Huntington Learning Center Celebrates 2018 Teen Read Week

Teen Read Week is October 7-13 and Huntington Learning Center is celebrating this national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the American Library Association. Launched in 1998 and held annually during the same week as Columbus Day, this commemoration encourages teens to be regular readers and library users.

The 2018 theme of Teen Read Week is "It's Written in the Stars: READ." This theme is designed to encourage teens to think and read outside of the box. CEO and Co-Founder Eileen Huntington of Huntington Learning Center says that reading should spark curiosity and there are many book genres that do that, including fantasy and science fiction.

“Something we strive to do with our students is encourage them to view reading as an adventure and an opportunity for exploration,” says Huntington. “Libraries help children grow into readers—a true gift that they carry into teenhood and beyond. We are pleased to celebrate Teen Read Week at Huntington alongside our education counterparts because we believe in the importance of reading and we want to help students become lifelong readers.”

This year, YALSA is inviting readers between ages 12 and 18 to vote on their favorite books for the Teens’ Top Ten, a teen choice book list. Nominations were announced during National Library Week in April 2018 and voting is open as of August 15, 2018. Teens can vote for up to three books; winners will be announced the week after Teen Read Week 2018. Visit www.dogobooks.com/voting/2018-teens-top-reads.

Huntington suggests that parents find ways to make reading an enjoyable activity in their homes. “We find that children who read more often like it more, and of course, are stronger readers overall because they have established a regular reading habit,” she explains. “By the time students reach high school, they have learned to embrace reading as a way to acquire new knowledge.”

Huntington offers several suggestions for parents to promote reading at home:

• Keep reading together. Make reading a fun family activity, whether you all settle into your beds with books at bedtime or make it an evening ritual to curl up on the couch with a beverage or snack of choice and read in the same room.
• Enjoy literary outings together. Book signing of a favorite author coming to your town? Take your teen with you. Movie coming out next year based on a bestselling novel? Buy copies for both you and your teen and plan to finish the book together before the movie hits theaters. Find creative ways to bring stories and books into your lives.
• Check out books related to interests. Nudge your teen toward books that are related to hobbies or interests. If your teen idolizes any professional athletes or musicians, consult a librarian for book suggestions that your teen might like.
• Keep going to the library. If you started a tradition of going to the library regularly when your child was young, keep it up now that he or she is a teen. The more your teen is exposed to books, the more he or she will consider reading as a choice activity.
• Build the book collection. There’s something special about showcasing your favorite reads on a bookshelf. Help your teen start his or her own library collection. Bonus: your teen will never be at a loss for something to read.

To learn more about how Huntington helps children and teens become stronger readers and students, visit www.huntingtonhelps.com or call 1-800-CAN-LEARN.

For more information about Teen Read Week, visit http://teenreadweek.ning.com/.

About Huntington

Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams.  Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards.  Founded in 1977, Huntington’s mission is to give every student the best education possible.  Learn how Huntington can help at www.huntingtonhelps.com. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com.  

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