Anyone got a teen who reads?

yes I agree, sometimes kids' books are too easy and YA ones don't appeal to all. When I was 14 I loved Agatha Christie, well written, but easy to read, grown up but not at all heavy. Or PG Wodehouse.

I think it's more likely that other things are grabbing her attention. We have no tech time where I don't care what she does as long as it's not on tech. Art, music and reading all happen during this time, it's scheduled into the day and everyone in the house follows it.

Could be that she just can't find a book that really grabs her? I remember having that problem at around that age, children's books were too 'young' for me and teen books were too focused on issues to be fun. Eventually I moved on to proper grown-up books (via some pretty trashy Mills & Boon type novels). She'll come back to it I'm sure.

I know you say you've already tried this, but I do the thing of taking screens away at bedtime and saying they can read before turning the light off. Why didn't that work - did she just go straight to sleep instead? Maybe do it half an hour earlier so she's less tired?

You do have to accept that not everyone loves reading. I'm an avid reader, and before I met my DH I had similar thoughts to you about people who don't read, but he's an educated, intelligent, interesting man who doesn't really read (maybe 3-4 books a year).

My DD was an avid reader from the time she could read books independently,and always had a book to read. She's now in her 20s and still reads.DS on the other hand never liked reading books and only read the books he needed to for school.He read a lot of news and business articles online and if any particular topic took his interest he would research it further. He passed all his English exams with flying colours(much to the amazement of his sister).I don't think you can force anyone to read books,only encourage and even then it doesn't always work.

I also tread carefully. You risk making it worse.

There are two questions imo:

• is she able to read to a high enough standard in the opinion of her teacher. If yes, fine, if no - she needs to do it for work.
• does she want to read for pleasure - that is for her to answer at age 14

In terms of encouraging, just read a lot yourself, leave things around, buy anything she does want to read!

DD is 15 and adores reading. She did have a blip a couple of years ago where she almost stopped but we implemented a regular evening where we all sat and read for 45 minutes, none of us were allowed our phones or TV, and whilst that has changed I still often sit next to her and read too either on a Sunday afternoon, on a train journey or just before bed. I had found I was fiddling on my phone and that was rubbing off on DD and in a similar way she picked back up reading when we were reading too.

Think of it as a phase, rather than a life long dislike of reading. My daughter was the same when she was in Year 7/8, didn’t read at all for over a year. It came back eventually.

I've got a 14 year old DD who used to read lots at primary then barely picked up a book for years. I've just left her to it as I was forced to read and read but have never read a book out of choice since 16. She's just started again but with Audible and its based on her interests. She reads some online news. About once every 6 months I ask her if she wants me to buy her books and if its no I leave it.

I have a 13 year DS with ASD, very mathmatical, absolutely hates reading but he lets me read lots of news articles to him and we discuss them. He has a strong preference for factual and short - I get Bloomberg Quicktake on Twitter and BBC / CNN and go through a few each day with him.

Not sure what the best approach is here but DD has gone with Audible. If she's crying and that stressed I would ease up on mentioning it, lots of intelligent people don't read books. Those that don't normally short articles are easier on news / topics interested in.

How academic is her school? If she's talking about failing GCSEs, I'd wonder if they are piling on the pressure of "how important" the exams are and making her feel like she doesn't have time to read. Of course it could just be an excuse. I'd see if you can get her into audiobooks to try and remind her of the magic of being drawn in by a story. If she remembers she may be motivated to pick up physical books again. Maybe try something like Emily Barr's YA novels. Interesting female lead characters and page turning plots.

haha sorry also, not Aldi!

My dd is 19 and a massive massive reader (Eng lit at uni) but she wasn't always. She thinks she didn't like the books she had...aged 12 she found Percy Jackson and then went from there.

She loves YA but Aldi things like JanecAusten and The Secret History. She says what does yr dd like - what tv shows or films? - and she'll recommend.

I'm actually worried that my 14 year old DS is addicted at the moment. He reads web serials on his tablet for hours a day. Mostly sci-fi I think. He excels at maths and science at school but he is average at English, so I don't think maths and reading are mutually exclusive. He is fussy about what he reads though and has had times when he hasn't read much for a while.

I've got one who reads loads and one who reads rarely. The non reader is into maths and physics at a level and doesn't like essays.

Agree with pp you're onto a loser if you try to insist on reading.

Which 'Gone' book did she get up to? There is a sequel trilogy that starts with 'Monster'.
But I also agree with the just leave her be for now idea. I love to read but last couples of years I had a real 'readers block' and could barely get past the first chapter of anything. I was trying all the genres and authors I like but nothing could grab me. Sometimes that just happens.
(I have done better for reading this year although I probably have covid to thank for that)

I love reading but my children don't read, no point in me forcing them as it should be a pleasurable activity. They have their whole lives ahead of them to come to books and if they don't it's only their loss.

I'd leave her be

Mine used to read til he got an iphone. So did I tbh. Taking tech away is so punitive though, it won’t help.

I could have written your OP almost word for word! Flatly refuses to read anything.
Has 2 younger siblings who won't stop reading... don't have any answers!

My 14yo reads loads. She was very loathe to read when she was 10-11 ish so I resorted to shameless bribery - if she could read more books than me over the summer, she got a Switch as I wasnt prepared to give her a device if it meant she would be even more reluctant to read. It gave her the bug and now she reads several books a week.

I would just leave it. I don't like reading and neither do my children.

I never forced DD and DS to read - but both achieved 11A* at GCSE - including English Lit and English Lang. We're all Mathematicians though - perhaps your DD is too ? My nephew once took the Argos catalogue on holiday with him when his mother insisted he took a book - he now has a degree in Maths too !

A couple of people over the years have asked me to be part of their book club - I couldn't think of anything worse !

I have tried with my teen but I have realised it’s just not going to happen and it’s not something one can force! She is in a high set for English so not worried

We have had the opposite here. Not much reading until lockdown - now a 15yo that does nothing else. I have no advice except have book around, talk about them etc.

Good think yours loved to read so she knows the pleasure of it. It’ll come back.