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Original poster

Any tips of getting reluctant son to read?

43 replies

KatieBw · 27/08/2020 22:43

My DS is 8 and won't read by himself. I have always read to him and still do every night. We all read in the house and have masses of books. I restrict screen time and really encourage books and reading but worried in turning it into an ordeal as he shows zero interest. Any tips on fabulous books he won't be able to resist?

OP posts:
AnonUser2018 · 27/08/2020 23:13

@LadyEggs

Mine is the same. However he LOVES Tom Fletcher's books and will read these independently. Try Creepers, it has been a hit with some of his non-reading friends too.
Do you mean The Creakers? My ds, now 9,loved this last year!
AnonUser2018 · 27/08/2020 23:12

13 Storey Tree House books are fab for this age.

OhioOhioOhio · 27/08/2020 23:11

I'd go with the non fiction recommendations. Mine craft even?

LadyEggs · 27/08/2020 23:10

Mine is the same. However he LOVES Tom Fletcher's books and will read these independently. Try Creepers, it has been a hit with some of his non-reading friends too.

Pet8 · 27/08/2020 23:07

My middle one refused to read. We are a household of avid readers. He was car and football mad so I bought him Top Gear annuals, football magazines and annuals. He also read the football supplements/ back pages of the local newspaper. His teachers throughout juniors encouraged it because at least he was reading.

Needsomezzzz · 27/08/2020 23:05

We have the same, he hates to read out loud. He tends to read a few pages of a book and give up.
He does always put subtitles on any tv programme he watches and reads along, not ideal, but it does mean he reads every day!
Some great book ideas on here!

Notashandyta · 27/08/2020 23:05

Bookmarked this page, thanks

parrotonmyshoulder · 27/08/2020 23:01

Mine’s the same. Probably made worse by the voracious reading of his big sister - I think he feels he can’t keep up so won’t try at all. We don’t compare at all, of course, but he does.
He has taken to Tom Gates and the 13 Storey Tree House series, Dog Man and other comic strip style books. All written, presumably, for exactly this target market. He also still loves me to read all his old picture books (Oliver Jeffers, Supertato, Kipper etc) and takes a few of these to bed each night by himself so I know he reads them too.

willloman · 27/08/2020 22:57

National geographic magazine children's version. Tintin. Good luck.

formerbabe · 27/08/2020 22:57

What's he into? At that age my ds was football obsessed, he loved reading the Tom Palmer Football academy series. Diary of a wimpy kid was a hit too and beast quest.

Graphista · 27/08/2020 22:53

Joke books, graphic novels/comics, non fiction on subjects he's interested in, instruction manuals or hobbies where he has to follow detailed instructions, subtitled movies, puzzle books...

Think outside the box basically but I agree the last thing you want is to turn it into a hated chore.

Anything

justdontatme · 27/08/2020 22:50

Me too... 8, nearly 9, year old DD just ‘hates’ reading.

I read bedtime stories to her which is fine, I enjoy it & it means her vocabulary, comprehension etc is great as we can read rich books beyond what she could read for herself - but I want her to choose to read as a leisure activity which she just doesn’t do... we have 2 magazine subscriptions, just signed up the Beano too, masses of books, constantly picking up things I think she might like & never clicks. I think my eldest who is a bookworm has marked out reading as her territory & there’s some sibling dynamics going on...

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 27/08/2020 22:49

Have you got any proper silly fart and poo books?

Or if he has any specific interests, do you have any non-fiction books about those subjects?

frustrationcentral · 27/08/2020 22:49

Some children just aren't readers though. My DS1 wasn't and still isn't. He's just left school with a 6&7 in English so can't have done him much harm!

ChickensMightFly · 27/08/2020 22:49

Mine loves the Beano. I get it delivered so it doesn't have the stupid plastic toys these things have when you buy in the shop. I know it isn't prose, but it still exercises word recognition and story flow. Every little helps. For mine it's a confidence thing.

frustrationcentral · 27/08/2020 22:48

Dog man?
Wimpy kid
Tom Gates

Any magazines?

Allnamesaregone · 27/08/2020 22:47

Also it’s important they get to choose the books

Allnamesaregone · 27/08/2020 22:46

I have 2 boys- they much preferred non fiction to fiction.

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