How to Motivate Teen Boys to Read

With Resources to Help Parents & Teachers
(Updated December 2014)

It's no secret that not all children like to read. However, when you add teen boys to the mix, reading can often be at the bottom of the list of "fun things to do" (or NOT on the list at all!), especially when other activities compete for their attention.

We are well into the throes of summer now that June has arrived, a particularly good time to spend a few hours reading for pleasure under a cool, shade tree in the backyard. However, how many teen boys do you know who would rather read indoors or out in the middle of the summer than do something else? Sadly, you are not alone if you do not know even one such reader. So, what is it that keeps boys from wanting to read today?

1. So Many Activities!

Most teenage boys are involved in many activities that can keep them more than a little busy (and their parents with them!) Their attention is drawn to organized sports, scouting, social activities and more. Of course, we can't forget their schoolwork, either. So, their time is indeed spoken for throughout each week and on weekends, too.

To be honest, there are some parents who over-book their children's free time, enrolling them in structured programs every night of the week AND throughout the weekend, too. There is sometimes a tendency to over-structure a teen's leisure time to prevent idleness and boredom. This can be especially true during the summer months when mothers and fathers are at work. There are many situations where parents literally "camp" their teens to the extreme, using such activities as supervision for their children during the summer vacation period---not always a good idea! In addition, these arrangements can offer very little time to read for pleasure!

2. Reading = Homework (NOT Fun!)

Boys often connect reading with assignments and homework. It is difficult for some boys, especially those who prefer physical activity and movement, to even think about sitting and reading for an extended period or as something to be enjoyed. Many teen boys only read in school. When the school day ends, so does their reading, and the after-school pastime of choice is very often the TV or a favorite video game.

3. Unworthy Selections

Many book titles for teens explore topics more interesting to girls than to boys. Teen romances are prevalent, but these are the last thing that would be interesting to boys. Boys need books about characters and topics that truly appeal to them.

4. "Readers Are Dorks & Nerds!"

It's really a shame, but in our culture, boys very often perceive reading as "nerdy" or something only a "brain-iac" would do. Reading is not usually seen as a "macho" or manly way to spend one's leisure time, particularly if you are a teenage boy.

5. Some Are Actually Struggling Readers

This will not be good news to many parents, but it is a fact that many children cannot read or struggle significantly to read. It is a sad statistic that 1 in 5 school-aged children (20% of those from ages 5 to 18) in the U.S. is challenged with a language-based reading difference. Too many of these children are boys--even teen boys who struggle to focus, track, comprehend and retain what is read.

Solutions to MOTIVATE Your Teen Boy

So what is a parent to do to encourage a teen son to read, particularly during the summer months to help prevent the loss of learning and developed reading skills?

1. Plan for Good Reading Time

As a parent or grandparent, refrain from over-structuring your teen's schedule. Even though your teen son or grandson may want to participate in back-to-back activities each week, arrange or allow for some genuine "down" time where he can relax, recharge and re-create himself in some quiet or in a peaceful corner. These are times that will be more conducive for him to read for pleasure or by choice.

2. Reading CAN Be FUN!

A trip to the local lending library with your teen son is a great activity, whether it is over the summer or during the school year. However, during the time offered by the summer break, he might actually enjoy leisurely searching and discovering books AND magazines that interest him. Yes, magazines serve up smaller "bites" of reading that can be more approachable and more readily "digested" by a teen boy. Consider publications such as Popular Mechanics, Sports Illustrated for Kids, ESPN, Teen Ink or others that might appeal to your son's interests. If you have a truly reluctant reader, you might suggest an age-appropriate graphic novel or even a comic book of interest to encourage him to read.

3. Teen Boys' Favorite Topics & Selections

Speaking of interests, it is important to keep in mind that the genres or types of books that parents like may not appeal to their teen sons. In fact, many parents and even some teachers often think that since they themselves enjoy fictional or novels, their teen children and students automatically like fiction. This is actually not the case. As a matter of fact, there are many teen boys who much prefer non-fictional or informational reading than fiction.

So, if you have a reluctant teen reader, it might be a very good idea to help introduce him to non-fiction in an area of his interest. Many teen boys enjoy reading about nanotechnology, computer software being developed, programming or coding, and these are just topics in the realm of technology. If you have an young athlete, help him locate biographies about sports figures such as Yogi Berra (Did you know this baseball hero was an active participate in the D-Day operations of 1944?), Stan Musial, Lynn Swann, Jesse Owens or another interesting athlete in a favorite sport.

4. A Comfortable, Favorite Place to Read

Although traditionally teen boys may think that reading is "dorky" of less than fun, provide your son with a quiet and comfortable are of your home when he might retreat, rest and read in peace---away from the TV or the seemingly ever-present video games. He will see this spot as a SAFE area where no one can joke, jest or make fun of the reading he would like to do. Provide comfortable seating that might also include a desk and cushioned chair. Appropriate lighting will also be important. This might be provided by a window with window coverings that are adjustable for heat and light or lamps with 3-way bulbs.

5. Provide Real Help for What Could Be a Struggling Reader

Always keep in mind that a reluctant or resistant reader may be a struggling reader. How will you know for certain? By the time a boy is in his teen years and not interested in reading at all, it is important to consider professional evaluation. Yes, it is very possible that his school has not noticed nor addressed a serious reading challenge that he has faced, and he may not be able to articulate what his reading experience is really like. The summer is an excellent time for such an evaluation.

First, you might consider scheduling a visit for your child to to see his pediatrician to rule out any physical issues causing an unknown reading challenge. Then, the next medical professional to visit should be a developmental optometrist (not a regular ophthalmologist, optometrist or optician). This particular specialist can evaluate for vision-related and many language-based learning differences (i.e. dyslexia, convergence insufficiency, etc.) Not all schools can (in fact most schools cannot) evaluate for some of these learning issues. Ask your child's pediatrician for such a referral or visit the website of the College of Optometrists and Vision Development at http://www.covd.org/ to locate such a medical professional in your area.

There may be a very good reason why your teen son is a reluctant reader. Find out over this summer vacation time, and he will be much better prepared for the coming school year!

Reading Resources for Teen Boys

GUYS READ
A web-based literacy program for boys founded by author and First National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka. Our mission is to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers.
http://guysread.com/

BoysRead.org
Our mission is to transform boys into lifelong readers. We are an organization of parents, educators, librarians, mentors, authors, and booksellers.
http://boysread.org/

7 Great Books for Reluctant Readers in Middle School---by Elizabeth Babbin & Understood.org
Getting middle-schoolers to read can be difficult unless you find titles they can relate to as they struggle to sort out who they really are. These books have the power to engage reluctant readers and keep them interested.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/encouraging-reading-writing/great-books-for-reluctant-readers-in-middle-school?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=understoodorg#slide-1

Top 12 Young Adult Books for Reluctant Readers---by Jessica Piper (from TeachHUB.com)
http://www.teachhub.com/top-12-young-adult-books-reluctant-readers

TEEN FICTION STORIES---from wattpad.com
Book lists of all types of fiction books for teens (for both boys and girls)
http://www.wattpad.com/stories/teen-fiction

College of Optometrists and Vision Development
Locate a developmental optometrist in your area with the "Locate a Doctor" tool on this website. This medical professional can test, evaluate, diagnose and provide various treatment options for vision-related and some language-based reading challenges.
http://www.covd.org/

Sources:

Motivating Teenage Boys to Read---by Kristen Bevilacqua
http://gettingboystoread.com/content/motivating-teenage-boys-read/

Teenagers and Reading---from RIF (Reading Is Fundamental)
http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/teenagers-and-reading.htm

For more information on customizable reading tools for better focus & improved attention, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com

Reading + Color = A Great Combination for Struggling Readers of ALL Ages!

Updated October 2015
During the past several years, we have met many parents, teachers and adults at educational conferences who were looking for solutions for struggling readers. More than a few have asked for strategies and tips to help challenged readers in their children, their students or sometimes even for themselves.

Sometime ago, we actually created a list of such strategies that we provide for the individuals we serve when they order our Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759). However, we also post it (FREE, of course!) on our website for all who might benefit. You can access this list by visiting Strategies and Accommodations for Challenged Learners.

A number of readers who have implemented some of the strategies on the list involving the use of COLOR have shared with us their individual experiences with some of those tips. We always find personal testimonies to be very valuable to others and thought our readers here might benefit from reading just a few of their stories in this week's blog article.

The Woman and the Pink Paper

We sometimes receive calls from around the world from parents and teachers of struggling readers, but most of our requests for phone consultation come from here in the U.S. One such call came to us one day about a year ago. A woman called to ask why she was not able to read for long periods at a time. She mentioned that her eyes tired easily and far too quickly for her to accomplish much reading at all.

We asked the woman (age unknown) if she had tried to modify the page backgrounds of the texts she had been attempting to read. She said she had not yet tried that strategy and asked why this might matter in her situation. We explained that "white" page backgrounds can sometimes cause "visual stress" for many readers. The traditional black text on white ground can often be too stark of a contrast for more readers than one might imagine. Therefore, eyes tire much more easily, reading times are shortened and reading work is often not completed as expected.

We then suggested to the woman that she print or copy documents from her computer using a pastel color (rather than the usual white paper). We also recommended that she try a DIFFERENT pastel color EACH week until she could determine the color that was most comfortable for her and helped promote the most focus and attention. In addition, we mentioned that local office supply stores usually can provide a ream of paper (for about $12.00) with 5 or 6 different pastel colors in the one package. She was intrigued with this new strategy and was ready to try it right after our conversation concluded.

Several weeks later, we received a second phone call from this challenged reader, telling us that our recommended strategy had really worked for her. She then said, "Now, I print everything I can on PINK paper!" Thanks so much for telling me about this tip!" Again, color can unblock brain pathways and improve connectivity in the brain.

"Mom, It Has to Be Green!"

About 3 years ago, we received a phone call from the mother of a gifted child (on the autism spectrum) in St. Louis. She described her 8 year-old son as interested in learning about everything, but he struggled to read. She could not understand why he was challenged in this way. This prevented him from learning about all the things that most interested him. This mother homeschooled her son and also enrolled him in a supplemental program for gifted in the local school district. On the phone, we talked about visual stress and white page backgrounds as possible culprits. She asked if we could meet with her and allow her son to interact or try our Reading Focus Cards. Of course, we made arrangements to do just that on the following day.

At our meeting, this very articulate young boy told us that he liked the green reading tools, but any tool he used would also need to have green filters. We accommodated him and custom-cut 2 green filters for his needs. His mother mentioned to us as an aside that he was in a "green" mood lately and that he wanted everything to be some color or shade of green (specific color, texture and other types of preferences can sometimes be symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder.) At that same meeting, we also recommended that a visit be scheduled with a developmental optometrist in the area for further evaluation of her son's reading issues. An appointment was made with the Pupil Project at the University of Missouri-School of Optometry (specialists in developmental optometry).

Even today, three years later, this young man sometimes uses his green Reading Focus Card with its green filter to read with more comfort, focus and retention. He remembered us at a local educational event not too long ago and said, "You made my green focus card so that I could read!" Color can do some awesome things for some readers!

The "Exhausted" Red Overlay

We will never forget the woman (about 50 years of age) who visited us at an educational conference about 2 years ago. She arrived at our exhibit table with a very large piece of red but transparent plastic sheeting (about 18" x 24" in size). We could see that the red transparency was crinkled in many places, yet the woman held it carefully with her 2 hands. We must have looked puzzled when we saw it, for the woman began to explain that this was one of her most important tools. She could not read without it and so was seeking a replacement for her "battle-worn" reading device. She had been unable to find a red transparency material---anywhere. She asked if we could help her.

Although we occasionally provide specific colors of overlays for our clients and customers, our reading tools of choice are the Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759), since they promote more focus AND block out more surrounding text than any other reading tools available. In addition, these tools can change page background colors with the reading window filters included with the Reading Focus Cards. It is important to note that when color is introduced, especially for challenged readers, it can unblock brain pathways, promote more focus and improve reading comprehension. Color was certainly important to this woman who struggled to read.

She had seen our reading tools displayed on the exhibit table, which caused the woman to stop and inquire. We mentioned to her that we would be able to provide her with 2 RED reading filters for a set of reading tools in our Reading Focus Card Combo Pack. A demonstration followed, and it was obvious that this woman became excited about having a possible replacement tool for her wrinkled, red overlay. She immediately purchased 2 Combo Packs plus the special set of 2 red filters (Our Reading Focus Card Combo Packs are always packaged with yellow, deep blue and clear filters, as per recommendation by developmental optometrists,)

Just a few days later, the woman sent us an email about how the Reading Focus Cards with the red filters had helped her focus and read better. She also mentioned how they were so much more portable than her worn-out overlay had been. We were not surprised but very pleased to help her!

Solution Found for This Dad Who Struggled to Read

About 2 months ago at the most recent Greater St. Louis Area Home Educators Expo, one father saw our Reading Focus Cards displayed and immediately stopped and asked if he could try them on the spot. That is why we have our reading tools available at every educational conference we visit, so that anyone who wishes can interact with them and see firsthand how they can help an individual reader.

This dad was about 45 years old and indicated to us that he had been a challenged reader all of his life. However, as he picked up one of our taupe brown Reading Focus Cards with the deep blue filter installed in it, he was so surprised to find that text "stopped moving" when he placed it on a page of print at the table. We were not surprised because we have witnessed this more than a few times. He left our table and the conference with 2 Reading Focus Card Combo Packs to help him focus and read with more success.

Yes, color can make such a difference for challenged readers of any age and at any time.

Color & Focusing Resources for Challenged Readers of ALL Ages

Reading Focus Cards Desktop App (Patent 8,360,779)
NEW innovative DESKTOP app to help challenged readers experience much more FOCUS and VISUAL COMFORT when reading on a Mac or Windows PC. Please visit http://www.focusandread.com/page/488513590 to learn more about this fully-customizable Reading Focus Cards app that enables struggling readers of ALL ages to experience more reading SUCCESS with DIGITAL media!

FREE Downloadable Paper Resources for Writing & Printing
http://www.printablepaper.net/category/lined

For more information on customizable reading tools that employ COLOR for better focus & improved attention, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
GLBT News at http://www.glbtrt.ala.org/news/archives/697
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com