In Middle Schools…. Reading Rules
I know. Middle School is a challenging transition for both your student and you, the parent. Your youngster is growing up and you have about 1,000 new things to be concerned with: the cost of braces, “middle school girl drama”, boys’ raging hormones, 6 teachers to communicate with instead of one, mounting homework, and a plethora of extracurricular activities to taxi your children to. And now I am going to add one more responsibility to the mix- reading.
Being a reluctant reader is an early warning sign that a student may be veering off the path leading to high school graduation. This is a fact. However, equally important is that learning to read is a rather wasted endeavor if it is not employed beyond schoolwork. I know from my experience as a tutor that many children never suspect that reading can be a pleasant activity. They are bogged down with language arts assignments which they are tested on and have to read on a predetermined time schedule. Although this is necessary for literary mastery, it should by no means be the only reading they are engaged in.
Foster being engrossed in reading in your tween by setting up an environment that is bursting with books. Middle schoolers frequently feel connected to characters and themes in texts that provide insight and help them make sense of these often chaotic years.
You might think that your adolescent is too old to be read aloud to. Not so! Shared words have power. Reading to your older child has multiple benefits. You can tackle literature that they might struggle to decode, but can now comprehend when they hear it. The material opens the door for many discussions which might not transpire without the book as a catalyst. Loving links are formed over books.
One sure-fire way to turn your young teen into an avid reader is to allow them to choose books that spark their interests. Moving beyond required reading and allowing them the opportunity to choose freely turns written material into a magnificent journey they will be on for a lifetime.
Read on Medium: https://medium.com/@mrs.audreysacademicachievement/in-middle-school-reading-rules-529dde6b18c9
