Making Teens Accountable for Reading

Fighting with your teen day after day to keep up with his reading can feel like a losing battle. After all, your teen is more than capable of doing his own reading and being accountable for his own homework assignments. Still, he might need a little push to get on task -- that's where you come in. Removing the safety net and helping your teen get more involved in his own education means finally taking responsibility for daily tasks such as reading.

  1. Remove the Safety Net

    • Many parents feel they have to spare their teens from bad marks, missed assignments and trouble in school. But constantly giving your teen a safety net by taking the responsibility for her lack of work only teaches her that she doesn't have to face consequences. The book "Bonding With Your Teen Through Boundaries" suggests meeting with your teen and her teacher to discuss your student's accountability for reading. Tell the teacher you'll no longer be taking responsibility for your teen's missed reading and that she can use disciplinary methods as necessary.

    Pages Before Screens

    • Screens are a huge distraction for teens. Institute a strict "pages before screens" rule in your home. If you establish the rule that reading must be done before using the computer, phone and video games, you might find that your teen takes accountability for his reading time. If your teen really loves his screens, an e-reader might also help balance screen time and reading time.

    Choose Books Carefully

    • If you want your teen to take responsibility for her daily reading, it's vital that you choose books that interest her and that are within her reading level. Teens usually have to read certain books for school, but your teen should also foster a love of reading for fun. Head to the bookstore or library and choose a few books that are just for fun and not for school assignments. That way, your teen sees reading as something she wants to do, not something she has to do.

    Chart and Reward

    • Teens might need an extra push to get their reading done, which is when positive reinforcement comes in handy. Charting your teen's reading time and offering small rewards for a week's worth of reading or a finished book can help your teen associate positive thoughts and feelings with taking accountability for his reading. According to a presentation by Fairfax County Public Schools, teens respond better to positive discipline than negative discipline. Just ensure your teen is the one making goals and tracking progress -- you just supply the kudos.

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