but I've snuck in some historical fiction and classic fantasy that she's liked (The Prydain Chronicles, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Terry Pratchett, The Last Unicorn, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, etc.). And librarians can be a great resource for suggesting books. Another thing we do is all read the same book, so then we can talk about it, like a family book club, and everyone takes a turn picking a book. Or find a historical novel that meshes with the period they're studying in school, or something else connected to what they are studying. We also read together at bedtime still, and I often rotate in something that's a bit more of a stretch in terms of subject matter or writing quality.

But if you want kids who read for pleasure, then you have to let them read for pleasure. What books do you read for fun? How often do your kids see you reading, or hear you talk about books?

[Anonymous]

Huh, I liked the Selection series... Honestly if my tween was reading that I wouldn't care in the slightest. I'd just be happy they were willingly reading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't make my kid read anything, but I do suggest things. She loves fantasy, but I've snuck in some historical fiction and classic fantasy that she's liked (The Prydain Chronicles, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Terry Pratchett, The Last Unicorn, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, etc.). And librarians can be a great resource for suggesting books. Another thing we do is all read the same book, so then we can talk about it, like a family book club, and everyone takes a turn picking a book. Or find a historical novel that meshes with the period they're studying in school, or something else connected to what they are studying. We also read together at bedtime still, and I often rotate in something that's a bit more of a stretch in terms of subject matter or writing quality.

But if you want kids who read for pleasure, then you have to let them read for pleasure. What books do you read for fun? How often do your kids see you reading, or hear you talk about books?

You might also try:
Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
Green Knowe series by Lucy M. Boston
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
The Secret Garden
Gail Carson Levine (I liked Fairest.)
Victory by Susan Cooper

If she’s willing to try Science Fiction:
Keeper of the Isis Light by Monica Hughes
Interworld by Neil Gaiman