<p>Are you modeling the behavior of reading for pleasure? Use this situation as an excuse to skip your own chores, put your feet up and read a good book. If he thinks reading is a “vice”, it might be more appealing. ;)</p>
<p>Here are some suggestions without much literary value, but that are fun to read:
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston (a gripping, and gory read about Ebola virus)
21: Bringing Down the House (The inside story of six MIT students who took Vegas for millions)
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead</p>
<p>I didn’t start reading much for pleasure until I was in my 30s. (I was also quite a math nerd.) I’m just a little concerned that making an issue out of this will. . . make an issue out of it. Kind of like focusing too much on eating your vegetables. As long as he’s keeping up with his school reading, I’d back off and let him decide what/how much he wants to read. If it’s only the sports page and SI for now, fine.</p>
<p>After school’s out, I’d take him to a book store and let him pick out one thing–book, magazine, whatever. If he reads that, take another trip. If not, let it go.</p>
<p>(FWIW, of my three kids, I have one voracious reader (been that way since first grade), one who really just started reading for pleasure this past year as a 17-18-year-old, and one who still isn’t interested.)</p>
<p>We use the public library a lot in the summer. Free books, and if you decide you don’t like your choice after all…no big deal.</p>
<p>Besides sci-fi, S likes to browse non-fiction and I sometimes do as well. You just never know what you might be interested in until you see a book on it!</p>
<p>My S1 was a slow reader and as a result didn’t enjoy reading. His ACT score suffered because the test requires you to read at a very fast pace. We got him the Ace reader pro program and at first he grumbled, but once I figured out how to download interesting articles from the internet he actually enjoyed reading them at a fast pace. Is he now a reading whiz - no, but it did help with his speed because it forced him to read in phrases versus a couple words at a time.</p>
<p>I think ingerp, that sometimes it’s worth making an issue out of it. A love of reading comes just as much from instilled habit as it does from inborn desire, and particularly in a world of internet and video games and gadgets (I am a self-professed gadget freak) it’s getting harder and harder to take the time to read. But that doesn’t make it less important, and I think parents should make an issue out of it, even if kids put up a fuss. </p>
<p>Just like I think it’s ok for parents to force their kids to eat vegetables, even if they don’t want to. It’s important to instill even in teenage children the idea that vegetables = a part of dinner = a part of life. It might be tough to get them to do it now, but it can pay off down the road and it’s good for them. </p>
<p>Same for reading. Yes, you can’t force a child to become an avid reader, and some may never be. But if you don’t at least expose them to books that will interest them, if you don’t try to draw them out, if you don’t model the behavior and emphasize it’s importance, then a reluctant reader may become a never reads reader simply out of laziness and lack of good habits. And that can be detrimental to them down the road. Reading not only makes you a better writer and critical thinker, but it activates your mind, exposing it to new and different ideas, challenging your world view, and stimulating the imagination. All important for the future of any person. It’s a parent’s job to look out for their children’s futures even if the kids think differently. </p>
<p>It’s not easy, but it’s definitely possible to turn a reluctant reader around, particularly when they’re still in the young adult phase of life, where there is a wealth of reading material designed specifically to appeal to them and they can indulge without shame in reading of all kinds and qualities. And that reading then becomes a part of them. Children’s and teen literature plays a really important role in shaping the identities of kids, because unlike adult books that you read and for the most part put away, children’s literature comes at you in a time when your character, opinions, and understandings are still very much malleable and being formed. Particularly young adult literature, which you usually read at a time when you’re asking a lot of important questions about who you are and what you believe. </p>
<p>Sorry, I have a children’s booksellers romantic vision of the importance of reading, but those are my thoughts.</p>
<p>I tend to agree with SmithieandProud. At the same time, there are kids whose learning strengths are just not through reading, particularly among students with ADHD issues. For those students, it is important that they at least acquire skills or strategies to help them get through schoolwork and better comprehend what they are reading. being interested in the reading material is one way to get them to read but other strategies might be required to develop their comprehension, for instance through the program mentioned by Kajon. Listening to audio books or watching films at the same time the student is reading a book might help audio and visual learners better understand what they are reading. </p>
<p>Some students, such as my S with Asperger’s, may have difficulty determining what is important to focus on while they are reading. Highlighting, outlining and taking notes can help with this. When my S was in hs, some of his teachers also taught students to develop and write key words or symbols in their books or on postits to indicate where important issues or themes appeared in the text and one of his teachers even encouraged him to also read cliff notes to help him get a better understanding of the important characters and themes in the book.</p>
<p>My son is the same. Once again this summer, I am going to TRY to trade reading time for game time. He can earn 1.5 hours of gaming for one hour of reading. Although I am concerned about reading scores, I am more concerned about reading ability once he gets to college two years from now. I don’t know how two kids with the same parents can be so different.</p>
<p>It’s difficult to make recommendations without knowing his current abilities, but How to Solve It by G. Polya and Mathematics for the Nonmathematician by Morris Kline are both excellent books.</p>
<p>I suggest you buy him an issue of GAMES magazine or its companion WORLD OF
PUZZLES. These have lots of math/logic puzzles in them along with a variety of word-oriented games (such as crossword puzzles, but a lot of really creative ones as well). The puzzles get successively harder as you get further into the magazines, starting with one star and ending with three star puzzles, so he can find appropriate level challenges in both areas. Graphic novels are also a good choice for reluctant readers.</p>
<p>Few books and various puzzles will not improve Reading level. As I have mentioned, my D. does not like to read, but I did not mean that she has not been reading. She has taken advanced English classes in HS as well as completing her English college requirement which has been very heavy in reading. She also has done whatever she knew to do to improve Reading level for MCAT. Nothing has helped. If the point is improving test scores and nothing else, do not waste your time. Focus on other areas to improve overall score. Slow reading is NOT as bad as most people imagine. It is very helpful in understanding complex material and might be beneficial for GPA. In addition, I believe, it has helped my D. to have exceptionally good writing skills. She simply pays more attention to various details while reading. Most novels are just boring for some people. If child has high GPA, I would not worry about the fact that he does not read books outside of academics.</p>
<p>Based on your son’s interests, here are a few books you might want to check into for him:
Born to Run by Christopher MacDougall (I haven’t read this, but my daughter who runs cross-country is reading it now. It is a popular recent adult-level book.)
Keeper by Mal Peet (I enjoyed this book several years ago. Topics include both soccer and the environment. Young adult level; it could be too easy for him, but I liked it!)
The Best American Sports Writing (This is a yearly anthology of the best sports articles each year. Adult level.)</p>
<p>Don’t get locked into the notion that reading is tied to fiction/non-fiction literature. Most kids don’t care much for books.</p>
<p>I’d suggest finding a number of internet news sites, magazines, etc. that are in topics he’s interested in. Reading well-written articles on the internet contributes to reading skill tremendously.</p>
<p>^ I don’t understand where that comes from? If most kids didn’t care much for books then there wouldn’t be such an enormous industry built around producing and marketing books for children. Trust me, it’s not schools that are driving that demand. Many kids love books, they build relationships with certain characters or series that usually far outpace any relationship an adult builds.</p>
<p>Reading internet articles can help build reading skills, of course. Reading of any kind will help build skills. But they won’t improve a child’s ability to read and comprehend an entire story and it’s hard to find articles and itnernet magazines that are of a consistently high quality to build sustained skills. Also, reading on the internet leaves teenagers especially open to distraction (it’s easy enough to keep a reading tab, a facebook tab, an email tab, etc open at the same time). And one of the things the OP is looking for is ways to improve his focused reading so that he can perform better on his exams.</p>
<p>My son never liked to read until recently. He has, however, always loved to be read to so we listened to audiobooks all the time in the car. I don’t think the radio in my car was ever used. Listening to all those books helped his vocabulary and increased his interest.</p>
<p>As he got older he became interested in series books like Harry Potter, Hatchet and Eragon. I would always buy the hardcover book when it came out but then wait for a while before buying the audiobook. He became so interested in the stories that he would start to read the book right away.</p>
<p>Now he does pick up a book to read for pleasure. They aren’t the classics by any means but at least he’s reading. Right now he likes authors Matthew Reilly and James Rollins.</p>
<p>I second the motion for audiobooks; sometimes a kid will get sucked in without realizing it, sometimes the reader will hold his or her interest longer than the printed word will. One book that my son loves is A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson: lots of anecdotes about scientists and their work, always interesting to science geek and non-scientist alike, and read well by whoever recorded it (not Bryson; authors are not always their best readers). Another excellent series, both written and recorded, is Terry Pratchett’s discworld: funny, satirical, thoughtful, lots of good vocabulary not ostentatiously used (skip the first few, unless you’re already a fan of fantasy; it takes a while for him to hit his stride). Pratchett and Gaiman’s Good Omens is another favorite. If you can find something that piques his interest, whatever it is, you can find more: it’s the first book that is the toughest. And series are always a good bet, because if you can get them hooked on the first, you’re golden. (“Studies show” that getting kids to read series is more than half the battle; many people think that only classical, “literary” stuff matters, but when you’re getting kids to read, series win every time.) </p>
<p>Small rant: I think that a lot of the trouble with getting kids to read for pleasure lies with the educational system, which a. makes reading homework (how many parents had to initial the minutes their kids spent reading every night?); and, b., requires all books that are read in school to be “real literature,” by which is meant, apparently, tales of suffering and privation and despair, starting with Anne Frank in fourth grade (!@!) and going down from there. My sophomore started her year of Honors english with “Of Mice and Men,” and “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They,” compare and contrast. Lord have mercy. I love to read, myself, have read all my life for pleasure, have a doctorate in English; I feel very, very strongly that books don’t have to be gut-wrenching, searing, haunting, and visceral to be good books, books worth reading. Yet every year, my kids come home with stuff (“Maus,” anyone?) that is supposed to make them appreciate how real and serious life is–as if that were the only goal of literature. It makes me very cross.</p>
<p>marysidney, so true! I don’t think my kids got to read a book in 4th grade where someone didn’t die! That’s why my younger son really enjoyed doing a Mystery elective for English even though the school was encouraging honors or AP English. (Not that he got away from dead bodies that way!) They got smarter in middle school though. Ender’s Game was actually part of the curriculum by the time my younger son got there. (And Anne Frank!)</p>
<p>We were bad parents with the reading log. They were due Monday morning. So Sunday night we’d make something up. My kids read more than enough, but hated looking at the clock.</p>
<p>OP, you anwered the question yourself: he likes to read about sports! Sports it is, then. I would just leave a lot of reading material around having to do with sports, and then discuss it with him. If he plays fantasy football, does a bracket for the NCAA tournament, makes bets over the World Cup, etc., then he will have extra incentives to read and research. He may need it in short doses, such as articles, but reading is reading! You might also try John Feinstein’s books about sports - don’t worry that it is not great literature; it is reading material that will interest your son. Eventually he can graduate to great literature.
Also, a number of years ago the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics put out some statistics about which fields required high verbal and math achievement. High math with lower reading achievement was the perfect formula for business majors.
Good luck!
Marysidney, with all due respect, I believe that kudos are due to your school system for requiring the important literature that you describe.</p>
<p>@marysidney: ha ha ha! You are so right! Sometimes I think that the purpose of the books you read from 4th through 8th grade (starting with “A Taste of Blackberries” and going all the way past"Bridge to Terabithia", “Where the Red Fern Grows”, and “Lord of the Flies”) is to teach kids that every time you make a best friend in life, they will probably die unexpectedly, usually after you have just had a fight. Leaving you guilt wridden and grieving. </p>
<p>Now I should add the caveat that I loved deeply all those books I just listed (To Kill a Mockingbird was a particular favorite, and one I perenially re-read), they all deeply affected me and I continue to reach back to them for touchstones in my life and find hope in the sadness, but yes, they are depressing. And no, not every book you read as a kid/teen has to be depressing in order to be worthwhile. Though like the Oscars, comedic books rarely win awards and part of what schools do is accquaint kids with the classics, the award winning canon of American literature.</p>