How do I encourage 7 year old to read

[Creamsugar]

My 7 year old son can read, however he does not enjoy it. I love reading and don't want to enforce it as a punishment or use it for him to get rewards. Does anyone have any advice on how I can get him to enjoy reading?

[WhattodoSue]

Read anything to him he might like as bedtime stories and try audio books on car journeys. I find it so hard finding stories my DS likes (he is younger than your - nearly 6), but when I get it right it works.

[DavidWainwrightsFeet]

Get him to the library and wave as many really tempting books as possible under his nose until you find the ones he can't resist.
Read him gripping bedtime stories and stop on a cliffhanger, leaving the book within reach. In extreme cases arrange for a family member to ring you in the middle of a bedtime story so you have to break off

[SpaceKablooie]

I think that finding lots of books that he might like would help. What about David Walliams' books? They're quite cheeky / funny. Or what about some age appropriate graphic novels?

[228agreenend]

Does he have any hobbies? Football? Nature? If so, find books related to these (eg. Rob child - football books, Steve Backshaw - nature)

Don't be precious about fiction books, get comics,, magazines etc. Get a magazine subscription about something he likes. It doesn't always matter what they are reading, as long as they are reading.

Have you tried an e-reader, or downloading books on an iPad. Kids these days like tech.x

Share a book. You read a page, and then he reads a page/paragraph etc.

If he is tired at night, then read earlier in the day.

[228agreenend]

Also, it doesn't have to be fiction books. My ds liked books with facts in, such as Guiness book of records, top gear books, annuals etc.

[Lovepancakes]

Dd and 2 of her friends read constantly (almost too much in the case of one of her friends as even on play dates) and I wonder if it's partly that none of them have a tv and also I've always gone to the library a lot and agree with poster above it helps. Even if they're not with me I choose anything that might amuse them (I don't really mind what they read so follow their interests. Eg Dd still prefers books that are 'young' for her age and I just figure any reading is useful!)

[SpaceKablooie]

Yes, I completely agree with 228 and Love - it doesn't matter what kids read, as long as they're reading something that they're interested in .

[GeorgeTheThird]

Read to him at bedtime, then stop just as you are about to find out what happens.

Give him a bedtime, tell him he can either turn his light out or read in bed, these are the only options.

[cornflakegirl]

DS1 is a real bookworm, but DS2 (7) isn't in the same way. He can read well, but doesn't read chapter books for pleasure, and doesn't really like reading out loud. So when we do reading, I mainly read to him, and he will read maybe 5 pages to me. And the rest of the time, he's reading comics - Beano, Garfield, Tintin, Calvin and Hobbes. Not sure he gets all the jokes, but hey. And he listens to audiobooks at bedtime - David Walliams, Roald Dahl, How to train your dragon, Mr Gum... He can quote whole passages of Pippi Longstocking by heart!

[ChalkyC]

My 7 year old all of a sudden last year got hold of some old beano and dandy annuals and loved them. He then moved onto comic style books like captain underpants and diary of a wimpy kid. Then I bought him a beano subscription. Basically I encourage him to read anything!! He liked David walliams Worlds Worst Children - anything funny and a bit naughty!

Hasn't helped his language. Courtesy of David walliams he told me to 'bog off' the other day.....,

[MarklahMarklah]

It might depend on what he's reading.
DD is a bit younger and is working her way through the 'prescribed' reading level books at school. Some of them she found really dull because, well, they were. I did explain to her that some of them didn't have much of a story because they were written to help her recognise certain words or sounds (digraphs and trigraphs, if I am remembering correctly).
We go to our local library a fair bit, and she tends to pick out more challenging books - those for children a year or so older. We read together, so she can read the easier bits, but still enjoy the story.

Comics, or funny/cheeky stories are definitely good though.

[sparepantsandtoothbrush]

Good luck. My DS is nearly 12 and won't read! He was reading before starting school and passed his y6 sats with ease but just won't read. I've tried everything suggested on MN but nothing has worked. I'm hoping secondary school will be the turning point wishful thinking

[LugsTheDog]

Shared bedtime reading here, even if that meant the adult doing 99%. We've struggled to find books DS likes though. He is intimidated by long books so he read a lot of short ones - mr majeka, magic treehouse, claude, oliver moon, early readers. Horrid henry were a good jump to the next size. Also he likes structure, so he gets on much better with a 10 book box set (book people) than flitting about with different school or library books.

We have never allowed tablets in the car, but there have been a few books knocking around since Dear Zoo. I found even our reluctant reader would pick up books in the car when there's not much else to do and there's some easy enough stuff to choose from. I bung the Strictly annual in to tempt him.

[Creamsugar]

Thank you all for these ideas. I will start following up.

[Autumnsky]

I agree to find out some books that he would interested in. DS2 really loves reading, beside fiction books, he likes Mincraft mannual, science knowledge books even maps book( the one has the country summary), as he find the information in these books interesting. At this age, child normally is quite curious, you can encourage him to find the answer in the book.

[Enb76]

Comics. I would suggest The Phoenix as it has weekly instalments of often very good stories so my daughter (7) is waiting for the next issue. I also get her Nat Geo Kids and sometimes buy the Beano etc...

[pleasemothermay1]

Magazines comics

[Flowerpower41]

For the past two years - ds is now 11 - simply won't read. It is a struggle to even get him to read two pages each a night. The book is really good it is called Skellig so he can't complain. He says reading is boring!

I suggested buying him football magazines but he didn't want me to. He has a Guinness Book of Records he used to read now he is fed up with it.

It really is a struggle so I do sympathise op. He can read well but he isn't expanding his vocabulary....

[JenLindleyShitMom]

My DS is 7 and can't read beyond some small words (he has lots of issues going on) I have found that when left to his own choices he picks his older brother's diary of a wimpy kid, and horrible histories books. He is also loving the BFG at the minute. He tries really hard to read them because he is enjoying them, despite them being above his reading level.

[LetLoveWin]

Another tip I read online was to stick up a board opposite the loo (!) so while you have their undivided attention they are compelled to read. On this board you write one sentence of the most exciting story you can think of, ending on a massive cliffhanger, maybe use your DC's names and whatever characters they are currently into. Update each day and hopefully they will soon be begging you to update it if you forget!

My own top tip is comics - my DS barely reads chapter books but reads non-stop comics. He is now getting into those hybrid comic chapter books that are so common now, like Captain Underpants though.

[CatNip2]

I don't think you can.

I am an avid reader, DH is a reader, DS is 22 and to the best of my knowledge has read only one single book in his entire life for pleasure (it was a horrible book on gangs which he found fascinating).

He reads fluently, he skims magazine and brochures on his hobbies, but he doesn't read for pleasure, ever.

DD has inherited our love of reading and read proper Enid Bylton style story books from age 6.

I think some people just don't "get" reading.

On another note, he watched many complicated and twisted plot films and TV series'. Me? I fall asleep if a film doesn't grip me in the first 3 seconds.

[Flowerpower41]

CatNip has your ds turned on well in society dare I ask? Please reassure me!

He just doesn't seem to give a stuff about any of his school work these days. Might be his age though. He is 11 so older than some of the ones on this thread.

He does show an interest in the news and world affairs which is heartening. He sees me watching the news and other programmes e.g. Panorama. He asks intelligent questions about the world too.

Perhaps I should go off and check on the preteens section. Sorry for rambling!

[LuchiMangsho]

We have family reading time. The problem is kids don't see us reading as well. I read a lot on my iPad but I wanted DS to see me actually read. So esp on weekends but sometimes after school we have family reading time. If I am back a bit early from work, I have tea, he has hot chocolate and we sit down with our respective books to read.
Also ask him to read easier books at first. Anything will do. Even books for 5 year olds. It is about creating a habit rather than WHAT he reads.

[Flowerpower41]

Sorry ladies and CatNip I should have typed has ds turned OUT well. I am sure he has and am just hoping I will hear something encouraging lol.

[Backingvocals]

DS (7) is the same. He's a really good reader but not really interested. DD (9) is book obsessed and always has been. I think it's just how they are.

I've tried everything with DS - comics, non-fiction, funny books, anything! He just doesn't think it's that interesting.

One thing I have discovered that might work is that I realised he doesn't really enjoy chapter books. I think his memory is not that great so reading a book over the course of two weeks - even if I'm reading it to him - is not appealing as he just doesn't remember what happened three nights ago. Short stories, however, are fine. So a big book of Arthurian legends which actually looks quite daunting is fine because it's one story every night. It took us about a month to read the whole thing but he had the listening stamina for it (if not the reading stamina) because it wasn't one continuous story. Ditto Greek Myths etc. I've just bought him some more short story books to see if I can keep it going.