Teen Challenge

Here on the Project Read blog we focus almost exclusively on early literacy, but I heard a presentation by Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn, Executive Director of Youth Community Connections a few weeks ago that made me really think.

Laura reported on studies of teen family and community relationships and noted that "When we see people we know, or meet a new family, we fall all over the young children asking 'What's your name?' or 'How old are you?' and totally ignore the teens who are standing right there. What message do you get when you are ignored?" I had this brought home to me yesterday at the Eagleview Community Technology Center when three children were signing in to use the computers. Sure enough, I asked the 1st and 3rd graders how they'd been since I'd last seen them, then went back to what I had been doing with nothing more than a perfunctory hello to their 15 year old sister.

So here's the challenge- When you find yourself in the presence of teens and younger children, engage the teen in conversation before turning your attention to the young ones.