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Visit our website: www.dekalbcountykeys.org |
The KEYS to the Future |
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NOVEMber 2008 |
Volume 1, Number 7 |
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Subject: Asset 25 – Reading for Pleasure
Reading should be done for fun
Have you ever been so engrossed in a book you skipped watching a favorite TV show, didn’t hear the phone ring, or stayed up too late at night? Now that’s a good book, and as anyone who loves to read will tell you, that’s the best part of reading! Books are the way most teachers instruct their classes. But there’s also a reason for young people to read for fun. The Commission on Reading contends that reading for fun teaches young people how to become strategic, skilled readers. They learn the difference between reading for a test and reading for pleasure. They learn when to read carefully or skim, ask questions or consult a dictionary. Reading for Pleasure is Asset 25 of Search Institute’s 40 Development Assets, the qualities, experiences, and relationships that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Here are the facts
Research shows that young people who read for pleasure at least three hours a week (that’s only 26 minutes a day) exhibit more positive than negative values. Only 22 percent of young people, ages 11-18, read for pleasure three or more hours a week, according to Search Institute surveys. But reading – whether it’s for a grade or not – can open up a new world, transport you to faraway lands, bygone eras, or lives only dreamt of. Reading is important. It uses facts, figures, and emotions to both teach and inspire. Inspire young people to read for pleasure, and they will have a far richer life.
Tips for building this asset
Make it easy for your child – and other young people you know – to read for pleasure at your house. Provide a variety of reading materials such as novels, magazines, newspapers, and comic books. Also, set an example with your own behavior. Don’t just read in bed when everyone else is asleep. Let the young people around you see you reading. Discuss issues with them that come up or other ideas you’ve learned from books. Finally, limit TV and computer time.
Also try this
In your home and family: Set aside a family reading time once a week. With younger children, read aloud together. With older children, read different books while hanging out together, or read the same book and then discuss it.
In your neighborhood and community: Volunteer to read books aloud to children in your community center, school, faith community, child-care center, or library.
In your school or youth program: Set up a book club to read popular fiction, nonfiction, or classics. Get together outside of class or during the regular program time to informally discuss the books you read.
Local statistics
While the national average of young people 11-18 years of age who read for pleasure is 22%, locally that number is 25%. There are initiatives in the local area that encourage reading for pleasure, such as the current “The Big Read 2008” project. Many local organizations, such as libraries, Family Service Agency, and Huntley Middle School, are actively involved in encouraging everyone to read To Kill a Mockingbird, this year’s book. Here, HMS shows its support of Asset No. 25:
Share your Asset stories with us!
What is your child’s school doing to encourage Reading for Pleasure? What do you do at home to instill a love of reading on your children? Do the young people in your life participate in reading or library clubs either in school or outside of school? If you have seen or been a part of a story that shows Assets in use, please email us so we can share your story with our readers. Reach us at info@dekalbcountykeys.org. See the Assets in Action section below for a story about how one young lady encourages Reading for Pleasure in her neighborhood.
Assets in Action (from Search Institute newsletter)
"I was like, ‘I want to start the book club now!’ And my mom and dad were like, ‘Ok, good luck!’” recalls Deena. “And I didn't really know what to do because I didn't know anyone." That's when the ambitious young lady met her neighbor Kara Gilbertson, and things started to roll. "She was just like, ‘Hey why don't we do this thing called Bookworm Wednesday?’ And I was like, ‘Ok.’ So we started it and I thought it would not get this far." Deena started the after school reading program at her house last year, recruiting other kids from the neighborhood to help. "They kind of shoved a flier in my hand!" says fellow “staff” member Erin Earley. Deena, Kara, Erin, and their friend Courtney Langer, make up the team of leaders. Now the word is out and reading is in: Nearly every kid in their subdivision comes over each week to hear a story and have some fun. "The average Bookworm Wednesday, the kids would come in and they'd check out the books they wanted,” explains Deena. Kids pick books from her private collection, and they keep a library system on her parents’ computer. The girls also lead the other kids in craft time that’s related to the story they read. It's not only helping kids learn how to read, it’s helping them branch out. "I think it helped her to meet other kids,” says Kelly. Deena says one day, she hopes to be a teacher. For now, she just hopes the kids realize how important reading is. "I think it's just because you do it your whole life,” says Deena. “I mean, if you didn't know how to read, you couldn’t even read stop signs or anything! It's just kind of a cool experience, it's better than a movie.” Deena was selected to talk about Bookworm Wednesday at the Wisconsin Teacher's Convention in Madison. Deena is the daughter of Search Institute author Kelly Curtis. Deena’s dad is an elementary school principal and her mom is a school counselor. The family is working together using Developmental Assets to influence their community.
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Want to know more about Search Institute’s asset categories or the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit their website at www.search-institute.org/assets.
Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.
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