Rhiannon Paille, Offers Tips for Getting Adolescents to Turn the Page
Being able to read well is more important than ever for young adults to achieve economic success. But more than 60 percent of middle and high school students score below “proficient” in reading achievement, according to a December 2011 report by the Alliance for Excellent Education.
“Teen literacy is a huge problem in the United States — its 15-year-olds rank 14th among developed nations in reading – behind Poland, Estonia and Iceland,” says Rhiannon Paille, 27, an advocate for teen literacy whose new fantasy novel, Flame of Surrender targets young adults. (South Korea, Finland and Canada rank 1st, 2nd and 3rd.)
“Kids need strong reading skills if they hope to graduate from high school AND they really need to plan for college – 59 percent of U.S. jobs today require some postsecondary education, compared to 28 percent in 1973.”The best thing parents can do to help boost their 12- to 18-year-olds’ literacy is to get them reading – anything.
Paille offers these suggestions:
Good magazines, with shorter articles suited for distractible adolescents, might include Sports Illustrated, People, Seventeen or Mad.
“When you’re out shopping, think about what they’re interested in and pick up something just for them. Sometimes, it’s as simple as putting the right reading materials right into their hands.”
About Rhiannon Paille
Rhiannon Paille is an active advocate for youth literacy and an avid reader of young adult novels. Her first book, the non-fiction Integrated Intuition: A Comprehensive Guide to Psychic Development, remains a popular seller on amazon.com. Paille is the founder of the Canadian Metaphysical Foundation. She’s married and the mother of two children.
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