Lack of interest in reading

[Tailtwister]

DS1 (5) is just coming to the end of his first term in P1 (Scotland) and seems to have done very well with his reading so far. He's gone from having no reading ability to comfortably reading 'red' Biff and Chip books. I think this is probably about average, maybe a bit behind the curve? He gets 2 books home 3x per week (one already read in group and one unseen).

He loves to be read to, but I've tried involving him by trying to get him to read some of the words, but he's not really interested. We've just been looking at picture books, so nothing complicated. I also read him chapter books at night (e.g Secret Seven).

Does this matter? Do I need to try and engage him more with reading at home or just leave it until he shows an interest? I'm worried I should be doing more with him at home than just the homework reading, but don't want to push it and put him off completely.

Any words of advice would be most welcome.

[redskyatnight]

I'd leave it. Remember that at this age he probably finds reading hard work and a chore- so why would he choose to do it? It's good that he's enjoying being read to and is making steady progress with his own reading - when he becomes a little more proficient you will hopefully find that he's ready to try to read on his own a bit more (my own DS was pushed through the reading levels too fast IMO and it meant that actually LIKING reading took a lot longer to come).

[noblegiraffe]

Liking being read to is a good start, I think. Is there anything that he might want to know what it says? My DS has started asking me what the names of various Angry Birds levels are so some I read for him and some I get him to have a go at, and I have heard him trying to sound some out when I'm not there. I think any reading is good, it doesn't have to be sentences and it doesn't have to be books.

[Rooble]

Agree - let him have a little rest and enjoying listening to you read. If he's feeling quite energetic one day let him sound out some of the simple words in the book you're reading. (Eg Seven, Janet etc) but only for amusement - not as something he has to do.
This is such an exhausting time, the end of the first term at school!

[qazxc]

Is there anything he likes/ is interested in? try getting reading material about that. Any reading/leafing through reading material is good, just so that reading isn't just associated with school and homework, doesn't matter what if they are comics/magazines/books.
Could you take him to a library and let him pick out something, have a browse.
Reading to him and him being interested is a huge positive, I remember my mum doing it to me and when i winged about not knowing what happened next when she finished a chapter, she used to say well when you can read you can find out as much as you want.
Do not try and force reading onto him, he needs to think of it like a pleasure not a chore.

[ReallyTired]

My son did not read to himself for pleasure until he was juniors. Learning to read is hard work and its more enjoyable to be read to. I still read to my eleven year old even though he can read really well.

[Periwinkle007]

I don't think this is unusual, also remember it is nearing the end of a very long term for a very small person so they are tired, excited about other things and quite frankly just can't be bothered.

keep reading to him, let him sound out some easy words in the stories you are reading (he will probably be much more interested in a Christmas story than a school reading book at the moment) and don't worry about it for the moment. Do try and do the school books but if he isn't keen then just do a few pages and then read a nice story instead.

[noramum]

DD is now 6.5 and in Year 2. I would think she reads for pleasure since Easter this year. It suddenly clicked.

When she was in Reception and beginning of Year 1 she was still too busy trying to decode and sound out, reading was a task not something she enjoyed.

We read to her all the time and we got Early Readers for her to read to us in addition to school books but it wasn't really easy. We often did "I read a sentence you the next" etc and that was ok. But picking up a book was a long way off.

[attheendoftheendofmytether]

My DS1 was really excellent reader, doing proper free reading in reception but didn't really read for pleasure until he was Yr2 and even then it was sporadic, Yr 3 (juniors) when it really took off as something he would choose to do.

My DS2 now in reception is a reluctant reader in that he is reluctant to learn at all. He only knows 5 or 6 letter sounds which he learnt way back before he decided it was 'boring' and 'too hard'...that's a worry!

[ShoeWhore]

I agree don't worry but keep reading interesting stuff to him. They are definitely tired at this stage of their first term and that makes a massive difference.

When he does start to show a bit of interest, DK do a brilliant range of early readers which my boys have all enjoyed - they come in different levels (1-4) and on a wide range of topics - my boys especially liked the Star Wars ones. They are really good for engaging reluctant readers

[ErrolTheDragon]

Don't push it. My DD wasn't really a fluent reader until yr3, and even then didn't really enjoy reading herself - but adored being read to. So I've had the great pleasure of reading her lots of good books over the years. Her junior school gave out awards if you'd read a certain number of books - this was nice for some, but for her turned it into a chore.

She did like the Beano though... I'd recommend comics - not pseudo-comics like the Magic key ones, any kid can see through those, I mean real kids' comics and annuals. Not sure what's best for a 5yo but there should be soemthing. Also look for non-fiction, if there's something he's particularly keen on - one with good illustrations he can enjoy even if he doesn't want to read the text yet, and perhaps poems (when a bit older maybe). They're short, lots are humorous, rhymes can help.

Now DD is a voracious reader, who delights in a trip to Waterstone's to browse the teen fiction - and she still enjoys me reading to her (guess which long series I'm working through? ).

[Tailtwister]

Thanks for all the reassuring replies. I will just go with the flow then and carry on reading to him unless he seems to want otherwise.

He is certainly exhausted, what with all the usual school work and the added excitement of Christmas shows etc. It's almost impossible to get him to slow down over the weekends though. He was up at 6am yesterday playing with Lego! However, only 2 more weeks to go and a lot of that is Christmassy stuff.

[Fuzzymum1]

I would just keep up the reading to him, keep books as a pleasurable thing and when he's ready he will want to read for himself. My youngest is a very capable reader and is only now starting to read much for pleasure - he's almost 7 and been a free-reader for a while now.