Getting young people to read more of anything is hard work. Whether it be books, magazines, or indeed any type of reading material, many young people seem to show almost no interest.
So, how do we at Stepping Out aim to get our young people – who reside in our semi independent living projects, to read more often?
Here are our top five tips.
1. Keep Books Lying Around
The best way to introduce young people to reading material, especially books, is to simply give them easy access.
For example, setting up a book shelf or book-case in a living room or communal area is a great way to encourage young people to browse through books and other reading materials at their own leisure.
This works well because, instead of having to instruct the young person to read something, you give them the opportunity to make the decision for themselves, whilst also making that decision easier in the process.
2. Buy Local & National Newspapers
Books may not appeal to every young person, especially if reading hasn’t been a hobby of theirs in the past.
A great way to introduce reading into the life of a young person, is to habitually purchase the local or national newspaper.
A natural inclination to find out about current news and events will often lead the young person to read such material on a regular basis. Make this process easy by constantly having the latest newspapers available.
3. Encourage Magazine & Blog Subscriptions
On top of traditional books and newspapers, there are other ways in which young people can be introduced to the world of reading.
Subscribing to magazines and online blogs for example, can become a brilliant way in which the young person can access new reading materials on a regular basis.
Blogs in particular are useful, as there are a wide range of blogs across the internet covering almost every topic known to mankind – so the young person is bound to find something of interest.
4. Go Digital With Ebooks
To make reading even easier, encourage the young person to download ebooks, many of which are free.
Teenagers – and people in general nowadays, love technology. So, by having reading material on their smart phones and tablets, they can instantly begin reading things without having to leave the comfort of their digital world.
Ebooks can be read absolutely anywhere with complete ease, including at home, on the train, or even in coffee shops.
5. Keep it Relevant
Above all, no matter which method of reading you wish to help introduce your young person to, ensure that it’s all relevant to them.
If for example, the young person shows an interest in animals, try to suggest animal related magazines and blogs to visit and subscribe to.
Trying to force young people to read about topics of no interest to them will only push them further away from reading as a hobby.
So there you have it, five our best tips to get young people reading.
What do you think of our five tips to get young people reading more? Let us know if you have any tricks of your own below!
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