Individual teachers should encourage these activities, but the school can sponsor programs that will help guide parents in promoting reading to their children. Encourage teachers to make contacts with parents about the reading interests of their students. Teachers learn a lot about their students' reading interests as they help them become voluntary readers. This information should be passed on to parents who can take the time needed to gain access to the books. Lists of books can be provided to parents from time to time so that they can help their children in locating and examining them for possible reading.
Parents also know a lot about their children.
Teachers and parents can shape each other's experiences with young adolescents when they work in close collaboration. Work closely with public libraries and other youth-service groups within the school community to support nonschool reading opportunities. Public libraries not only contain excellent collections of young adolescent books, but they also have knowledgeable adults who can help students find books of interest to them. Moreover, they are open to students after school, on weekends, on holidays, and during the summer. Youth-service professionals are powerful models for the students they serve, but they may not be able to make reading connections with the school without guidance and so may not be effective in supporting the school's reading initiatives.