Why so few teens are reading and what we can do to address this The number of teenagers reading for pleasure has plummeted in the last decade. The increasing role of social media in young people’s lives has been linked to their reduced reading. Although it’s tempting to believe these two activities are mutually exclusive, evidence shows this is false; excessive social media use significantly reduces attention spans and contributes to mental health issues like depression and anxiety (not ideal for a well-read teen). Research has shown that the lack of focus notable in today’s society is not only associated with the detrimental effect of instant media that we all consume, but also the act of allowing these media to infiltrate our daily lives. When switching from one activity to another, your brain has to reconfigure. You are not only losing the short bursts of time between reading (for example) and receiving notifications; you are losing the time it takes to refocus afterwards. In a study at the Carnegie Mellon University, 136 students took a test, some of whom had their phones on, receiving regular messages, and some of whom did not. The study revealed that those who received messages performed 20% worse, on average. The normalization of teenagers’ constant access to mobile devices, even at school, clearly severely affects the deep focus many of them need for reading. In today’s world, reading has become such an important aspect of our daily lives, but one that people can practice for hours daily without touching a book. Paul Tobin, writer, said that ‘We read and write incessantly, in text messages, tweets, blogs, Wikis, Facebook posts, news articles, comment threads, Reddit, Quora, email, dating apps, Yelp reviews, etc., etc… I would venture a guess that no period in human history has been so overwhelmingly dominated by the written word as the internet age… Reading is no longer a special activity reserved unto itself, but part of the minute-to-minute fabric of our lives.’ (This was an answer in a Quora forum, no less). Clearly, with most of the teens’ daily lives surrounded by reading, including at school, more and more teens do not look to a book to relax. Especially due to the fast paced nature of all things technology, and the instant gratification of media such as short form content, many young people forget the contrasting pleasure that is reading for fun. This means that millions of teens are missing out on reading for pleasure, developing a foundation of knowledge and perspective. Especially in a time when politicians have pointed to the decreasing importance of arts subjects as opposed to STEM ones, it is vital for young people to discover (and older people to rediscover) the value of artwork and literature. To rekindle young people’s love of reading, we must make reading feel like a choice, not an assignment. Recently, a surge in online leisure reading presents a key opportunity to reinvigorate reading engagement and highlight arts & literature’s value in today’s demanding world. Written by Ines Lappin

Intro  Do you have little time to write, but still want to express your creativity? This workshop from home is for you. It is perfect for increasing focus, to increasing writing frequency and for breaking writer’s block or reducing writer’s block. Time and resources  This will take as little as 1 minute to as long as you have and carry a notepad with you. Method  As you go through your day, you will have many ideas for stories, poems, articles and more; in those moments write anything you can, even as little as a sentence down; you can choose to expand on it at a later date, or throw it away. The key thing for this is to write with zero expectations, just write because it feels right to write without wanting to write to be perfect, yes the word play is intended. This creates a healthy habit of writing that helps reduce writer’s block.  Goal  To take the perfectionism away from your writing, help reduce writer’s block and make your writing more fun. If you like this article more come weekly, donations make this company come alive and run; follow link below to keep content coming.

Introduction The sourceing of this article as a pre-teen, all information is from the perspective of a pre-teen; this is a important perspective to show as children are reading less and less, i think its important to stop this trend, thank you for my source. Find a book from a movie or series you like  Start with your favorite TV show or movie series, this is a great place to start your love of reading as you already have a love and interest in the lore, characters and are invested in the whole story. Reading additional lore and character will add extra context to your favourite shows, making your experience of it even better. The source of this read many of there favorite shows and movies, Percy Jackson being there favorite and they have read all the books, as she has read and watched both she has passionate opinions on both, reading books have given her a different perspective.  Don’t judge a book by its cover  “ you never know..you could have a book with beautiful colours with pallets, colour coordination that match and you open the book and it’s nothing you expected” This quote perfectly shows why you should never judge a book, this goes for the actual saying and literally. Ask your school librarian for recommendation  Usually most people start with favorites such as Harry Potter, when you finished reaching out to a librarian for recommendations on new books to explore, as there may be more books based or influenced by a book you have read before. Make time to read  You could have a complete full schedule, full of school and after school Clubs, in school you could have a full schedule, some things you can put aside, you don’t want your parents telling you off for reading late at night, when you have school the next day. Further more, reading earlier means you have more time to read and enjoy the book you are reading at your own pace. Final words from co-author  “ I like to read big books, you should try them to”

It is often, what is the difference between a good writer and a great writer, the answer is clear style, style makes your writing engaging, easy to read and most importantly makes you stand out from other writers. It's important to note that not all formats of writing suites full individual creativity, as article writers and journalism focus more on the facts of the topic, leaving little in style a writer can still add their subtle mannerisms in the text; whilst creative writers like poets and novelists can create their world; but no matter who you are, you can impart your style in any formate of writing and this article will go through ways to so.  Overthinking  Many new writers feel like they must be perfect, leading to writers' block and may lead to loss of interest in the writing process, to help with that writer is always important to write with the freedom, to help with reading and writing as much as possible, and do so with little expectation of how it must be, focus on exploring new ideas, techniques and new ways for formatting your work. As you progress and find that you start earning an income from your writing, it's still important to find time to write with no expectations, one or two hours a week writing to improve your skills and refine your style. This leads to the second point, patience, developing your style is an easy process, but it's a long process, as it's an important quality for all writers to have it's important to take the time to invest in it. I often think about how children get into writing, they read all their favourite authors or writers and they take their time to take parts of their style in their work, they do so every day, writing or reading every day; if done in the spirit of enjoyment and not overthinking, it becomes the easiest process in the world. Lastly, variety of influences; most writers follow and are inspired by authors and writers that they like, for clear reasons, but I believe there is power in reading writers' work you do not like and ask yourself why don’t like them, and even though I don't like them, is their something in their work that I like.  Doing this means you're a writer with a wide library of knowledge to use when writing and giving style more complexity. In conclusion, developing your style is a very easy process, it takes time and patience; when done is what differentiates a good writer from a great writer.

It is easy to think that all writers are experts at grammar and spelling. That's a perception that can cause many aspiring writers to not pursue a career as a writer. Speaking as someone who is suspected of having dyslexia, I say that is not the case as I have been able to publish books and achieve my writing goals, but it does take more work compared to others. Dyslexia should never be a barrier for people with the creativity and passion to get their stories out. In this article, we will cover two areas: how to manage dyslexia as a writer and how to play with language and use it as a character within your work. Strategies for handling dyslexia as a writer: There is a multitude of software that can be used to assist people with dyslexia to express themselves best. It is important to note that all services or software do not sponsor this article, but they will never say no. Tools like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and more are all effective tools in correcting grammar and producing work that is clear and easy to understand to readers. As you read this article, it was refined using Grammarly and ProWritingAid. These A.I. tools are easy to use and, most importantly, provide people with dyslexia the freedom to write with full creativity, knowing that they can later address grammar and spelling errors. A writer once said, "Your readers will only see the finished work; the process and the journey to the finished piece should never be a hurdle for writers." Now that there are so many tools to make the writing process easier, people with dyslexia can focus on making the best-finished product. To children or teenagers, please do not compare yourself to anyone. Your process is yours to own and claim proudly, and always remember the quote above: your finished product is what matters.  Exploring the nuances of language: When stepping back, grammar and linguistics are strange things. It can be easily thought that language and its rules are constant, but in reality, language changes constantly through technology, culture, and the passage of time. I firmly believe that adopting a regional grammar is a great way of characterizing the world that you are creating, whether that be a city or, in extension, adding more context into the way your characters speak, their actions, and motives. A writer who knows linguistic rules in a very deep way, and knows how to break them to add to the lore and world, takes bravery to do so as it may mean that your book may take longer to be picked up by a publisher or agent, but in the long run, it means your work will live longer in the memory of the readers that get their hands on your book. I do this in my books, taking my personal bias to one side. An author who does this well is Cormac McCarthy; in his book The Road, a Dystopian World, his writing style feels cold, foreign, and dystopian, which paints his world bland. This book is a great example of intentionally breaking the rules to add context and depth to a story through the structure and writing style. Doing this is great for novelists and poets. Speaking as a poet myself, we have the freedom to create our world without restrictions because the format is the author sharing their world and perspective with the reader. If your writing is more factual, such as journalism and column writing, it's important to stay close to the key messages you want to express to your audience. These formats require you as a writer to shine a spotlight into the real world. If you have dyslexia, develop your method for creating excellent pieces. At the end of the day, your reader sees the result, not the process it took to get there. In conclusion, if your writing format is more creative, like that of a novelist or poet, then use language to create your world and vision. This may mean breaking the rules. The best writers can use the unspoken structure and their writing style to add context and depth to the world they are building.

The spoken word and literature are meant to be the doorway to the minds of the writer, the key that opens a window to the wants and needs of whoever holds the pen. In a multicultural Europe, historical factors such as the effects of colonialism, immigration, and more, lead to many people living in communities where values may clash, causing conflict. This is evident in the riots that occurred in England. In this world, writing can bridge connecting many cultures many cultures. Firstly, let us debunk the myth that spoken word or writing is complex. In reality, we simplify writing as it is just an extension to you. Everyone has their own writing style, which is simply an extension of themselves. Secondly, I will present a writing exercise called cooperative where groups of three and above select a topic, such as “What does it mean to belong in a community? All individuals within the group will be allotted 10 minutes to compose on this subject, either in the style of poetry or as an essay. Then, each member of the group will read all the pieces. After this, a collective piece of writing will have to be written, combining all the aspects of the individual articles. In having everyone combine perspectives into one writing, you create moments where people have to listen, compromise, negotiate and be sympathetic to the thoughts and views of people in the group.  This activity is perfect for team building, family game nights, and as a fun party game.

Through the generations, poetry has been an integral part of every known society. It may not be in the form that we expect, with smooth complex combinations of consonants, verbs, and all the things that constitute every linguistic rule in language. Yes, this is poetry. The Nordic cultures and early English would encompass this aspect of poetry. The works of William Shakespeare use beautiful rhyme schemes that grasp the attention of listeners today. Poetry is not short; the Japanese haikus are famous for their use of minimal words to create thought-provoking messages, enriched with philosophical meaning. Yet this is not poetry. The works of Paul Valery, when compared to modern-day literature, are a collection of short stories. The term poetry itself has no singular definition. Poetry is in every single writing style and format. A deep knowledge of poetry unlocks many ways for people to express themselves, hence promoting good mental well-being. This is why poetry should be taught to children. In the complex times we live in, where the concept of childhood can be considered at risk, with the pressures that children face in a world overflowing with content, influencers, ideologies, and news from around the world, all of these can be overwhelming, which is shown with the rise of clinical disorders in children rising. Overall, social media and the ease with which information can spread is a very good thing, but in the hands of developing children, it causes difficulties, as there is so much information and little time to process and learn from them. In this space is where poetry lies. Poetry can be an emotional mirror that children can use to grow and develop their self-identity. As said before, poetry comes in many forms. There are the traditional forms of poetry taught in English classes, but there is also music. Music lyrics are just another medium in which poetry lives. Poetry has great power. It can simplify the most complex of feelings and break them down into the parts that matter. With those parts, we can analyze and gain a deeper understanding of what each part means to the individual. In the act of doing so, the torrent of information that children face every day can be managed, allowing children to just be children, to play and be carefree. No matter how it shows itself, whether in the form of journaling, music writing, dialogue in children's shows, novels/short stories, or the traditional poetry style, poetry will always have an overall benefit in the lives of children. Who knows, in hundreds of years' time, historians will be discovering our poetry filled with the difficulties we faced and comparing it to theirs, just like we do now with old music, stories, and more.

Poetry, in this poet's opinion, is a beautiful way to express yourself. A way to take all the things that are causing heartache and put them on paper, or on your phone; a place where you can observe them and deal with them in a healthy, safe way. I am aware that I am very biased, and that many people's experiences of poetry at school were not so favorable. For many poetry was the worst part of their lessons. This experience of poetry is retained into adulthood, leading adults to have a negative perception of poetry. This an unfortunate because poetry is very beneficial for mental health and well-being. The purpose of this article is to help teenagers at school to see poetry from a different perspective so that their poetry lessons do not have to be negative or boring. Secondly, for parents, it is a small insight into your children's experience in lessons. A key reason why poetry is difficult in the school environment is that teenagers have no choice when it comes to learning poetry; it is mandatory for them if they want to get good grades. This lack of choice makes poetry a chore. Similar to all subjects if there is no enjoyment for a subject, the emotional engagement will be reduced. Poetry provides a lot of beautiful benefits. As stated above, it is excellent for good mental health and well-being. a good way of finding enjoyment in poetry is finding media that have elements in poetry; in writing this I have spoken to teenagers to get their opinion on this matter, a quote that came out that I found interesting was that “poetry is the music of the past, we like music now”. The reason why I say this is because rap music; uses a lot of poetry techniques; this can be a stepping stone to enjoying poetry. I will do a separate article on the relationship between poetry and rap music, but for now, I will highlight one artist that influences the poetry I write, Rapsody, an American rapper that uses words to create amazing mental images. Psychology behind it The brain does not have unlimited energy, meaning when considering that teenagers have to retain information from more than 7 subjects, plus do homework on those subjects and in the case of exam time revise for mocks, end of year exams or GCSE’s, that is a lot of information. The brain does not have the cognitive capability to retain everything in its entirety, like a computer if you run too many programs the computer will slow down, the brain is similar when presented with a lot of information the brain will prioritize the information and in the case of poetry lessons, that is most of the time a low priority. This cognitive and emotional disconnect means poetry lessons are naturally hard lessons for teenagers. Solution One solution to make poetry a more enjoyable lesson is making the poems personal to you. A poem is just a story at the end of the day, the more you can put that story in context to your life and experiences, the more enjoyable that poem will become. Key questions to ask yourself are; how would I feel if that was me? and what would I do in that situation?. When you do this you add emotional value to the poem, making it easier to understand. In asking these questions, we may find out that we do know what we will do; in this scenario, it is important to make the teacher aware that you are confused. It's the teacher's job to deliver the information effectively and for them to do so your feedback is important. You say you do not know, lets the teacher know that the information needs to be simplified, the teacher is not a mind reader, so it is important for you the student to make the teacher aware that you are finding it difficult. Lastly, you can make poetry easier to understand by listening to spoken word poetry or rap music. This can be an easier introduction to the poetry presented in schools, which is book poetry. Both rap music and spoken word poetry use techniques that can be analyzed when looking through a poem, such as alliteration, metaphors, similes, personification, and more.