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Between the Lines
Reading with Preteens
By Teri Brown
Many children of this age have yet to discover what a joy reading can be. In their mind it is just a "school" thing. In a world of flickering images, it's hard for them to equate reading with entertainment. So it's up to parents to make reading enjoyable.
"A book club aimed at kids for this age group can motivate readers in several different ways," says Stern. "First, if you pick age-appropriate books, set up the group as a social gathering and provide a fun, relaxed meeting, children are going to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts about the books they read. They will want to be a part of the group and in order to participate will be motivated to read the next book."
Stern believes that the goal is to get children involved in the club so that they feel some ownership and responsibility in keeping the group going. By allowing the children to choose the books and taking turns choosing and bringing snacks you have given the children the opportunity to make the club their own, increasing the chance they will remain interested and engaged.
One of the difficulties you might face putting togethera book club is that the level of reading varies so much at this age. Tami Orr, whose 12-year-old daughter has been attending book clubs for several months now, believes that you need to be careful of the books you pick. "The children pick the books once a year," says Orr, a Portland, Ore., mother of four children.