Growing use of AI chatbots has prompted parents to seek regulations to safeguard children’s mental health.

In a recent Senate hearing, two parents testified against AI companies, reporting that their teenage children developed extended relationships with their chatbots that led to suicide. Analysis by digital safety company Aura says that children are developing more in-depth conversations with AI companion apps, averaging 163 words per message compared to just 12 words in a typical message with a friend.

Florida State University’s Secil Caskurlu is an assistant professor of instructional systems and learning technologies. Her overall research focuses on the design, development and evaluation of technology-rich learning experiences to enhance student outcomes including learning and engagement.

A few guidelines can create a safer experience with chatbots, she said.

“One of the most critical practices is remembering that you are interacting with artificial intelligence, not a human mind,” Caskurlu said. “It should be treated as a thinking partner, not a replacement for human intelligence. Chatbot responses can be useful for brainstorming, summarizing or drafting ideas, but they should never be taken as the final answer. This is because its decision making is shaped by the data it was trained on and lacks moral and ethical reasoning.”

Martin Swanbrow Becker is an associate professor of psychological and counseling services in FSU’s educational psychology and learning systems department. His current research examines the personal and contextual factors that influence the progression of adolescents and young adults along a distress and suicidal continuum of experience with a focus on stress, coping, resilience and help-seeking.

Swanbrow Becker believes community support is crucial when it comes to youth mental health, including suicide prevention.

“Youth may be increasingly turning to AI for help with their problems,” Swanbrow Becker said. “While AI can sometimes provide useful responses, it can also increase distress, particularly by building on and amplifying the concerns the person has. This highlights the importance of what we can do as a community. By encouraging each other to stay connected to our communities, saying something when we notice someone struggling, and supporting each other with access to mental health resources, we can help each other thrive.”

Media interested in discussing the ethical practices of AI may contact Secil Caskurlu at scaskurlu@fsu.edu.

Media looking for perspective and analysis on suicide prevention can reach out to Martin Swanbrow Becker at mswanbrowbecker@fsu.edu.

Secil Caskurlu, assistant professor of instructional systems and learning technologies, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

1. In your opinion, how can people make AI safer and better regulated?

AI can become safer and more regulated through a multi-dimensional approach that requires collaboration between developers, policymakers and an informed public. First, we need ethical guidelines and frameworks focused on fairness (AI tools treating all users fairly and mitigating against algorithmic bias), transparency (An explainable AI decision-making process, so we can understand how and why a system arrives at an outcome), and accountability (clear responsibility for AI’s impact).

Just as important is empowering users through critical AI literacy. For instance, my recent research with K-12 teachers revealed that when teachers understand how AI systems work — that they are trained on data and have inherent biases and limitations — they become more cautious and responsible users. 

2. What are some best practices for using chatbots like ChatGPT in a safe and ethical manner?

We must remember that every conversation with a chatbot can potentially be used as training data. Data privacy and surveillance have been major concerns. To protect security, never share sensitive or personal information. Furthermore, since chatbots are known for generating incorrect information or ‘hallucinating’ references, it is essential to fact-check outputs against reliable sources before relying on them, especially for critical information or advice. Always be the final editor, and when appropriate, discuss outputs with peers or mentors.

Martin Swanbrow Becker, associate professor of psychological and counseling services, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

1. How can we assist people in feeling more comfortable to ask for help when they’re struggling?

When people experience psychological distress and even thoughts of suicide, they often feel isolated, believing that others cannot understand what they’re going through and that they are alone in these experiences. Yet our research shows that over half of college students have thought about suicide at some point in their lives. We can help others by recognizing that most of us experience mental health distress and thoughts of suicide at some point in our lives and approach conversations with compassion, care and empathy when we are concerned about someone. We should also reach out to those we are concerned about to open up a conversation and support them. Groups can request training on how to help with a range of mental health topics, including suicide prevention, through the university counseling services.

2. What role does the community play in preventing suicide, and how can we all contribute to creating a safer environment for those at risk?

Enhancing psychological wellness and preventing suicide is a community effort. People often think about suicide when they feel they do not belong or believe they are a burden on others. Also, when someone feels disconnected from others, it can be harder for those around them to recognize their struggles or step in with support. It is also important to recognize that we are all responsible for helping others in our community. While we will not be each other’s therapists, we can recognize when others are struggling, reach out to them and, when appropriate, assist them in receiving professional help, such as at Counseling & Psychological Services at FSU. We can also encourage people to access support sooner so that they can address challenges before they become overwhelming.

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2025 Measles Fact Sheet

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported the first death from measles in the United States since 2015 – a result of an outbreak in West Texas involving 146 cases.

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory illness, can be transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread. Its high transmissibility has caused a spread over several West Texas counties and now into eastern New Mexico.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just one infected patient can spread measles up to nine out of 10 close contacts. In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the United States, but was still commonly transmitted from other countries.

As of Feb. 27, the CDC has reported a total of 164 measles cases over nine jurisdictions, including Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas.

Dr. George Rust, director of Florida State University’s Center for Medicine and Public Health, is an academic public health expert. He also serves as medical director for six local county public health departments. Last year, Rust’s expertise was provided when Broward County in Florida had a small outbreak of measles in an elementary school.

Rust created a 2025 fact sheet for addressing important questions about measles that is accessible to the public.

Media inquiries on the recent measles outbreak can reach Dr. Rust at george.rust@med.fsu.edu.

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Florida State University continues to make an enormous investment in artificial intelligence – a critical and forward-thinking technology that is bound to reshape higher education for decades to come.

Faculty, staff and researchers are using the latest AI tools and technologies in several ways: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Dean Suvranu De led the development of an AI-powered tool that helps to train surgeons by analyzing video of their surgical technique and providing feedback; the College of Nursing launched the nation’s first master’s degree combining artificial intelligence and health care; Professors Hailey Kuang and Prashant Singh of the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences are addressing food safety challenges with AI; the College of Law is integrating AI research into their curriculum to better equip their students for the future.

Paul Marty is a professor of information and associate vice provost for academic innovation at FSU. He works with faculty, staff and students to integrate new ideas into the university’s educational practices and help shape interdisciplinary cooperation.

Marty worked with FSU’s Information Technology Services and Office of Digital Learning to launch FSU’s official artificial intelligence website – ai.fsu.edu – to better detail the university’s commitment to student success through AI.

The academic innovator is excited about what the future holds at FSU, believing that AI can impact higher education in a positive way.

“What has me most excited about AI is how AI is leveraging academic innovation,” Marty said. “What people are realizing right now is that this is a great opportunity for us to change the way we teach and research and everything we do that is important in academia. All of this is an opportunity for us to reshape higher education.”

Media interested in interviewing Marty on AI’s influence on higher education can contact him at marty@fsu.edu.

Paul Marty, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation, Florida State University

What are some ways that AI is transforming higher education?
“When we think about how we’re using AI to leverage academic innovation on campus, the first step is to recognize that universities are no longer places where you go to acquire information, and they have not been in a very long time. Knowledge is not the rare commodity that it once was – knowledge is increasingly available to everyone with an internet connection, and in that world, what’s the role and purpose of universities? I’m sure we’ve all heard people ask, ‘Why go to university if you can learn the same thing online for free on YouTube?’ And my answer is that higher education is not about learning things – it’s about learning how to apply the things you learn, how to define problems and develop solutions to those problems. That’s how AI is reshaping higher education – by shifting the focus from learning things to lifelong learning, building human-human connections and developing an innovation mindset in our students.” 

How do you see universities adapting to this rapid change?
“Universities are actually very good at handling disruptive technologies – calculators, personal computers, the internet and more. Academics have a lot of experience doing this going all the way back to the invention of writing. On the one hand, academia can be slow to change and resistant to change, but on the other hand, what history has shown us is that academics are very good at adopting disruptive technologies over time and changing the way they teach. Think about the way that math departments evolved their teaching around calculators or modern language departments evolved their teaching around Google Translate – we’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again. We know what we’re doing, and thanks to AI, we have the opportunity here to reshape what we consider important in higher education, so that we’re not just checking boxes for compliance but creating meaningful and engaged learning experiences for our students.”

How can we best ensure that AI is not a total replacement for human learning and training?
“In a world where access to AI is ubiquitous, where everyone has access to the same knowledge, the same information, the same data – where AI can give you the answers to the questions you ask – what will set humans apart from AI is how humans mediate those answers for other people. What you know will be far less important than how you know it and whether you can share that knowledge with other people with empathy, inspiration and critical thinking skills. And this is not new to AI – we’ve been saying this to our students forever – your technology skills are far less important than your people skills, your leadership skills and your management skills. If we want our students to succeed, then they need to be able to answer, ‘What’s your value add? What can you do that AI cannot? And our answer to that question is what makes us truly and uniquely human.’”

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A study on microplastics published last week shows that levels of plastic particles were about 50% higher in brain samples from 2024 compared to 2016.

Research into the health effects of microplastics and nanoplastics is still emerging as the body of work is less than a decade old. Higher concentrations of plastics in our environment are linked to their larger presence in humans.

Florida State University Associate Professor Gregg Stanwood is a developmental neuropharmacologist and behavioral neuroscientist in the College of Medicine. He said the microplastics study raises key questions about the effect of plastics on our health, but cautions more research is needed to better understand the consequences.

“Initial indications from research studies in people, as well as model organisms like isolated cells, zebrafish and rodents, suggest that microplastic exposures contribute to increased risk of serious health conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases,” said Stanwood. “It’s too soon to quantify the exact degree of those increased risks.”

Civil & Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Jeffrey Farner has expertise in microplastics and nanoplastics, and is focused on their detection, prevalence and exposure. He explains that their omnipresence in today’s environment is due to two factors.

“The first is that global plastic production continues to increase. Approximately 400 million tons of plastics are produced annually, and this number has increased year on year,” Farner said. “The second reason is that plastic use leads to release into the environment both intentionally and due to mismanagement or poor waste streams.”

Media with questions on the health-related concepts of the microplastics study can contact Stanwood at gregg.stanwood@med.fsu.edu.

Farner is available to answer questions on the environmental impact of microplastics and can be contacted at jfarner@eng.famu.fsu.edu.

Gregg Stanwood, Associate Professor, FSU College of Medicine

Should consumers exercise any caution when it comes to using plastic materials?

“Unfortunately, microplastics and other pollutants are fairly pervasive in our environment. Nevertheless, there are some actions consumers can take to reduce their exposure, including avoiding single-use plastics like cups, eating utensils and straws. Re-usable ones are better. People should also avoid microwaving food in plastic containers and avoid foods with excessive plastic packaging. Support the continuation and expansion of large well-controlled studies at the national level to allow these innovative researchers to continue this important work.”

 Jeffrey Farner, Assistant Professor, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

The study makes it clear that microplastic levels continue to rise. How have microplastics become so prevalent?

“We produce more plastic. and we don’t have a closed loop. A key aspect is that microplastics exist either as intentionally produced or as a result of weathering or breakdown of larger plastics. Relatively few microplastics are intentionally produced. But, while a plastic bottle or bag is not intentionally produced to be a microplastic, if that plastic is littered or left out in the environment, it’s going to become brittle and break down, releasing microplastics.

 “These microplastics will themselves break down into smaller microplastics and nanoplastics with time and exposure to UV light, heat and other stresses. Plastic doesn’t degrade in the environment and cease to be plastic; it breaks down into microplastics and nanoplastics. Which means one individual piece of plastic – be it a bag, a bottle, packaging, construction material, plastic landscape fabric, etc., can become millions or billions of tiny particles that are then carried by the wind, dispersed in water, or get mixed into our soils.”

 While much more data remains to be seen, what do we know right now about human exposure to microplastics?

“Human exposure comes from an incredibly wide variety of sources, but they all basically come down to what we breathe and what we ingest. Our skin is generally quite good at keeping particles out of the body. Airborne microplastics and nanoplastics exist as small particles and fibers that then are either inhaled, or deposited onto food or into liquids and are ingested. Inhaled microplastics can enter the lungs, and smaller particles are more apt to travel deeper into the lungs and alveoli. For ingested particles, estimates have suggested that we may consume the equivalent of a credit card (approximately 5 grams) a week. These come from plastics found in the food and drinks we consume as well as deposited airborne particles.”

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On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced an outbreak of Escherichia coli (E. coli) linked to McDonald’s quarter pounders.

According to the Associated Press, 49 cases between Sept. 27 through Oct. 11 were reported in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Known widely as E. coli, the bacteria are found in places like the intestines of people and animals, but some can be harmful to the body.

Florida State University Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences Associate Professor Prashant Singh is a food safety microbiologist by training, and his core area of research is the development of rapid methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens.

His laboratory focuses explicitly on developing methods for the specific detection of virulent strains of Shiga toxin-producing non-O157 E. coli and salmonella.

Singh’s areas of expertise include E. coli, food safety, food-borne outbreaks and pathogens and food microbiology. He was recently awarded a $150,000 grant to develop a method to detect salmonella contamination in beef samples.

Singh is available to speak with reporters on the latest E. coli outbreak.

Prashant Singh, Associate Professor of Health, Nutrition, and Food Sciences
Email: psingh2@fsu.edu

Quotes from Prashant Singh:

On the E. coli outbreak being traced to slivered onions:
“Onions, which are another ingredient for the McDonald’s quarter pounders, do not have a mandatory STEC testing requirement, and they do not undergo high heat treatment to ensure the elimination of contaminating STEC strains. In this outbreak, onions are also considered a suspect.”  

On the testing of E. coli in beef:
“In the United States, E. coli O157:H7, along with six other E. coli serogroups (O26, O45, O111, O103, O121, and O145), are considered adulterants in beef, which means that all beef products must be tested before it is released in the commerce. Among them, E. coli O157:H7 strains are most frequently isolated from beef samples. The E. coli O157:H7 strain can cause life-threatening infections. The STEC strains have two crucial virulence genes (i.e., eae and stx ). The eae gene codes for intimin protein, which facilitates strong attachment of these pathogens to the host cells. Meanwhile, the stx gene encodes for Shiga toxin, which can bind to the GB3 receptors and are found on the surface of intestine and kidney cells. The toxin can also lyse the red blood cells. In extreme cases, STEC strains can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which involves kidney failure and death. What makes these infections even worse is that antibiotics cannot be used against them, as the administration of antibiotics induces the Shiga toxin production by STEC cells, which will overwhelm the body.

 “Due to these reasons, the beef samples are always tested for the presence of E. coli O157:H7. This testing is performed internally by large beef processors, whereas small and medium-sized operations ship the samples to an external testing lab, which has a longer turnaround time.”

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Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued recommendations for health care providers due to a rise in measles cases across the United States, including an outbreak in Florida. In 2000, measles was declared effectively eradicated from the U.S.

Measles can be especially dangerous for babies and young children, with symptoms including watery and red eyes, runny nose, high fever, cough and the characteristic blotchy measles rash that typically appears on the face three to five days after initial symptoms.

George Rust, director of Florida State University’s Center for Medicine and Public Health, is available to speak to the media about these developing outbreaks and the implications on public health and disease control. To arrange an interview, email george.rust@med.fsu.edu.

“Measles had been largely eliminated in the U.S., but we see sporadic outbreaks especially when immunization levels drop even a little bit. The vaccine is very effective. If the immunization rate in a school or a community is above 93% or so, herd immunity can work. Below that, outbreaks and spread can occur.”

“Measles is highly contagious, with 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed likely to catch it. Measles is also serious with historically one in five hospitalized and one in 1,000 having encephalitis. As many as one in 3,000 cases die. Cases and deaths are more common overseas in under-resourced settings.”

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Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) is an annual campaign to garner public attention and engage in support for those affected by eating disorders. For 2024, the National Eating Disorders Association has designated Feb. 26-March 3 as EDAW.

Eating disorders research is rapidly evolving and examines many psychological and biological factors that may impact individuals and society. Understanding the research behind these disorders can lead to better support and effective treatment.

Florida State University researchers are available to speak to the media and share their research findings and implications.

Pam Keel

Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
keel@psy.fsu.edu

Keel is a leading researcher in eating disorders. Her research tackles how eating disorders are defined, resulting in the identification of Purging Disorder as a condition affecting approximately 1 in 50 women worldwide. She has studied what happens to people with eating disorders through multiple long-term follow-up studies of women and men from late adolescence to late midlife, and she recently completed a large grant to examine the biobehavioral consequences of weight suppression in predicting eating disorder outcomes. Keel’s lab examines the impact of psychosocial factors such as social media use on risk for eating disorders.

“In June 2020, the most comprehensive analysis of the economic burden of eating disorders (ED) in the US reported 5.48 million people (1.66%) suffered from eating disorders in one year, costing the US economy $64.7 billion. In this same year, approximately 6,910 females and 3,290 males between the ages of 15 and 64 years lost their lives in the course of their ED, representing one death every 52 minutes as a direct result of eating disorders in the US. My research works to ensure that everyone is counted, employing rigorous scientific approaches to reveal underlying mechanisms and identifying key targets for intervention to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in the US and billions of people worldwide.”

Xiaobing Zhang

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
xzhang@psy.fsu.edu

Zhang’s research focuses on dissecting the neural circuits that regulate food intake and feeding motivation, specifically relating to the role of neuroplasticity and brain dysfunction. This research has implications for how exactly the brain’s reward system may play in the development of obesity and eating disorders. Zhang’s lab is currently focused on neural circuits both within and outside of the hypothalamus for feeding regulation. 

“Eating is an innate and motivated behavior which is triggered by both internal metabolic signals and external food-associated environmental stimuli. However, individual eating habits and stressful environments may cause neuroplasticity in circuits for feeding and motivation that lead to eating disorders. Our research is devoted to revealing how the brain controls feeding motivation and what factors induce neuroplasticity to cause disordered motivation for food using transgenic mouse models. With our efforts, we hope to better understand the neural mechanism of common eating disorders and eventually contribute to novel strategies for curbing these disorders.”

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 240,000 new breast cancer cases in women and 2,100 men are diagnosed annually in the United States alone. Though this number has been decreasing over recent years, the disease is still the second-leading cause of death from cancer among women in the United States.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which brings an opportunity to reflect on the disease and its impact on our community. Florida State University faculty are available to speak to the media about the importance of resistance training for breast cancer survivors about research to understand the interactions between cancer and the immune system.

Lynn Panton

Professor, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
lpanton@fsu.edu

Panton researches how exercise affects body composition, muscular strength and functional outcomes of healthy older adults and chronically diseased populations. Her recent research has focused on the effects of resistance training and functional impact training in female breast cancer survivors.

“Resistance training is important for breast cancer survivors, especially for regaining strength in their upper body. Surgery (mastectomies), treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, drugs), and diminished energy for physical activity can compromise muscle mass, strength and bone density. It is important to get women and men to begin or continue a resistance training program to improve, or at least maintain, their body composition and strength. This can help with physical function and improve quality of life.” 

Qing-Xiang “Amy” Sang

Endowed Professor of Cancer Research, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences 
qxsang@chem.fsu.edu

Sang studies how cancer cells escape from our body’s immune surveillance system and how to kill cancer cells that are hiding from our immune attack. Her research has led to a biomarker identification system that provides more accurate screening for human breast cancer patients for precision chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

“My lab’s research team is analyzing the immune microenvironment in immunologically ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ breast tumors as they compare to normal healthy breast tissues. Our research provides evidence for high levels of pro-tumorigenic M2 macrophages in cold tumors and shows that T cell suppression is the main immune evasion mechanism in hot breast tumors. This work could improve the design of clinical trials examining regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages in human breast cancer — research that could help overcome cancer immune evasion mechanisms. The goals are to improve cancer patients’ long-term survival and quality of life, and ultimately cure cancer.” 

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With the World Health Organization grappling with the health risks associated with artificial sweeteners — specifically linking them to cancer in a new report Florida State University Professor Pradeep Bhide is available to provide expert comment to reporters working on this story.

Bhide leads a research team that is investigating the effects of aspartame — the artificial sweetener found in many diet foods and drinks. A recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed a link between the sweetener and anxiety, which they found was not limited to aspartame-consuming individuals but was also transmitted to future generations.

“The increased risk for metabolic diseases and cancer is very concerning,” Bhide said. “However, the potential for adverse neuro-behavioral effects is just as serious. Even more striking is the potential for transmission of the risk from one generation to the next due to the effects of artificial sweeteners on germ cells. Now is the time for the FDA to begin evaluating the effects of artificial sweeteners on germ cell epigenomes and heritability of traits as part of the due diligence to protect our current and future generations.”

Bhide is the Jim and Betty Ann Rodgers Eminent Scholar Chair of Developmental Neuroscience and the director of the Center for Brain Repair at the Florida State University College of Medicine. Part of his research portfolio includes the effect of non-nutritive sweeteners on the development of the brain and behavior.

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With the sporting world turning its attention to Churchill Downs this week, the racing industry is preparing for the 149th Kentucky Derby.

Katherine Mooney, the James P. Jones Associate Professor of History, has authored a new book on three-time Kentucky Derby winner, Isaac Murphy. The book, “Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey,” was released May 2 and chronicles the life of a former slave who became one of the greatest jockeys in American history.

Mooney is available for interviews with reporters covering the Kentucky Derby and the horseracing industry.

Katherine Mooney, associate professor of history, College of Arts and Sciences
kcmooney@fsu.edu 

“The Kentucky Derby is America’s oldest continuously operating sporting event. It’s also, in recent years, been the subject of a great deal of controversy. Two disqualifications — one for interference in the race and one for a positive drug test —have changed the results; one of the most successful trainers in the race’s history has been banned from competition in it; and city-wide protests and pandemic threatened to halt the event altogether. But on the first Saturday in May, the Derby is back — and looks wide open.” 

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The nursing shortage plaguing the United States goes back decades, but an aging baby boomer population and pandemic burnout have pushed that issue to the forefront for many medical facilities.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed this decade and employment opportunities are expected to grow at a faster rate than all other occupations.

FSU College of Nursing Dean Jing Wang has been committed to training the next generation of nursing professionals and addressing workforce needs. She is available to discuss the workforce shortage issues with interested media outlets as well as FSU’s work in this area.

Jing Wang, Dean, FSU College of Nursing
(850) 644-3299; jingwang@nursing.fsu.edu

Wang is Dean and Professor of the Florida State University College of Nursing, and Adjunct Professor in Biomedical Informatics and Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She serves as a trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and HCA Florida Capital Hospital. As a Health and Aging Policy Fellow and American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow, she was a Senior Scientific Advisor to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and works with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) as a senior policy adviser.

“Nursing is the biggest group of health care professionals in the U.S. and globally and nurses have been the most trusted profession by the public. But the shortage facing the profession is a serious concern because it directly impacts the level of care that individuals receive. At FSU, we have been working diligently on this issue by increasing enrollment and providing high-quality education to more students, helping build a well-trained nursing workforce.”

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For more on what FSU is doing to combat the nursing workforce crisis, please visit Florida State University News.

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With school-aged children celebrating the joy of reading through Read Across America Day or Dr. Seuss Day this week, many parents and teachers are capitalizing on that joy to remind kids of the power of a good book.

Florida State University Assistant Professor Lakeisha Johnson, a faculty affiliate for The Florida Center for Reading Research, has assembled a tip sheet for parents using this time to encourage their children to read more.

“Sometimes, finding the right book or format can light a spark that will stay with children forever,” Johnson said.

Here are some tips:

Let your child lead.
Allow your child to choose books based on their interests. Whether they like picture books or graphic novels, fiction or biographies, poetry or sci-fi, children are more motivated to read when they are interested in the topic.

Make reading a family activity.
Choose a time of day when all members of the family drop everything and read. Children often follow the models shown by adults and will value reading when they see their grown-ups doing it for pleasure.

Keep reading aloud.
Read books together, even when your child is old enough to read on their own. When grown-ups read aloud, the mental space needed to decode is freed up and the child can focus solely on understanding the story and actively participating in conversations beyond the text.

Introduce a fun series.
No one likes a cliffhanger. Captivating series are a great way to keep children engaged and wanting to read the next story.

Go beyond storybooks.
Reading doesn’t always have to be a traditional book. Read through a recipe book to find a new meal or dessert idea. Find a children’s magazine to spark interest in a new topic. Try listening to audiobooks for a fun switch in your normal reading routine.

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