18 Tips to Encourage Tween and Teen Reading

I grew up as a mega bookworm.

I read constantly, never leaving the house without a book (or three).

And then I started high school and my available time for reading vanished virtually overnight.

Part way through college, I read a novel solely for fun for the first time in what felt like forever and it was the most glorious feeling – like I had come back to the real me after a long time away.

It wasn’t until I was finished with my undergrad degree that I really started reading for fun again (this is when I started Everyday Reading, back in 2006) and reading has been a constant in my life since.

So when I hear people say that their tweens or teens used to love to read and now barely ever read for fun, I completely empathize, because it’s the same experience I had.

Life just gets so busy and it can be hard to fit in the reading time you used to have!

If you are in a season of life where tween or teen reading is nonexistent or very limited, here are some tips (many of which came from readers on Instagram when I asked about this topic!):

18 Tips to encourage tween and teen reading for fun

1. Don’t stress about it! It’s easy to feel like you’ve spent all these years helping them turn into a reader and now it’s all spiraling down the drain. But if you’ve helped them discover a love for reading and a passion for great books, they’ll likely come back to it. Middle and high school and college years are intense and lots of readers come back to that foundational love once those years are over. As my wise friend Ralphie says, “Today is not forever.”
2. Keep reading out loud. Having someone read aloud to you, especially something fun and engaging, is really a gift and I love that my mom kept reading aloud to us all through high school while we colored (I did so many anatomy coloring/worksheets my junior year), painted our nails, braided hair or just stared at the ceiling, enjoying a moment of calm.
3. Read the books they’re assigned in school together. My mom and I did this all through high school and I loved it (and often felt like I was the only person in my classes who didn’t hate the books we were assigned because I had a smart adult to help me keep track of the characters, hold on to the storyline and notice the important detail). We read aloud together, switching off pages, but you could read separately and chat about it after the fact or listen to it independently or read the entire thing aloud to your child or have silent reading time together. There’s a million right ways to do it that will keep that tween and teen reading going!
4. Use audiobooks. I think you all should be very impressed that I made it all the way to number four on this list before talking about audiobooks. Your tween or teen might not have time to sit down with a book, but they likely could listen to an audiobook while they get ready for school in the morning or ride the bus or fold their laundry.
5. Do a one on one date to the bookstore and buy the a book or two. A bookstore is a really delightful way to explore books and spending some time together browsing and then taking home a few books of their choosing is an excellent way to
6. Keep screens under control. This was the number one suggestion when I asked for recommendations for helping tweens and teens keep reading. Of course, that will mean something different for every family – maybe you don’t let them take phones into their rooms at bedtime or the TV is off after dinner. Whatever it looks like in your home, limiting screen time can open up time to read (my tween does about 95% of her reading in bed at night because it’s when she has the time and space at this period in her life).
7. Read the first few chapters together. For most readers (me included!) those first couple of chapters are the hardest because you’re trying to get oriented to a new place, set of characters and storyline. Reading them together can help be the jumpstart they need to keep reading on their own without the pain point of those first new chapters.
8. Talk about books you have loved reading. My dad is SO good at this. When I came home from college my first Christmas, my dad told me all about the book he was reading (Between a Rock and a Hard Place) and read some of his favorite bits aloud to me. Guess who ended up reading the entire book over Christmas break?
9. Gift books. One of the most important parts of reading is the availability of books – pick a book or two you think they’ll love and gift it to them for a birthday or holiday.
10. It’s okay to read fun and light books. Sometimes, when you’re reading a lot of heavier books in school, what you really need to keep the love of reading alive is some books that are solely for fun! All my siblings and I read SO MANY comic books in our tween and teen years (family favorites were Get Fuzzy and Zits). If you want reading to stay fun and enjoyable, fun and enjoyable books go a LONG way.
11. Listen together. Whether you’re driving to sports practices together or doing chores, a shared audiobook is a great way to connect and have shared experiences together. Take turns picking or give them a few options and let them choose from those.
12. Get book recommendations from someone they think is cool. Sometimes a book recommendation from a parent is hard to take. But a cool aunt, a friend, a grandparent, a beloved teacher or a sibling might be better received!
13. Let them see you reading. It’s easier to lead by example than by word and it’s hugely beneficial for them to see adults choosing to read as part of a rich, meaningful life.
14. Do a book/movie combo. There are so many movies and shows made from books – pick one to read and then have a fun movie night together.
15. Have good book options available during breaks from school. Summer vacation, spring break, or holiday breaks can be a great time for your teen or tween to do some reading that they don’t have the space for during the school year! Make it easy for them to pick something up by having books checked out from the library, a list of suggestions, or taking a beginning of vacation trip to the library or bookstore!
16. Consider an e-reader. I’m a huge Kindle fan and that convenience makes it so easy to carry a bunch of books with you so you can pick it up as easily as you do your phone without the constant distractions of a phone! (I have a whole post here about why I’m obsessed with my Kindle reader).
17. Reread old favorites. Sometimes, when you’re busy or stressed, diving into a new book can feel like too much, but revisiting a childhood favorite can be just the right comfort. Keep those books they loved at 10 or 11 available and accessible – sometimes a re-read of Harry Potter is just what the (reading) doctor ordered.
18. Try different formats or genres. For many tweens or teens, it’s nice to try something new when they’re burned out from school reading. Whether it’s a graphic novel or a mystery, something different and engaging can help re-light that love of reading!

Any other tips to help when tweens and teens reading for fun has stopped? I’d love to hear your best suggestions!

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