Do you still read to your 8 year old?

[Matildathebrave]

My eight year old boy loves me reading to him at night which I have done with him since a baby.

The only trouble is he refuses to read anything himself other than his school reading book.

He's above average for his reading in his class so is capable of reading a book but always wants me to read them for him, even paperbacks which we do a couple of chapters a night.

Should I continue what I am doing? My heart sais yes but something tells me I should be trying to encourage him to read more?

[JustCallMeMummyPig]

I would say yes as he obviously still loves it.

My eldest is nearly 6 and reading chapter books, so we take it in turns to read a chapter - could you try that?

[throckenholt]

if you both enjoy it - then yes. We still read to our 8 and 9 year olds.

Encouraging reading is about making it enjoyable - he will read when he wants to but if he sees you enjoying it then he is likely to want to emulate.

My 8 years olds said the other day they can read the words easily but don't get much of the story when they read themselves at the moment - so prefer to be read to. They are obviously still at the learning stage and until it becomes easy or something they really want to do for some other reason then they aren't going to read on their own much. Mine happily read factual things to get info but don't read stories much yet.

[crazygracieuk]

My dd is 8 and a very confident reader but enjoys being read to. I think that she enjoys the intimacy of sharing a story and listening to me read can help her pick up on reading techniques like pauses and new vocabulary. At the end of the day it's relaxing to listen to a story being read which hopefully reinforces the enjoyment factor. As an adult who is reading a story you can pick the book which is good if your child picks samey books.

What are his school reading books like? If they are deathly dull I would read other books instead of school books (especially if they are from a reading scheme.)

[cory]

I read to my 11yo. And I do it precisely because he is a reluctant reader. I want to make sure that he does at least get used to the expanded vocabulary and abstract concepts that you get through good literature. If left to his own devices he will only know the mental world of football magazines; I don't think that's enough to furnish anyone's mind. I do occasionally try to bribe him to read a book and his older sister sometimes sits him down to read aloud to her, he is perfectly capable, he just hates doing it.

[SleepySuzy]

My DD is 7.5. At night we read a page then she reads a page. She loves books.

[ponyprincess]

I agree, it is great to keep reading with them, because it is not just about the reading side of it, but also ideas, vocabulary, chance to talk about things, all that can benefit!

[washedup]

Like SleepySuzy, we read together and alternate every couple of pages. She also likes to gate-crash her younger siblings stories and listen to old favourites before her own bed time.

[PoppetUK]

My DD really enjoyed us reading a chapter to her then she'd read one to us. We only did it a couple of times and then the teacher made her re-read her book which made it very dull. It's a bit frustrating because I don't have time with two younger ones to concentrate on 2 different books for a reasonable amount of time. I wish we could get rid of the ORT books now (she's about level 14 and I think us reading would actually encourage her to read more and really get into it.)

[wordfactory]

I still read to my year seven DC. They love it and so do I.
We are currently reading Ruby In The Smoke by Pullman. You can discuss the stories, themes and writing when you do this.

Both mine are voracious readers on their own though.

[Poledra]

DD1 (7 yo) is an avid reader, but still likes me (not her dad, just me) to read to her at night, so I usually do a chapter of whatever she's reading at the time. It's also useful quiet time - she gets a chance to tell me things on her own. I say it's useful - it's not always nice, like on Monday night when she told me after her story that she was so terribly lonely at school and then sobbed for 20 minutes. But I'd rather know, and try to help her do something about it, and there is no way she'd have told me that in the hustle of a normal daytime. So I'll keep doing it for as long as she wants.

[Elibean]

Keep reading! Apart from the obvious enjoyment for both of you, you are being a great role model - it will pay off on lots of levels

[Elibean]

Poledra

Hug for you, and hope your dd finds some solutions...lovely use of book time.

[asdx2]

I read most days to my dd 8 and she reads every day both to me and to herself. I enjoy sharing stories with her and although she can quite easily read them herself she enjoys the time being read to.
I read the books I read as a child to her, it's lovely re reading them and sharing our thoughts and getting an insight into how her mind works.
I think if you both enjoy it you should carry on tbh.

[schmee]

I really hope my boys want me to read to them when they are 8!

[bigTillyMint]

It'a great that you are reading to him - keep reading to him, but take turns - a page each. You need to move him onto reading extended texts independently and reading for enjoyment.

[ellodarlin]

I hardly ever read to my 8yo. By the time I've read to the younger ones he is engrossed in his own books although sometimes he listens when I am reading to them.

If you read a chapter with a cliffhanger ending does he not want to read on himself rather than wait until the next night for you to read to him?

[EustaciaVye]

Dd is exactly the same as OPs child. She can read but chooses me to read to her. I am guessing it wont be long before they are too cool for us to read to them so make the most of it, I say.

[RafaNadalIsMyLoveSlave]

I read to DS (8). He reads himself and is quite an avid reader but it can be hard to get him going on new authors - he finds a series he likes and sticks with it. So reading to him enables him to experience a wider range of writers that he might not choose himself - at the moment, we are reading The Phoenix and the Carpet. He also falls for the 'cliffhanger effect' and has finished several books by himself that we started because he can't wait to find out what happens next.

Also, he loves his bedtime story - it is our quiet wind-down time at the end of the day. I will really miss it when he wants to give it up but no signs of that yet.

[JemimaMop]

Yes I do still read to my 8 year old. Not as much as I used to when he was 3 or 4, but still several times a week. Often it is a book which he thinks might be a bit difficult for him to read himself, although he then often ends up reading it! He tends to prefer to read fact himself (eg Horrible Histories) whereas I read him fiction.

It works rather well actually as often if he wants me to read to he he will volunteer to read DD's bedtime story to her so that I have more time to read to him

[miniwedge]

My 11 yr old and I read to each other most nights. She has always loved reading as do I so we enjoy sharing books together.

[BoattoBolivia]

Yyyy to carrying on reading. Get http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rights-Reader-Daniel-Pennac/dp/1406300918?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 this to see why.
Even if he is nit reading himself, you are still exposing him to wonderful literature!

[BoattoBolivia]

Try again this

[DrNortherner]

I still read to my 9 year old, same as OP, a couple of chapters a night. He then reads a chapter or so alone in bed.

[BrigitBigKnickers]

I still read to my youngest DD till she was 11 (very good reader now at grammar school).

[Jinx1906]

Our Youngest is 7. We take turns reading a page each, or sometimes I read two-she reads one- page, especially on days when she is tired. We read books, which would normally be a bit too long for her to cope with on her own. She loves it and it gives her a sense of achievement when she has managed to finish a 300 page book. We are currently reading the Longest Whale Song. Would recommend, in fact I'm enjoying this book just as much as she does.