Magazines created for elementary, middle school, and high school students are a great way to enhance core curriculum studies with current, up-to-date information. Periodicals have the ability to take into account current social trends among young people while reflecting the latest advancements in educational theory.
Between the "juvenile" and the "teen and young adult" categories, WritersMarket.com lists over a hundred magazines devoted to people under the age of eighteen; many of these are designed to meet the educational needs of kids at the same time that they entertain and inform. Science, math, history, social studies, art, archeology, sports, and literature are only a few of the topics covered. Adding some of these well-written, colorful magazines to the classroom can keep young people excited about school and learning.
Emphasize the use of magazines in your classroom.
Subscribing to a number of these magazines is a great first step; but you can do more to integrate the periodicals into your classroom. Some of the publishers offer free previews of upcoming issues and curriculum guides that allow you to plan your themes around specific issues. Beyond that, it's a good idea to announce the arrival of a new issue to your class, and even to give the students an overview of the contents of each issue. Consider checking with your school library to find books with content that enhances the material in the magazines, and display the magazines and books in your reading center. You may find that students will get really excited about certain issues and actually request more information on specific subjects, which will give you additional ideas about possible themes for future study.
Depending on your budget, you may be able to actually poll your students at the beginning of the school year to discover what magazines they would like to see in their classroom, and order the most popular requests. Even fashion magazines or automotive magazines, while not a reflection of the curriculum, will get your kids reading and will let you, the teacher, discover the interests of your students, and monitor to some extent the information these young people are exposed to. If you have the money in your budget, or if you can find a benefactor for your class, you may be able to subscribe to a magazine or two and receive enough copies for every student in your class - a great motivation for kids.
Offer magazines at different reading levels.
Every classroom has students at a variety of reading and maturity levels, and your collection of magazines needs to reflect that. Some magazines, such as Appleseeds Magazine, by Cobblestone & Cricket, have content suitable for older kids who may be struggling with reading. You may also have students who are way beyond their age level in terms of reading comprehension, and magazines are a great way to provide enrichment for these advanced students.
Stay connected to your students by staying relevant.
As young people mature, they crave more independence, both in their school careers and in social areas, and can pull away from adults whom they see as uncaring or not understanding of them. High-quality magazines and books attuned to both their educational needs and their desire to connect with today's world can help keep their school studies relevant and keep them connected to the educational process so important to their futures. By providing them with reading materials that reflect their concerns, their lives, and their interests, you will manage to keep that important connection to them as they grow and learn; perhaps more importantly, as they see you working to understand their world, they will feel more comfortable turning to you when they confront problems they feel unequipped to handle. Stay up-to-date on the information they're reading, stay relevant to their world, and you stay connected.
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