June 18, 2024 • 35 mins
Discover how to transform summer reading from a chore into an adventure for your teenagers! Imagine combining the thrill of a treasure hunt with the joy of discovering new books—our episode on Challenge Your Mind, Change the World offers a roadmap to do just that. We start with creative strategies to design personalized summer reading challenges and reveal clever ways to track progress and celebrate your child's achievements. From mixing genres to organizing book swaps, both real and virtual, we share everything you need to keep the reading spark alive.
Next, we unlock the hidden gems of your local library's summer programs, turning it into a magical realm of possibilities. Libraries are no longer just quiet places with rows of books; they are bustling hubs of activity with workshops, author events, and creative classes that can ignite new passions in your teenager. Learn how to leverage these resources to make reading a delightful habit, whether it's through coding classes, volunteer opportunities, or simply meeting new friends who share similar interests.
We round out the episode with tips for making reading a joyous family affair. Consistency and fun are key, and our exclusive Boredom Busters podcast series is packed with imaginative ideas, games, and strategies to keep everyone entertained. Plus, we tackle common objections teenagers might have towards reading and offer practical solutions to make books more appealing. Prepare to immerse your family in the wonderful world of reading this summer and turn every page into a captivating adventure!
Tune in for a treasure trove of insights and start your family’s reading journey today!
For all free resources mentioned in this podcast, download them here (By registering for Boredom Busters, you will gain access to a whole library of ideas to bust the boredom over the summer).
If you enjoyed today's episode, please take the time to rate our podcast. Your rating means the world to us and it allows us to continue to share and grow our message of support to other fabulous humans out there!
For more free resources, check out my guide to the 5 secret habits of teens who succeed. Jam packed with advice, tips and strategies. Yours free!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of
Challenge your Mind, change theWorld.
Francesca Hudson, here, yourhost, and today we are diving
into some super cool ways tomake reading a blast this summer
.
Whether you've got a childthat's a bookworm, or you've got
a child that's looking to trysomething new and they might not
necessarily gravitate towardsreading, or you've got a child
(00:23):
that's constantly on devices andyou want them to be able to
switch off and enjoy reading, wehave got something for you.
We've got something foreverybody on this episode.
It is a bumper episode, perfectfor summer, and I think
everybody is going to getsomething out of this.
So stay tuned, because we'regoing to look at a whole lot of
different ways that you can getyour teenagers or your children
(00:44):
into reading.
I've got a ton of differentstrategies.
We're going to look at creatingsummer reading challenges.
We're going to look at how toorganise a book swap, both in
person or virtual.
I'm going to run through theexact way that you can utilise
your local library, and no, it'snot just simply browsing the
shelves.
There's a whole lot ofdifferent ways that you can use
(01:05):
your library and it's a freeresource.
I've also got some strategiesto be able to implement reading
into your daily routines.
We're going to explore somedifferent genres and formats,
we're going to look at movieadaptations, we're going to look
at book series that are reallypopular with teenagers, and
we're going to look at someonline reading communities as
(01:26):
well as combining reading withfun activities.
So there is something foreverybody.
And if you are looking forsomething to do this summer,
then check out my free resource,which is the Boredom Busters
secret podcast series.
When you sign up to BoredomBusters, you get access to a
super exclusive, super privatehub, completely free, with
(01:47):
resources and activities and fungames that the whole family can
use during the summer.
That accompanies the podcastseries, and I'm also going to
put on that secret hub a wholelot of resources that we talk
about today on today's show.
So if you are interested inusing any of the resources that
we talk about for getting yourteenagers into reading, then
sign up to Boredom Busters.
(02:07):
I'll put the link below andthen you can tap into a whole
range of boredom bustingstrategies to keep your children
entertained this summer.
So before I dive into all thesejuicy strategies, let's look at
some of the reasons whyteenagers might object to
reading in this day and age.
Things have changed a lot sinceyou and I were younger.
I used to read obsessively whenI was at school.
(02:30):
It was my way of tuning out andrelaxing, but unfortunately
well, I say unfortunately.
It's not unfortunate, it's partof evolution and technology.
But children and our teenagers'reliance on iPads and gaming
stations and all those sorts ofthings has really dominated the
(02:50):
space that reading used to havein our children's upbringing to
a certain extent, and with somekids more than others.
But I'm going to run throughwith you some of the objections
that your children might have.
These are some of theobjections that my children have
had and the students that Iteach in the classroom that come
through and how you can tacklethe objections as they arise.
(03:12):
See if any of these relate toyour child.
I've got 10 of them, so I'llrun through them really quickly
and I'll give you somestrategies about how to
counteract them if they come up,if they crop up in your
conversations with your children.
Counteract them if they come up, if they crop up in your
conversations with your children.
So the first reason is teenagersand children might perceive it
as being boring reading.
Many teens associate readingwith school assignments and may
(03:36):
perceive it as being a boring ortedious activity, and they
might believe that books areless exciting compared to other
forms of entertainment likevideo games or social media or
movies.
For example, a teen might thinkwhy read a book when I can
watch a movie version or play avideo game instead?
So the way that we cancounteract that is introduce
them to engaging genres likemystery, fantasy or graphic
(03:57):
novels.
We can suggest books related totheir interests or hobbies.
This is where librarians, ifyou do visit the library, can be
a great asset, a great freeresource to offer interests or
hobbies.
This is where librarians, ifyou do visit the library, can be
a great asset, a great freeresource to offer up suggestions
to, because they see what'scoming through, what's new,
what's the latest out and whatall the other teenagers are
putting in.
Requests for Incorporateinteractive reading activities
(04:19):
like reading games or discussingbooks in an exciting way.
So, for example, a teenagerinterested in sports might enjoy
reading sports biographies ornovels centered around athletes.
The second objection that mightcome up for you is your child
might say they've got a lack oftime.
Teenagers often have very busyschedules, which we know, filled
(04:42):
with schoolwork and thenextracurricular activities,
their part-time jobs and then,on top of all of that, their
social commitments.
Finding time to sit down andread can be challenging if they
don't see it as a priority.
For example, a teen might say Ihave so much homework and
soccer practice, I just don'thave time to read.
My solution to that would beencourage short reading sessions
(05:05):
, such as, say, 10 to 15 minutesbefore bed.
Help them incorporate readinginto their daily routine, like
reading during commutes or aftermeals, so your teenager could
read a chapter of a book duringbreakfast or while waiting for a
bus.
It's those short, incremental,one percent shifts that can
really make the biggestdifference.
The third objection that youmight get from your teenager is
(05:28):
distractions from technology, sothe prevalence of smartphones,
tablets and computers.
They provide constantentertainment and communication
options for our children, makingit easy to get distracted for
them, and they tend to choosethat instant gratification over
reading.
For example.
(05:51):
Does this sound like yourteenager?
They could spend hoursscrolling through social media
or watching videos instead ofpicking up a book.
So how do we counteract that?
Well, my solution would beencourage designated tech free
times or zones dedicated just toreading, remote e-books or
audio books as alternatives thatcan be accessed through their
devices if it's going to be areal struggle to get them off
their device.
So, for example, setting asidean hour for bed as reading time
(06:15):
with no screens allowedobviously because you want to
have that full hour before bedwhere there's none of the
blu-rays that come through fromiPads or computer screens it
gives your brain a chance tosort of decompress and get ready
for bed.
The fourth objection that youmight come across is difficulty
in finding engaging books.
(06:37):
If your teenager struggles tofind books that interest them,
they may lose motivation to readand everyone's taste is
different and it can take timeto discover genres or authors
that they do enjoy.
This could be a very commonscenario where your teen might
not be interested in classicliterature assigned at school,
but they could be excited aboutcontemporary young adult fiction
(06:59):
or graphic novels.
If you start to explore outsideof school reading, outside of
school prescribed book lists, asI say, go to the library, talk
to your librarian and see whatare some of the common books
that everybody is reading at themoment.
The fifth objection that youcould come across that might be
(07:21):
happening for you is readingchallenges.
Some teenagers and somechildren have reading
difficulties, such as dyslexia,or there could be a neurodiverse
situation in your householdwhich can make reading
frustrating and less enjoyable.
You could provide access toresources like audiobooks or
graphic novels try that out oroffer support tools such as
(07:43):
reading apps designed fordyslexic readers, and I think
that the key in this scenario,in this situation, is to
encourage patience and practice.
Using an audiobook ortext-to-speech features can help
a teenager with dyslexia, forexample, enjoy reading without
the struggle.
The next objection that could beprevalent in your household is
(08:04):
negative past experiences withreading.
If your teenager has hadnegative experiences with
reading in the past, such asbeing forced to read books they
didn't like at school orstruggling with understanding
books, then they might develop areluctance to read.
For example, a teenager mightremember being scolded for not
finishing a book report and nowassociates reading with negative
(08:24):
feelings, which is a real shame.
But a way that we cancounteract that is create
positive and pressure-freereading experiences at home for
them.
Allow our children to choosetheir own books and read at
their own pace.
As parents, we can celebratetheir reading achievements, no
matter how small, and we canacknowledge and praise our
children for finishing a book,for example, regardless of its
length or complexity, readingachievements, no matter how
small, and we can acknowledgeand praise our children for
(08:45):
finishing a book, for example,regardless of its length or
complexity.
The fact that they've evenpicked it up and started reading
it from cover to cover isamazing and we want to let them
know that.
We want to let them know what asense of achievement that is.
Another obstacle you could haveis that your child is heavily
influenced by their peers, bytheir friends.
(09:06):
If their friends don't valuereading or if they consider it
uncool, then our children mightshy away from it to fit in with
their social group, which is areal.
How do we counteract that?
Well, we can encourage ourteenagers to form or join
reading groups with friends.
Obviously, that's the firststep, and we can highlight the
social aspect of bookdiscussions and sharing stories
(09:28):
with each other.
You know that's age old, it'sgone back as far as time has
sitting around the campfiresharing stories.
We can promote popular booksthat have a strong following,
that are really popular withteenagers.
What are the books that areselling out at the bookstore?
What are the books thateverybody's got their name down
on the wait list for?
And you could even go as far asstarting a book club,
(09:53):
encouraging your teenager tostart a book club where friends
can meet, they can read and theycan discuss books together.
So you're bringing that socialaspect into it to try and make
it feel less stuffy for ateenager who's not used to
reading or their friends are notused to reading or not used to
the idea of reading for pleasurerather than just purely
(10:14):
academic study.
The eighth objection that youmight have at home is the
reference for visual media, andI know that in my own household
this is what I really strugglewith with my two boys.
Visual media like movies, tvshows and YouTube videos
especially can be more appealingbecause they require less
effort and they provide thatinstant visual and auditory
(10:35):
stimulation.
You might have a teenager athome that might prefer watching
a movie adaptation rather thanreading the book because it
seems quicker and more engaging.
And as an English teacher atschool I always used to have
students that would try and takeshortcuts when we were doing a
novel study in class by watchingthe movie version of it if it
was a book that had a movie andthere's just so much subtle
(11:00):
detail that they miss out onwhen they cut corners like that
and watch the movie instead.
So how do I give you a solutionto that?
Well, you could introduce bookswith strong visual elements,
such as graphic novels orillustrated editions of books.
Start off with pictures as wellas the words, and then you can
(11:21):
pair books with their movieadaptations to create a
multimedia experience.
So if you can encourage them toread the book first and then
watch the movie second and thendiscuss what was different,
because quite often directors ofmovies or producers will cut
out key scenes from books ifthey're not deemed relevant.
Remember, a movie has only gotan hour, an hour and a half, two
(11:43):
hours to tell the story.
They don't have the length oftime that a book does with 10 or
15 or 20 chapters, so a lot ofscenes from the book will be cut
.
That's a great starting pointto have a discussion with your
child about the differencesbetween the book version and the
movie version.
But taking it a step backbefore that, look at graphic
(12:03):
novels to start with, becausethat is the place that I start
with with my two boys and myoldest now, George.
He absolutely loves reading,that's his favourite thing.
And my youngest, charlie one ofhis favourite parts of the week
is library.
But he will never admit that tohis friends, so he's probably
not going to be very happy thatI'm admitting it to you over a
(12:25):
podcast.
But it's true, they allsecretly love books.
If we can find angles toapproach books with, then our
children will embrace books.
So the ninth obstacle withencouraging teenagers to read is
the limited access to books.
Not all teens have easy accessto books, whether due to
(12:46):
financial constraints, lack of anearby library or limited book
selections that reflects theirown interests and backgrounds.
If you're living in a ruralarea, for example, you might
have trouble accessing a varietyof books compared to somebody
who's living in a city withmultiple libraries and
bookstores.
I get that that can be a realstruggle.
So what you can do is utilisedigital libraries and free
(13:08):
online resources, if that's youArrange book donation drives and
swaps to increase availabilityand encourage visits to local
libraries and bookstores.
Using apps that offer freee-books or partnering with
community programmes todistribute books can be a great
way too, and your school mighthave more details about how that
can happen.
(13:29):
And the tenth obstacle that youmight come across in your
household with your children oryour teenagers wanting to read
is stress and mental health,high levels of stress or mental
health issues can reduce theenergy and the motivation teens
have for reading.
When dealing with anxiety ordepression, it can be hard to
focus on and enjoy a book and Iknow firsthand what that is like
(13:51):
.
I have people in my family thathave been through that, and we
must be very gentle and kindwith our teenagers if they are
experiencing stress or mentalhealth.
If you have a teenager that isexperiencing anxiety, then they
might find it hard toconcentrate on a book when their
mind is preoccupied withworries.
I would ask the librarian, or Iwould ask somebody or I would
(14:16):
ask the bookstore owner to offerto recommend calming and
uplifting books that provide anescape, encourage reading as a
stress relief activity, create acomfortable and quiet reading
environment for them.
So it's a refuge, it's a placeof calm that they can come to
(14:36):
and shut the world away.
It's almost like a spa fortheir mind.
For an example, you couldsuggest light-hearted fiction or
mindfulness books to help yourteenage relax and find comfort
in reading.
But, as I say, I really doapproach this stress and mental
health with kid gloves and youmust must seek help and advice
(14:59):
from a mental health expert,because I am not one, I am just
a humble English teacher.
But that would be my solutionif they were experiencing
anxiety is make reading apleasurable and relaxing thing
for them to do, to be able totake their mind off the worries
of the world for a brief momentin time.
Okay, so well, let's move on.
(15:20):
Let's move on to something alittle bit more uplifting now
and lighthearted.
Let's look at some of the waysthat we can really start to
encourage reading in ourhouseholds, especially over the
summer months, when yourchildren are out of school, they
are roaming around looking forthings to do.
Let's try and nip that mom, I'mbored statement in the bud, and
(15:45):
the first way we can do that isa summer reading challenge.
This is a fantastic way to makereading both fun and rewarding,
and here's how you can set itup and get started.
So what we've got to do thefirst thing we have to do with
creating a summer readingchallenge is setting some goals.
We need to define the goals.
Start by setting specific,achievable goals.
(16:07):
This could be reading a certainnumber of books or pages by the
end of the summer.
We really need to tailor thegoals to our children's reading
pace and their interests.
So, for example, we could sayread five books, or finish a
thousand pages, or read for 30minutes each day.
It really has to be dependent onour children's reading ability,
(16:29):
and my tip for this would bemix up the genres to keep it
interesting, or include a coupleof challenging books alongside
easier reads.
So you could even have, at thestart of the summer, a reading
kit where you have got a seriesof books that you have collated
together at the very start ofyour holiday or at the very
(16:50):
start of your vacation.
And that is the challenge.
So you've mixed up the genresto keep it interesting, or
you've included a couple ofchallenging books alongside some
easier reads.
And then you can introduce somerewards and incentives.
So decide on rewards forreaching the goals that you set
for your children.
These can be anything from afavourite treat that they like,
(17:12):
or a small gift or a fun outing.
It's really up to you and yourfamily and the type of goals
that you've set for them.
So, for example, you might buythem a new book, or the reward
could be a movie night or a dayout with friends or even a
special meal.
So make the reward somethingthat they will really look
forward to to keep themmotivated, and then you can
(17:33):
track their reading progress.
So you can use some apps.
There are plenty of appsdesigned to help track reading
progress.
Some popular options are GoogleReads, bookly and Libby.
These apps allow you to logyour books, track your reading
time and even set reminders.
The way that you can useGoodreads is create a summer
reading list, track what you'veread and then see what your
(17:55):
friends are reading.
The way that you can use Booklyis log reading sessions, track
your time and get stats on yourreading habits.
That's really cool.
And then the way that you canuse Libby is borrow e-books and
audio books from your locallibrary and then keep track of
your reading progress.
You can create a fun chart.
If you prefer a more hands-onapproach, make a physical chart
or poster, use stickers,drawings or a simple tally
(18:18):
system to mark off your progress, and you can get creative with
the chart that you make for yourchildren.
You can get them involved.
Get them using some colourfulmarkers, print out some pictures
of the book covers or create atheme to match your reading
goals for your kids, and it'sall about celebrating
achievements, as I mentionedbefore.
So daily and weekly check-instake a few minutes each day or
(18:40):
week to help your childrenupdate their progress, reflect
on what they've enjoyed abouttheir reading and what they're
looking forward to next.
For example, they could keep areading journal where they jot
down a few thoughts or favoritequotes from what they're reading
.
And this is wonderful whenyou're going away on vacation,
somewhere to take with you touse the times like sitting in
the airport or on the plane orin the car to jot down and make
(19:03):
some notes in your journal asyou travel.
And then they can share theirprogress with their friends or
on social media, which can addan extra layer of motivation and
social proof.
They can encourage each otherand they can even set up mini
challenges or buddy readingsessions.
You can even go as far ascreating a hashtag for them to
use for their reading challengeand then post updates, reviews
(19:25):
or photos of their reading setupamongst friends.
That's if they're older, that'sif they are using social media.
Obviously, younger teens Iwould not encourage, but if they
are at a point where they areusing social media or you're
happy for them to use socialmedia, then that could be quite
a cool way, and then they canthink about engaging with the
material by joining onlinediscussions.
(19:46):
So look for some online bookclubs or discussion groups
related to the books thatthey're reading.
Platforms like Goodreads, as Imentioned before, or Reddit or
book-focused forums can providea space to share thoughts and
insights, and then our teenagerscan reflect and review the
books that they've just finishedreading.
We can encourage them to writea brief review or discuss it
(20:07):
with a friend.
This can help deepen theirunderstanding and their
enjoyment of the book.
They can think about thingsthey didn't like or they liked
about reading the book, thethemes of the book and how it
made them feel.
So imagine the satisfaction ofseeing our children's progress
grow each day, knowing thatwe're helping them work towards
a goal and rewarding them alongthe way.
(20:31):
A summer reading challenge is agreat way to stay motivated,
have some fun and dive into someamazing books this summer.
So the next way is to organizea book swap.
Have you ever heard of a bookswap?
It's like trading cards, butwith books.
Organizing a book swap can be afantastic way to discover new
reads and to share yourfavourite books with friends.
(20:52):
A book swap allows us to getour hands on books that we might
not have picked up otherwise,and it's a great way to explore
different genres and authorswithout spending any money.
It fosters a sense of communityand a shared interest in
reading amongst our teenagersand their friends, and they also
can get recommendations.
They can get personalrecommendations from their
friends, that peer group, thatall-important peer group, making
(21:15):
the reading experience moreengaging and personalized for
them and more relevant too.
I think if their friends arereading it, then it's perceived
cool and then they will want toread.
How do we set one up for ourteenagers?
How do we plan one?
Well, we need to look at theformat first of all.
Will it be in person or virtual?
If your teenager is deciding todo an in-person book swap with
(21:35):
their friends, then obviouslyyou pick a date and time and
then set some guidelines,because otherwise it just
becomes another social meetup.
So decide on the number ofbooks each person should bring
and any specific genres orthemes that you have decided or
they have decided.
So, for example, they couldorganise a mystery theme swap
where everyone brings theirfavourite mystery novels to
(21:55):
share.
And if you were looking at doinga virtual book swap, then
obviously you would usesomething, you would use an app
like Zoom and you could set up avirtual meeting, send out
invitations to your friendshipgroup.
They could set up informationsto send out to their friends and
ask each participant to preparea list of books that they're
willing to swap, along withbrief descriptions or reviews.
(22:18):
So then, during the virtualmeeting, have everybody present
their books and why theyrecommend them, and then use a
shared document or a chatfeature to keep track of who
wants which book, and then fromthere, they can organise to
either drop books off to eachother or mail the books out to
each other based on where youare, and a really good tip for
(22:40):
this is to use a Google sheetwhere everyone lists their books
and then participants can claimwhich ones they're interested
in.
That's a really great way tokeep track of things.
You can have themes andchallenges, so a theme could be
classics or fantasy ornon-fiction.
You can also set readingchallenges or create bingo cards
with different book categories.
You can have discussion andinteraction.
(23:03):
So after the swap, you canschedule follow-up meetings to
discuss the books that you'veread, and it's a great way to
keep the conversation going andshare your thoughts.
Now, another resource movingaway from the book swap idea is
visit your local library, and wetalked a little bit about the
library earlier on in thisepisode, but don't forget about
your local library.
Libraries are an incredibleresource that can enhance your
(23:25):
summer reading experience, foryourself as well as your
children.
Many libraries offer summerreading programs filled with
events, activities and readinglists specifically for teenagers
and, best of all, theseresources are often free, so
make sure to take advantage ofthem, and there is so much that
is available in libraries thataren't necessarily advertised
(23:47):
online either.
It's not until you actually godown there and have a look and
see what their plans are, theirprograms are and their resources
, and they might include littlethings that crop up from day to
day that that you don't knowabout until you go down there.
I took my two boys down to ourlibrary last holidays last term
holidays and there's a wholerecording studio, a whole
(24:10):
recording suite, upstairs at ourlocal library, and it's free,
but it's still a free resourcefor children.
So they were writing music.
They were recording music.
They were learning how to usethe sound engineer desk.
They were recording music.
They were learning how to usethe sound engineer desk.
It was incredible.
It is such a cool resource andwe had never really tapped into
(24:32):
that until that particularholidays, and when we went down
there I kept thinking to myselfwhy haven't I done this sooner?
So go visit the library.
I cannot recommend it enough.
If you are thinking about booksfor your kids, rather than go
heading straight to thebookstore, try the library.
Many libraries have summerreading programs designed to
encourage reading during thebreak.
These programs often includereading challenges, incentives
(24:55):
and fun activities.
So sign up for the program atyour local library.
You'll get a reading log oraccess to an app where you can
track your reading progress.
They might even offer rewardsfor reaching reading milestones,
such as small prizes orcertificates or entries into
prize drawers.
You never know until you godown and have a look.
They could also offer workshopsand classes.
(25:19):
Libraries often host workshopsand classes on various topics
like creative writing, arts andcrafts, coding and more.
These events provideopportunities to learn new
skills, to meet like-mindedpeople and to have fun.
I mean, isn't that the wholepoint of it is to have some fun,
to remove the boredom for ourteenagers?
So, for example, a creativewriting workshop could really
(25:45):
help a teenager develop theirstorytelling skills and they
could meet other aspiringwriters there.
It can be a source ofsocialisation for them.
Sometimes libraries even hostvisits from authors who give
talks.
They can read excerpts fromtheir books and they can sign
copies.
Meeting an author can inspireteenagers to read their books
and gain insights into thewriting process, which would be
(26:06):
such a privilege to be able tomeet somebody of the book that
you've just read.
There's just so many ways alibrary can offer inspiration to
our young teenagers, andremember that many libraries
have sections dedicated just toteenage readers, so they'll be
featuring popular young adultfiction, non-fiction, graphic
(26:26):
novels, magazines.
There'll be something foreverybody there.
They have comfortable spaces.
These areas are often designedto be welcoming and comfortable,
providing a great environmentfor reading and studying.
You know lovely, comfy, cosybeanbags and armchairs to
snuggle into.
Librarians will often curatethese sections with the latest
and most popular titles thatappeal to teen readers, so you
(26:48):
know that when you go you aregoing to be getting the books
that are most popular and thatwill be most enjoyable to read.
Remember that libraries providecurated reading lists for
teenagers, covering variousgenres and interests, and these
lists can help teenagersdiscover new books and authors
that they might enjoy.
But even if those lists don'tappeal to your teenager, then
(27:10):
librarians can offerpersonalised book
recommendations based on yourteenager's interests.
Most libraries offer access to avast collection of e-books and
audio books as well throughtheir digital borrowing
platforms like Libby orOverdrive, which is very
convenient and allows our kidsto be able to borrow books and
read or listen on their devices,making it easier to access
(27:31):
books anytime, anywhere, noexcuses.
So, for example, your teenagercould borrow an e-book to read
on their tablet while on asummer road trip.
How easy is that?
Another way that libraries canbe really entertaining during
the summer that not a lot ofpeople think about straight away
is their volunteeropportunities.
(27:52):
Libraries often have volunteerprograms where teenagers can
help with events.
They can assist youngerchildren's programs or help
organise books, and byvolunteering at a library, it
can provide community servicehours, valuable work experience
and a chance to give back to thecommunity, and it could be a
very, very simple, low effortway.
(28:12):
For example, a teenager mightvolunteer to help run a
children's story time session orassist with a library event.
What a self-esteem boost thatwould be with a library event.
What a self-esteem boost thatwould be In a great way to form
social connections.
Libraries are a great place tomeet other teenagers who share
similar interests in reading andlearning, and by participating
(28:36):
in library activities andprograms, it can help our
teenagers make new friends andstrengthen existing
relationships.
If they've got friends thatcome along too.
For example, joining a teenbook club at the library can
lead to some very long-lastingfriendships with fellow book
lovers.
You never know you just don'tknow until you go down who could
be waiting there.
So make sure to visit yourlocal library this summer.
(28:58):
With all the programs andactivities and resources
available, it's a treasure troveof opportunities waiting to be
explored.
Plus, it's free.
So get your library card if youhaven't already got one.
Sign up for the summer readingprogram and dive into the
incredible world of books andlearning.
But sometimes all you need is aroutine to make reading a
consistent and enjoyable part ofyour daily life.
(29:20):
Setting aside a specific timeeach day for reading can
transform it from a chore into acherished habit, and here's how
we can encourage our childrento incorporate reading into
their daily routines.
There are so many benefits tohaving a routine, but when
having a reading routine we getconsistency because by making
reading a regular part of ourdays, it ensures that we always
(29:43):
have time for it.
It encourages relaxation,because reading can be a great
way to relax and unwind,especially if done at the same
time each day, and it also helpsto improve focus.
Regular reading can improve ourconcentration and our focus,
making it easier to dive intobooks.
It's like a muscle that we'reflexing every time we read, and
(30:04):
that's what we want for ourchildren.
So the best way to start withencouraging our children to set
up a regular routine is we needto choose the best time of day
for them.
It could be morning, afternoonor evening.
If you think it's best for yourchild to have a morning reading
routine, they could have awake-up routine.
They could start their day witha few pages or a chapter of a
(30:24):
book.
It can be a calming way to wakeup and get their mind ready for
the day.
Morning reading can set apositive tone for the day and it
can stimulate their mind.
So, for example, they couldread for 15 minutes while having
breakfast.
Or you might have a child athome that you think would
benefit better in the afternoon,so we could use reading as a
way to break up their day.
(30:45):
It can be a nice break betweenschoolwork and other activities
and it can provide a mentalbreak and can refresh their mind
for the rest of the day.
A good time to slot this in, ifyou do want to look at
afternoon reading, is spend sometime reading after lunch or
during a study break.
Or you might have a child thatreading in the evening is the
best is a wind down.
(31:05):
For example, reading beforebedtime could help them unwind
and relax, making it easier forthem to fall asleep.
The benefit of that is itreduces screen time before bed,
which can improve sleep qualityand create a calming bedtime
routine.
Obviously, that's what we wantfor our children, so they could
read a few chapters beforeturning off the lights and use a
soft reading light to create acozy atmosphere.
(31:28):
Turn off the overhead lights inthe ceiling and just have a
lamp by their bed.
Obviously, the aim of the gameis to encourage reading to be a
relaxing and enjoyable pastimeat home.
So we want to create a readingspace that moats that kind of
luxurious, comfortableenvironment.
So find a quiet corner or aspot, a comfortable spot in your
(31:48):
home where your children wouldenjoy reading without
interruptions.
Make the space inviting withcomfortable seating and good
lighting, perhaps a blanket orsome pillows.
I have a basket at home withabout four or five blankets
rolled up in the basket and mychildren love coming in and
grabbing a blanket from thebasket and throwing it over
(32:10):
themselves on the couch.
I've got some really lovelysoft cushions and sometimes they
even put their head under theblanket and they read underneath
there.
So, having that kind of lovelyreading nook and have a small
table for your book and areading lamp or a drink or a
snack if they've got it,minimize distractions, turn the
TV off if the TV's on or anyloud noises or frequent
(32:32):
interruptions, and I like tohave some soft background music
playing if we're all relaxing athome and the TV's off and
people are reading, because forme and for my children it helps
concentration levels.
And then think about settingsome realistic daily reading
goals.
A manageable amount set, arealistic goal for how much you
want to read each day, whetherit's a certain number of pages,
(32:53):
think about even 10 to 15minutes a day can add up over
time.
Making reading a regular partof our children's day can truly
transform their relationshipwith books.
By setting aside a specifictime each day, creating a
comfortable reading space andchoosing books that interest
them, they can begin to seereading as a delightful and
integral part of their routine.
(33:13):
That's it for part one ofreading during the summer.
Stay tuned to part two for moretips on how to make reading an
enjoyable part of your summer.
And remember the key tobecoming an avid reader for our
children is consistency andenjoyment.
Don't forget my free secretpodcast series Boredom Busters,
designed for the whole family tolisten to, is jam-packed with
(33:34):
ideas, strategies and games forthe whole family over on my
secret hub.
If you're interested in signingup to the podcast series
Boredom Busters to gain accessto all the free resources, as
well as the resources we talkabout here on this podcast, then
click the link in the shownotes below.
Happy reading everybody.
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of
Challenge your Mind, change theWorld.
Francesca Hudson, here, yourhost, and today we are diving
into some super cool ways tomake reading a blast this summer
.
Whether you've got a childthat's a bookworm, or you've got
a child that's looking to trysomething new and they might not
necessarily gravitate towardsreading, or you've got a child
(00:23):
that's constantly on devices andyou want them to be able to
switch off and enjoy reading, wehave got something for you.
We've got something foreverybody on this episode.
It is a bumper episode, perfectfor summer, and I think
everybody is going to getsomething out of this.
So stay tuned, because we'regoing to look at a whole lot of
different ways that you can getyour teenagers or your children
(00:44):
into reading.
I've got a ton of differentstrategies.
We're going to look at creatingsummer reading challenges.
We're going to look at how toorganise a book swap, both in
person or virtual.
I'm going to run through theexact way that you can utilise
your local library, and no, it'snot just simply browsing the
shelves.
There's a whole lot ofdifferent ways that you can use
(01:05):
your library and it's a freeresource.
I've also got some strategiesto be able to implement reading
into your daily routines.
We're going to explore somedifferent genres and formats,
we're going to look at movieadaptations, we're going to look
at book series that are reallypopular with teenagers, and
we're going to look at someonline reading communities as
(01:26):
well as combining reading withfun activities.
So there is something foreverybody.
And if you are looking forsomething to do this summer,
then check out my free resource,which is the Boredom Busters
secret podcast series.
When you sign up to BoredomBusters, you get access to a
super exclusive, super privatehub, completely free, with
(01:47):
resources and activities and fungames that the whole family can
use during the summer.
That accompanies the podcastseries, and I'm also going to
put on that secret hub a wholelot of resources that we talk
about today on today's show.
So if you are interested inusing any of the resources that
we talk about for getting yourteenagers into reading, then
sign up to Boredom Busters.
(02:07):
I'll put the link below andthen you can tap into a whole
range of boredom bustingstrategies to keep your children
entertained this summer.
So before I dive into all thesejuicy strategies, let's look at
some of the reasons whyteenagers might object to
reading in this day and age.
Things have changed a lot sinceyou and I were younger.
I used to read obsessively whenI was at school.
(02:30):
It was my way of tuning out andrelaxing, but unfortunately
well, I say unfortunately.
It's not unfortunate, it's partof evolution and technology.
But children and our teenagers'reliance on iPads and gaming
stations and all those sorts ofthings has really dominated the
(02:50):
space that reading used to havein our children's upbringing to
a certain extent, and with somekids more than others.
But I'm going to run throughwith you some of the objections
that your children might have.
These are some of theobjections that my children have
had and the students that Iteach in the classroom that come
through and how you can tacklethe objections as they arise.
(03:12):
See if any of these relate toyour child.
I've got 10 of them, so I'llrun through them really quickly
and I'll give you somestrategies about how to
counteract them if they come up,if they crop up in your
conversations with your children.
Counteract them if they come up, if they crop up in your
conversations with your children.
So the first reason is teenagersand children might perceive it
as being boring reading.
Many teens associate readingwith school assignments and may
(03:36):
perceive it as being a boring ortedious activity, and they
might believe that books areless exciting compared to other
forms of entertainment likevideo games or social media or
movies.
For example, a teen might thinkwhy read a book when I can
watch a movie version or play avideo game instead?
So the way that we cancounteract that is introduce
them to engaging genres likemystery, fantasy or graphic
(03:57):
novels.
We can suggest books related totheir interests or hobbies.
This is where librarians, ifyou do visit the library, can be
a great asset, a great freeresource to offer interests or
hobbies.
This is where librarians, ifyou do visit the library, can be
a great asset, a great freeresource to offer up suggestions
to, because they see what'scoming through, what's new,
what's the latest out and whatall the other teenagers are
putting in.
Requests for Incorporateinteractive reading activities
(04:19):
like reading games or discussingbooks in an exciting way.
So, for example, a teenagerinterested in sports might enjoy
reading sports biographies ornovels centered around athletes.
The second objection that mightcome up for you is your child
might say they've got a lack oftime.
Teenagers often have very busyschedules, which we know, filled
(04:42):
with schoolwork and thenextracurricular activities,
their part-time jobs and then,on top of all of that, their
social commitments.
Finding time to sit down andread can be challenging if they
don't see it as a priority.
For example, a teen might say Ihave so much homework and
soccer practice, I just don'thave time to read.
My solution to that would beencourage short reading sessions
(05:05):
, such as, say, 10 to 15 minutesbefore bed.
Help them incorporate readinginto their daily routine, like
reading during commutes or aftermeals, so your teenager could
read a chapter of a book duringbreakfast or while waiting for a
bus.
It's those short, incremental,one percent shifts that can
really make the biggestdifference.
The third objection that youmight get from your teenager is
(05:28):
distractions from technology, sothe prevalence of smartphones,
tablets and computers.
They provide constantentertainment and communication
options for our children, makingit easy to get distracted for
them, and they tend to choosethat instant gratification over
reading.
For example.
(05:51):
Does this sound like yourteenager?
They could spend hoursscrolling through social media
or watching videos instead ofpicking up a book.
So how do we counteract that?
Well, my solution would beencourage designated tech free
times or zones dedicated just toreading, remote e-books or
audio books as alternatives thatcan be accessed through their
devices if it's going to be areal struggle to get them off
their device.
So, for example, setting asidean hour for bed as reading time
(06:15):
with no screens allowedobviously because you want to
have that full hour before bedwhere there's none of the
blu-rays that come through fromiPads or computer screens it
gives your brain a chance tosort of decompress and get ready
for bed.
The fourth objection that youmight come across is difficulty
in finding engaging books.
(06:37):
If your teenager struggles tofind books that interest them,
they may lose motivation to readand everyone's taste is
different and it can take timeto discover genres or authors
that they do enjoy.
This could be a very commonscenario where your teen might
not be interested in classicliterature assigned at school,
but they could be excited aboutcontemporary young adult fiction
(06:59):
or graphic novels.
If you start to explore outsideof school reading, outside of
school prescribed book lists, asI say, go to the library, talk
to your librarian and see whatare some of the common books
that everybody is reading at themoment.
The fifth objection that youcould come across that might be
(07:21):
happening for you is readingchallenges.
Some teenagers and somechildren have reading
difficulties, such as dyslexia,or there could be a neurodiverse
situation in your householdwhich can make reading
frustrating and less enjoyable.
You could provide access toresources like audiobooks or
graphic novels try that out oroffer support tools such as
(07:43):
reading apps designed fordyslexic readers, and I think
that the key in this scenario,in this situation, is to
encourage patience and practice.
Using an audiobook ortext-to-speech features can help
a teenager with dyslexia, forexample, enjoy reading without
the struggle.
The next objection that could beprevalent in your household is
(08:04):
negative past experiences withreading.
If your teenager has hadnegative experiences with
reading in the past, such asbeing forced to read books they
didn't like at school orstruggling with understanding
books, then they might develop areluctance to read.
For example, a teenager mightremember being scolded for not
finishing a book report and nowassociates reading with negative
(08:24):
feelings, which is a real shame.
But a way that we cancounteract that is create
positive and pressure-freereading experiences at home for
them.
Allow our children to choosetheir own books and read at
their own pace.
As parents, we can celebratetheir reading achievements, no
matter how small, and we canacknowledge and praise our
children for finishing a book,for example, regardless of its
length or complexity, readingachievements, no matter how
small, and we can acknowledgeand praise our children for
(08:45):
finishing a book, for example,regardless of its length or
complexity.
The fact that they've evenpicked it up and started reading
it from cover to cover isamazing and we want to let them
know that.
We want to let them know what asense of achievement that is.
Another obstacle you could haveis that your child is heavily
influenced by their peers, bytheir friends.
(09:06):
If their friends don't valuereading or if they consider it
uncool, then our children mightshy away from it to fit in with
their social group, which is areal.
How do we counteract that?
Well, we can encourage ourteenagers to form or join
reading groups with friends.
Obviously, that's the firststep, and we can highlight the
social aspect of bookdiscussions and sharing stories
(09:28):
with each other.
You know that's age old, it'sgone back as far as time has
sitting around the campfiresharing stories.
We can promote popular booksthat have a strong following,
that are really popular withteenagers.
What are the books that areselling out at the bookstore?
What are the books thateverybody's got their name down
on the wait list for?
And you could even go as far asstarting a book club,
(09:53):
encouraging your teenager tostart a book club where friends
can meet, they can read and theycan discuss books together.
So you're bringing that socialaspect into it to try and make
it feel less stuffy for ateenager who's not used to
reading or their friends are notused to reading or not used to
the idea of reading for pleasurerather than just purely
(10:14):
academic study.
The eighth objection that youmight have at home is the
reference for visual media, andI know that in my own household
this is what I really strugglewith with my two boys.
Visual media like movies, tvshows and YouTube videos
especially can be more appealingbecause they require less
effort and they provide thatinstant visual and auditory
(10:35):
stimulation.
You might have a teenager athome that might prefer watching
a movie adaptation rather thanreading the book because it
seems quicker and more engaging.
And as an English teacher atschool I always used to have
students that would try and takeshortcuts when we were doing a
novel study in class by watchingthe movie version of it if it
was a book that had a movie andthere's just so much subtle
(11:00):
detail that they miss out onwhen they cut corners like that
and watch the movie instead.
So how do I give you a solutionto that?
Well, you could introduce bookswith strong visual elements,
such as graphic novels orillustrated editions of books.
Start off with pictures as wellas the words, and then you can
(11:21):
pair books with their movieadaptations to create a
multimedia experience.
So if you can encourage them toread the book first and then
watch the movie second and thendiscuss what was different,
because quite often directors ofmovies or producers will cut
out key scenes from books ifthey're not deemed relevant.
Remember, a movie has only gotan hour, an hour and a half, two
(11:43):
hours to tell the story.
They don't have the length oftime that a book does with 10 or
15 or 20 chapters, so a lot ofscenes from the book will be cut
.
That's a great starting pointto have a discussion with your
child about the differencesbetween the book version and the
movie version.
But taking it a step backbefore that, look at graphic
(12:03):
novels to start with, becausethat is the place that I start
with with my two boys and myoldest now, George.
He absolutely loves reading,that's his favourite thing.
And my youngest, charlie one ofhis favourite parts of the week
is library.
But he will never admit that tohis friends, so he's probably
not going to be very happy thatI'm admitting it to you over a
(12:25):
podcast.
But it's true, they allsecretly love books.
If we can find angles toapproach books with, then our
children will embrace books.
So the ninth obstacle withencouraging teenagers to read is
the limited access to books.
Not all teens have easy accessto books, whether due to
(12:46):
financial constraints, lack of anearby library or limited book
selections that reflects theirown interests and backgrounds.
If you're living in a ruralarea, for example, you might
have trouble accessing a varietyof books compared to somebody
who's living in a city withmultiple libraries and
bookstores.
I get that that can be a realstruggle.
So what you can do is utilisedigital libraries and free
(13:08):
online resources, if that's youArrange book donation drives and
swaps to increase availabilityand encourage visits to local
libraries and bookstores.
Using apps that offer freee-books or partnering with
community programmes todistribute books can be a great
way too, and your school mighthave more details about how that
can happen.
(13:29):
And the tenth obstacle that youmight come across in your
household with your children oryour teenagers wanting to read
is stress and mental health,high levels of stress or mental
health issues can reduce theenergy and the motivation teens
have for reading.
When dealing with anxiety ordepression, it can be hard to
focus on and enjoy a book and Iknow firsthand what that is like
(13:51):
.
I have people in my family thathave been through that, and we
must be very gentle and kindwith our teenagers if they are
experiencing stress or mentalhealth.
If you have a teenager that isexperiencing anxiety, then they
might find it hard toconcentrate on a book when their
mind is preoccupied withworries.
I would ask the librarian, or Iwould ask somebody or I would
(14:16):
ask the bookstore owner to offerto recommend calming and
uplifting books that provide anescape, encourage reading as a
stress relief activity, create acomfortable and quiet reading
environment for them.
So it's a refuge, it's a placeof calm that they can come to
(14:36):
and shut the world away.
It's almost like a spa fortheir mind.
For an example, you couldsuggest light-hearted fiction or
mindfulness books to help yourteenage relax and find comfort
in reading.
But, as I say, I really doapproach this stress and mental
health with kid gloves and youmust must seek help and advice
(14:59):
from a mental health expert,because I am not one, I am just
a humble English teacher.
But that would be my solutionif they were experiencing
anxiety is make reading apleasurable and relaxing thing
for them to do, to be able totake their mind off the worries
of the world for a brief momentin time.
Okay, so well, let's move on.
(15:20):
Let's move on to something alittle bit more uplifting now
and lighthearted.
Let's look at some of the waysthat we can really start to
encourage reading in ourhouseholds, especially over the
summer months, when yourchildren are out of school, they
are roaming around looking forthings to do.
Let's try and nip that mom, I'mbored statement in the bud, and
(15:45):
the first way we can do that isa summer reading challenge.
This is a fantastic way to makereading both fun and rewarding,
and here's how you can set itup and get started.
So what we've got to do thefirst thing we have to do with
creating a summer readingchallenge is setting some goals.
We need to define the goals.
Start by setting specific,achievable goals.
(16:07):
This could be reading a certainnumber of books or pages by the
end of the summer.
We really need to tailor thegoals to our children's reading
pace and their interests.
So, for example, we could sayread five books, or finish a
thousand pages, or read for 30minutes each day.
It really has to be dependent onour children's reading ability,
(16:29):
and my tip for this would bemix up the genres to keep it
interesting, or include a coupleof challenging books alongside
easier reads.
So you could even have, at thestart of the summer, a reading
kit where you have got a seriesof books that you have collated
together at the very start ofyour holiday or at the very
(16:50):
start of your vacation.
And that is the challenge.
So you've mixed up the genresto keep it interesting, or
you've included a couple ofchallenging books alongside some
easier reads.
And then you can introduce somerewards and incentives.
So decide on rewards forreaching the goals that you set
for your children.
These can be anything from afavourite treat that they like,
(17:12):
or a small gift or a fun outing.
It's really up to you and yourfamily and the type of goals
that you've set for them.
So, for example, you might buythem a new book, or the reward
could be a movie night or a dayout with friends or even a
special meal.
So make the reward somethingthat they will really look
forward to to keep themmotivated, and then you can
(17:33):
track their reading progress.
So you can use some apps.
There are plenty of appsdesigned to help track reading
progress.
Some popular options are GoogleReads, bookly and Libby.
These apps allow you to logyour books, track your reading
time and even set reminders.
The way that you can useGoodreads is create a summer
reading list, track what you'veread and then see what your
(17:55):
friends are reading.
The way that you can use Booklyis log reading sessions, track
your time and get stats on yourreading habits.
That's really cool.
And then the way that you canuse Libby is borrow e-books and
audio books from your locallibrary and then keep track of
your reading progress.
You can create a fun chart.
If you prefer a more hands-onapproach, make a physical chart
or poster, use stickers,drawings or a simple tally
(18:18):
system to mark off your progress, and you can get creative with
the chart that you make for yourchildren.
You can get them involved.
Get them using some colourfulmarkers, print out some pictures
of the book covers or create atheme to match your reading
goals for your kids, and it'sall about celebrating
achievements, as I mentionedbefore.
So daily and weekly check-instake a few minutes each day or
(18:40):
week to help your childrenupdate their progress, reflect
on what they've enjoyed abouttheir reading and what they're
looking forward to next.
For example, they could keep areading journal where they jot
down a few thoughts or favoritequotes from what they're reading
.
And this is wonderful whenyou're going away on vacation,
somewhere to take with you touse the times like sitting in
the airport or on the plane orin the car to jot down and make
(19:03):
some notes in your journal asyou travel.
And then they can share theirprogress with their friends or
on social media, which can addan extra layer of motivation and
social proof.
They can encourage each otherand they can even set up mini
challenges or buddy readingsessions.
You can even go as far ascreating a hashtag for them to
use for their reading challengeand then post updates, reviews
(19:25):
or photos of their reading setupamongst friends.
That's if they're older, that'sif they are using social media.
Obviously, younger teens Iwould not encourage, but if they
are at a point where they areusing social media or you're
happy for them to use socialmedia, then that could be quite
a cool way, and then they canthink about engaging with the
material by joining onlinediscussions.
(19:46):
So look for some online bookclubs or discussion groups
related to the books thatthey're reading.
Platforms like Goodreads, as Imentioned before, or Reddit or
book-focused forums can providea space to share thoughts and
insights, and then our teenagerscan reflect and review the
books that they've just finishedreading.
We can encourage them to writea brief review or discuss it
(20:07):
with a friend.
This can help deepen theirunderstanding and their
enjoyment of the book.
They can think about thingsthey didn't like or they liked
about reading the book, thethemes of the book and how it
made them feel.
So imagine the satisfaction ofseeing our children's progress
grow each day, knowing thatwe're helping them work towards
a goal and rewarding them alongthe way.
(20:31):
A summer reading challenge is agreat way to stay motivated,
have some fun and dive into someamazing books this summer.
So the next way is to organizea book swap.
Have you ever heard of a bookswap?
It's like trading cards, butwith books.
Organizing a book swap can be afantastic way to discover new
reads and to share yourfavourite books with friends.
(20:52):
A book swap allows us to getour hands on books that we might
not have picked up otherwise,and it's a great way to explore
different genres and authorswithout spending any money.
It fosters a sense of communityand a shared interest in
reading amongst our teenagersand their friends, and they also
can get recommendations.
They can get personalrecommendations from their
friends, that peer group, thatall-important peer group, making
(21:15):
the reading experience moreengaging and personalized for
them and more relevant too.
I think if their friends arereading it, then it's perceived
cool and then they will want toread.
How do we set one up for ourteenagers?
How do we plan one?
Well, we need to look at theformat first of all.
Will it be in person or virtual?
If your teenager is deciding todo an in-person book swap with
(21:35):
their friends, then obviouslyyou pick a date and time and
then set some guidelines,because otherwise it just
becomes another social meetup.
So decide on the number ofbooks each person should bring
and any specific genres orthemes that you have decided or
they have decided.
So, for example, they couldorganise a mystery theme swap
where everyone brings theirfavourite mystery novels to
(21:55):
share.
And if you were looking at doinga virtual book swap, then
obviously you would usesomething, you would use an app
like Zoom and you could set up avirtual meeting, send out
invitations to your friendshipgroup.
They could set up informationsto send out to their friends and
ask each participant to preparea list of books that they're
willing to swap, along withbrief descriptions or reviews.
(22:18):
So then, during the virtualmeeting, have everybody present
their books and why theyrecommend them, and then use a
shared document or a chatfeature to keep track of who
wants which book, and then fromthere, they can organise to
either drop books off to eachother or mail the books out to
each other based on where youare, and a really good tip for
(22:40):
this is to use a Google sheetwhere everyone lists their books
and then participants can claimwhich ones they're interested
in.
That's a really great way tokeep track of things.
You can have themes andchallenges, so a theme could be
classics or fantasy ornon-fiction.
You can also set readingchallenges or create bingo cards
with different book categories.
You can have discussion andinteraction.
(23:03):
So after the swap, you canschedule follow-up meetings to
discuss the books that you'veread, and it's a great way to
keep the conversation going andshare your thoughts.
Now, another resource movingaway from the book swap idea is
visit your local library, and wetalked a little bit about the
library earlier on in thisepisode, but don't forget about
your local library.
Libraries are an incredibleresource that can enhance your
(23:25):
summer reading experience, foryourself as well as your
children.
Many libraries offer summerreading programs filled with
events, activities and readinglists specifically for teenagers
and, best of all, theseresources are often free, so
make sure to take advantage ofthem, and there is so much that
is available in libraries thataren't necessarily advertised
(23:47):
online either.
It's not until you actually godown there and have a look and
see what their plans are, theirprograms are and their resources
, and they might include littlethings that crop up from day to
day that that you don't knowabout until you go down there.
I took my two boys down to ourlibrary last holidays last term
holidays and there's a wholerecording studio, a whole
(24:10):
recording suite, upstairs at ourlocal library, and it's free,
but it's still a free resourcefor children.
So they were writing music.
They were recording music.
They were learning how to usethe sound engineer desk.
They were recording music.
They were learning how to usethe sound engineer desk.
It was incredible.
It is such a cool resource andwe had never really tapped into
(24:32):
that until that particularholidays, and when we went down
there I kept thinking to myselfwhy haven't I done this sooner?
So go visit the library.
I cannot recommend it enough.
If you are thinking about booksfor your kids, rather than go
heading straight to thebookstore, try the library.
Many libraries have summerreading programs designed to
encourage reading during thebreak.
These programs often includereading challenges, incentives
(24:55):
and fun activities.
So sign up for the program atyour local library.
You'll get a reading log oraccess to an app where you can
track your reading progress.
They might even offer rewardsfor reaching reading milestones,
such as small prizes orcertificates or entries into
prize drawers.
You never know until you godown and have a look.
They could also offer workshopsand classes.
(25:19):
Libraries often host workshopsand classes on various topics
like creative writing, arts andcrafts, coding and more.
These events provideopportunities to learn new
skills, to meet like-mindedpeople and to have fun.
I mean, isn't that the wholepoint of it is to have some fun,
to remove the boredom for ourteenagers?
So, for example, a creativewriting workshop could really
(25:45):
help a teenager develop theirstorytelling skills and they
could meet other aspiringwriters there.
It can be a source ofsocialisation for them.
Sometimes libraries even hostvisits from authors who give
talks.
They can read excerpts fromtheir books and they can sign
copies.
Meeting an author can inspireteenagers to read their books
and gain insights into thewriting process, which would be
(26:06):
such a privilege to be able tomeet somebody of the book that
you've just read.
There's just so many ways alibrary can offer inspiration to
our young teenagers, andremember that many libraries
have sections dedicated just toteenage readers, so they'll be
featuring popular young adultfiction, non-fiction, graphic
(26:26):
novels, magazines.
There'll be something foreverybody there.
They have comfortable spaces.
These areas are often designedto be welcoming and comfortable,
providing a great environmentfor reading and studying.
You know lovely, comfy, cosybeanbags and armchairs to
snuggle into.
Librarians will often curatethese sections with the latest
and most popular titles thatappeal to teen readers, so you
(26:48):
know that when you go you aregoing to be getting the books
that are most popular and thatwill be most enjoyable to read.
Remember that libraries providecurated reading lists for
teenagers, covering variousgenres and interests, and these
lists can help teenagersdiscover new books and authors
that they might enjoy.
But even if those lists don'tappeal to your teenager, then
(27:10):
librarians can offerpersonalised book
recommendations based on yourteenager's interests.
Most libraries offer access to avast collection of e-books and
audio books as well throughtheir digital borrowing
platforms like Libby orOverdrive, which is very
convenient and allows our kidsto be able to borrow books and
read or listen on their devices,making it easier to access
(27:31):
books anytime, anywhere, noexcuses.
So, for example, your teenagercould borrow an e-book to read
on their tablet while on asummer road trip.
How easy is that?
Another way that libraries canbe really entertaining during
the summer that not a lot ofpeople think about straight away
is their volunteeropportunities.
(27:52):
Libraries often have volunteerprograms where teenagers can
help with events.
They can assist youngerchildren's programs or help
organise books, and byvolunteering at a library, it
can provide community servicehours, valuable work experience
and a chance to give back to thecommunity, and it could be a
very, very simple, low effortway.
(28:12):
For example, a teenager mightvolunteer to help run a
children's story time session orassist with a library event.
What a self-esteem boost thatwould be with a library event.
What a self-esteem boost thatwould be In a great way to form
social connections.
Libraries are a great place tomeet other teenagers who share
similar interests in reading andlearning, and by participating
(28:36):
in library activities andprograms, it can help our
teenagers make new friends andstrengthen existing
relationships.
If they've got friends thatcome along too.
For example, joining a teenbook club at the library can
lead to some very long-lastingfriendships with fellow book
lovers.
You never know you just don'tknow until you go down who could
be waiting there.
So make sure to visit yourlocal library this summer.
(28:58):
With all the programs andactivities and resources
available, it's a treasure troveof opportunities waiting to be
explored.
Plus, it's free.
So get your library card if youhaven't already got one.
Sign up for the summer readingprogram and dive into the
incredible world of books andlearning.
But sometimes all you need is aroutine to make reading a
consistent and enjoyable part ofyour daily life.
(29:20):
Setting aside a specific timeeach day for reading can
transform it from a chore into acherished habit, and here's how
we can encourage our childrento incorporate reading into
their daily routines.
There are so many benefits tohaving a routine, but when
having a reading routine we getconsistency because by making
reading a regular part of ourdays, it ensures that we always
(29:43):
have time for it.
It encourages relaxation,because reading can be a great
way to relax and unwind,especially if done at the same
time each day, and it also helpsto improve focus.
Regular reading can improve ourconcentration and our focus,
making it easier to dive intobooks.
It's like a muscle that we'reflexing every time we read, and
(30:04):
that's what we want for ourchildren.
So the best way to start withencouraging our children to set
up a regular routine is we needto choose the best time of day
for them.
It could be morning, afternoonor evening.
If you think it's best for yourchild to have a morning reading
routine, they could have awake-up routine.
They could start their day witha few pages or a chapter of a
(30:24):
book.
It can be a calming way to wakeup and get their mind ready for
the day.
Morning reading can set apositive tone for the day and it
can stimulate their mind.
So, for example, they couldread for 15 minutes while having
breakfast.
Or you might have a child athome that you think would
benefit better in the afternoon,so we could use reading as a
way to break up their day.
(30:45):
It can be a nice break betweenschoolwork and other activities
and it can provide a mentalbreak and can refresh their mind
for the rest of the day.
A good time to slot this in, ifyou do want to look at
afternoon reading, is spend sometime reading after lunch or
during a study break.
Or you might have a child thatreading in the evening is the
best is a wind down.
(31:05):
For example, reading beforebedtime could help them unwind
and relax, making it easier forthem to fall asleep.
The benefit of that is itreduces screen time before bed,
which can improve sleep qualityand create a calming bedtime
routine.
Obviously, that's what we wantfor our children, so they could
read a few chapters beforeturning off the lights and use a
soft reading light to create acozy atmosphere.
(31:28):
Turn off the overhead lights inthe ceiling and just have a
lamp by their bed.
Obviously, the aim of the gameis to encourage reading to be a
relaxing and enjoyable pastimeat home.
So we want to create a readingspace that moats that kind of
luxurious, comfortableenvironment.
So find a quiet corner or aspot, a comfortable spot in your
(31:48):
home where your children wouldenjoy reading without
interruptions.
Make the space inviting withcomfortable seating and good
lighting, perhaps a blanket orsome pillows.
I have a basket at home withabout four or five blankets
rolled up in the basket and mychildren love coming in and
grabbing a blanket from thebasket and throwing it over
(32:10):
themselves on the couch.
I've got some really lovelysoft cushions and sometimes they
even put their head under theblanket and they read underneath
there.
So, having that kind of lovelyreading nook and have a small
table for your book and areading lamp or a drink or a
snack if they've got it,minimize distractions, turn the
TV off if the TV's on or anyloud noises or frequent
(32:32):
interruptions, and I like tohave some soft background music
playing if we're all relaxing athome and the TV's off and
people are reading, because forme and for my children it helps
concentration levels.
And then think about settingsome realistic daily reading
goals.
A manageable amount set, arealistic goal for how much you
want to read each day, whetherit's a certain number of pages,
(32:53):
think about even 10 to 15minutes a day can add up over
time.
Making reading a regular partof our children's day can truly
transform their relationshipwith books.
By setting aside a specifictime each day, creating a
comfortable reading space andchoosing books that interest
them, they can begin to seereading as a delightful and
integral part of their routine.
(33:13):
That's it for part one ofreading during the summer.
Stay tuned to part two for moretips on how to make reading an
enjoyable part of your summer.
And remember the key tobecoming an avid reader for our
children is consistency andenjoyment.
Don't forget my free secretpodcast series Boredom Busters,
designed for the whole family tolisten to, is jam-packed with
(33:34):
ideas, strategies and games forthe whole family over on my
secret hub.
If you're interested in signingup to the podcast series
Boredom Busters to gain accessto all the free resources, as
well as the resources we talkabout here on this podcast, then
click the link in the shownotes below.
Happy reading everybody.
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