Motivating 13 Yr Old Boys

Books on tape? I know my sister and I are really dyslexic and we had to be read to or read along for the longest time.

Well, if it's required in school, then it's required - he doesn't read, he gets a poor or failing grade, right? Maybe let him get a bad grade now (when it really doesn't count for college) and maybe he'll learn the hard way.

Sometimes with boys, you need to consider other sources of reading material - magazines, newspapers, and graphic novels DO count and might hold their interest more. You can also talk to his teachers and find out what they can recommend. It's possible he just hasn't found any books or stories that interest him. If there is anything he is into (i.e. football, the military, etc.), maybe he would be interested in reading books about those subjects. If he's into sports, maybe he would read Sports Illustrated (there is a version written for kids and teens).

Is it possible that he has some kind of undiagnosed reading problem? If something like that makes it especially difficult for him to read and comprehend, he's not going to find it enjoyable.

Some people are not much into reading because it's hard for them to picture in their head what is going on, like when reading fiction. My brother was like that and still is - he read what he had to read for school, but didn't read for pleasure. Fortunately it didn't hurt him at all - he still got his master's in chemical engineering, because at least he could understand what he was reading about and follow it. He just wasn't into reading for the fun of it.

Read with him. Let him choose something that he's interested in, and then you read the book, too. That way you can discuss it together. If there is a book that is required reading for school, read that, too. You'll be able to have discussions about that with him.

I teach English, and everyone in my family enjoys reading, but my boys LOVE it when my husband and I read whatever they're reading. We have the best discussions about the characters, and about what we think is going to happen next. Also, I have students in class that HATE reading, but they actually enjoy certain books because of the discussions we have in class. It helps them understand what they're reading, and helps them look at the plot from different perspectives. It also helps them relate the book(s) to their lives.

The suggestion to check into the possibility of a reading disability is worth checking into. Some kids just hate reading (like I hate math!), but some struggle with it because of a disability.

Good luck!

Reading with him is the way to go. My 11 yr old doesn't love to read, but her 16 yr old brother is glued daily to a book, sometimes huge novels!

I've tried a couple of ways to get her interested, like giving her a set time of 20 minutes per day (teacher recommended) with a timer so she can see how long she has left. Then I ask questions about what she read, why the characters did what they did, etc.

I've gotten a family favorite TV character, Monk, in book form. I borrowed it from the library, and excitedly told my kids that we would be reading a new Monk mystery together each day. It was fantastic! Each time we would prep by grabbing cozy blankets, pillows, a dictionary and glasses of water. We'd pile in close on the couch, and I would start reading. My voice would need a break, so I'd pass the book to my daughter who would want to know what happened next! She would read a chapter, then pass it to her brother. It went on like this until we finished the book and had to find another...their request!! Let your son know that he may interrupt if he doesn't understand a word or meaning of anything going on. You'll see a change in his attitude when you get involved and show him that reading is actually fun. You just have to figure out the genre or subject that appeals most to him.

Some books to try that both of my kids have enjoyed:

-'Magic Tree House' books (lots to choose!)
-'Charlotte's Web', classic
-'Island of the Blue Dolphins'
-'Where the Red Fern Grows' (my fave as a child)
-(Rick Riordan's Series of Books) starting with 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' set
-'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' books
-'Lego Star Wars' books, easy reads
-'The Secret Garden', classic
-Author, Christopher Paolini started writing books when he was 16, novels about dragons
-'Artemis Fowl' books
-'Goosebumps' are creepy books
-'The Outsiders' was also written by a teenager
-'The Giver', class read in junior high
-Gary Paulsen wrote a series of books about a 13yr old boy that has to survive in the wilderness, 'Hatchet' and 'Brian's Return' but there are more!
-'How To Eat Fried Worms', classic!
-Eventually build up to the 'Harry Potter' series

You can find most or all of these books at your local library which will save you lots of money. If you go with the series books, always start with book 1 so he knows who's who. There's one book that I recommend you start with because it's my absolute favorite little book about our love for our children: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Buy it and gift it to your son. It comes in paperback for no more than $5.

Happy Reading!!

hell i cant even get my 8 year old to read i cant imagine trying to make a teenager do something lol

Graphic novels seem to be very popular with boys that age. It looks more like a comic book. I'd also try various non-fiction, maybe things like the Book of World Records.

Something my teacher friends have told me is to have a child read what they like to encourage them to read. There has to be something your son is interested in that he will read. My 13 year old grandson is into his guitar which he plays great, so I got him a subscription sometime back to a guitar magazine, which he loves. Boys that age also seem to like the graphic novels, and he reads those as well. You could take your son to the library and have him pick out some books he likes to get started.

AND all of them recommended 'reading times" where the TV is off and the entire family reads or is read to for a certain amount of time so a child sees that reading is something that everyone does.

As far as him not wanting to read required books for school tell him that school is his job, and that if someone doesn't do their job adequately there are consequences. For him that would be no TV, video games, "play" computer time, going to his friends, etc. if he doesn't do assigned reading or his grades slip.

Hopefully you can get him motivated now!

The same way you would treat any other homework or chore that he doesn't want to do. What would the consequence for other incomplete homework be?If you've never had to deal with that before, our privileges that get removed fall into the categories of "screens," "wheels," "freedom," then "sports." If we need to get my 8th grader in line, the first thing that goes is screens - phone, video games, computer and TV. If that doesn't work, we move on to wheels - bike, skateboard, roller blades and other things that he relies on to get from point a to point b faster and easier. After that, it's general freedom (a/k/a grounding) - no going to friends' houses or social events, no having friends over. Finally, sports are on the table but we haven't played this card yet due to the team nature of his sports (hockey and lacrosse) and that fact that sports are such a good thing for him.

So those are all there as privileges to be lost for incomplete school work. The other thing is that what motivates teenagers most? Money. We are working with a family therapist for a variety of issues and putting some structure around the positive use of money as an incentive is something that we will be tackling in the future. It's not so much a "pay for performance" thing where you end up setting up a dynamic where the kids don't do anything unless they're getting paid. It's more like we'll figure out how much we're spending on them each month in general for things like going to the movies, buying snacks and drinks when we're out, spending money when they're with friends, etc. and will set a weekly allowance based on that. Earning the weekly allowance requires that minimal standards for behavior be met (school work and chores complete, among other things) and if they're not, we deduct $ and they also will have opportunities to earn more $ with extra chores, extra effort in school etc to save up for certain things that they want (concert tickets, designer sneakers etc.).

So...as much as we all would love to have kids who love reading, not all kids enjoy this. Treat it like anything else that he has to do but doesn't enjoy. Let him know that it's not negotiable and will be done or he loses privileges.

you could use electronics (i-=pod, computer, etc.) be rewards for accomplishing set amount of time reading, followed by a paragraph or two summarizing the material just read. I don't know if he is using electronics (games etc, ) but making them a reward rather than the run-of-the mill source of entertainment/enjoyment may help.

30 minutes of reading = 30 minutes of TV, Wii, or whatever, that's all.