SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MOTIVATION

How much of their leisure time do teenagers devote to reading? Not much. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, teens read for pleasure, on average, just six minutes each day. Why? Attitudes toward reading are one factor, but not the only factor. (Consider that, because we’re talking about reading the child freely chooses, she must not only like reading, she must like it more than the other available choices. I’ll have more to say about that on Friday.) Attitudes toward reading peak in early elementary years. With each passing year, students’ attitudes towards reading drop. It’s not hard to see why that might happen. For most children, learning to read is rewarding; it’s a sign of getting older, of gaining a skill that older siblings and friends possess. The emphasis in those early years is on understanding and appreciating stories. But consider how reading changes in the mid-elementary years and beyond. c 4 c   Hig...

c 4 c   A friend of mine has been going through the very lengthy and detailed process of testing her son for Attention Deficit Disorder. As I listened to her explain the symptoms, many sounded like my daughter. One expert describes this kind of brain as choosing what is most interesting instead of what’s most important. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent my daughter to turn off her light or grab a jacket, only to find her reading a book in the hallway because she forgot what I’d asked her to do. Her last report card read something like, “Amazing writer but practice actually turning in the work so that you can get credit!” So I looked for information regarding the disorder and found that (while I don’t think my daughter has ADD) many of the suggestions for dealing with the difficulties stemming from it would benefit any child, especially one with focus troubles. Parents can apply a few basic strategies to help thos...