We should read to our children for as long as possible

When my daughter was in tenth grade, she was asked to read from a classic piece of literature in German class. As Steven Spielberg's «War of the Worlds» was her favourite film at the time, she didn't have to think long about which book to choose for this task. I well-meaningly advised her against it: H. G.Wells' novel was written in 1898 and was too antiquated for her generation. My daughter was not dissuaded, probably due to a genetically determined stubbornness. But she already failed at the first sentence, which took up a whole eight lines with its many insertions. She didn't get any further with the next sentences either.

Finally, I suggested reading the first few pages to her until she got a better understanding of Wells' linguistic world. «You want to read to me?» The then 15-year-old stared at me in amazement. In the end, necessity won out over shame, and after just 20 pages she was able to continue reading on her own and mark suitable passages for her lecture. This form of reading encouragement is not a new experience for me - it's my job.

In a restless media world that is constantly vying for our attention, books usually get the short end of the stick.

As an author of books for children and young people, I am always on reading tours. There I meet numerous schoolgirls from third to twelfth grade in primary and secondary schools. They are all more socialised with Whatsapp, Tiktok and Fortnite than with books. The reluctance to read is particularly noticeable in schools with many pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Nevertheless, I manage to get two school classes to listen and participate for 90 minutes. And when I ask who would like to read out a dialogue between two girls arguing in front of everyone else, boys with an affinity for gaming, often from a migrant background, always come forward. They don't read well, but they want to read aloud and, more importantly, they dare to do so. To find out how the story continues in the book, they borrow it from the library later. They are motivated, which can also be achieved at home.

The following points are important:

1. accept media diversity

Many parents really want their teenage children to read books. However, they often react to this with annoyance. This may be due to the exhaustion caused by school, which places heavy demands on them and judges them and their performance. However, the attitude that children experience at home is much more serious: While the book is always judged as the «good» medium, their digital activities are not valued at all. However, those who devalue certain media or interests need not be surprised at the rejection of books. In addition, girls and boys do read a lot, but texts and messages on their mobile phones and not what adults consider useful. This is nothing new. Even in the past, children were met with contempt because they stuck their noses into comic books with great enthusiasm.

2. recognising that reading is difficult

«Only a fifth of all young people say they regularly read a book,» according to the latest James Study 2022. The current Igloo Study 2023 also confirms that many fourth-graders have inadequate reading skills. Reading books could successfully counteract this deficit. But in a restless media world that is constantly vying for the attention of children and young people, books usually get the short end of the stick. In direct comparison to novels, films, games and social media have no hurdles. Reading, on the other hand, is difficult. It requires calming down, a high level of concentration and does not tolerate distractions. But it's not just young people who find concentrated reading difficult. The reading behaviour of adults has also changed significantly with the internet: the fragmented nature of online reading units means that our attention span decreases in the long term and our stamina for longer texts or even books could fall by the wayside.

3. do not give up reading aloud

When children are small, we read to them as a bedtime ritual. Unfortunately, as soon as they can read for themselves, this slowly diminishes. However, if reading aloud continues into the teenage years, it will have a strong formative effect and provide much-needed key skills for further learning and life. Listening - and later independent reading - is known to promote not only the imagination and the expansion of knowledge, but also concentration and critical thinking. Even the vocabulary increases considerably and improves verbal and written precision when formulating and arguing. In addition, stories develop greater empathy, as children and young people can identify with the actions and thoughts of the protagonists. At the same time, they maintain a healthy distance that protects them from harm and heavy-handed instruction.

4. find common ground

Yes, it's not easy to get teenagers interested in reading. But let's not forget: we all love stories. Even cinema films or series are always based on a story. It just has to strike a chord. That is the connecting link. Of course, children's interests and tastes should be taken into account when choosing what to read. It doesn't always have to be classic children's and young adult books either; they can also make their first forays into the world of young adult novels. Completed short stories are ideal for this. At least at home, Swiss Read Aloud Day doesn't just have to take place once a year. It is hardly necessary to read aloud every day, but please do so regularly, for example at the weekend. If stories are particularly exciting, young people may not wait until the next reading session, but grab the book to continue reading on their own. Goal achieved.

Reading aloud not only has something to do with literature, but also with relationships. As puberty consists of a long process of detachment, many parents often feel violated by their children's high demand for freedom. But they still need us very much, they just can no longer show it. Reading aloud is not a panacea, but this close contact can potentially make a valuable contribution to overcoming further drifting apart. If young people don't understand a scene or a subtle allusion in the reading, we are already in the middle of a conversation.