If your teens are voracious readers, how did you do it?

[Readingslumpp]

Currently very disappointed in my DCs (11 & 13) lack of interest in reading. Both were voracious readers in primary school but their interest has totally disappeared since starting high school. I’m a big reader and I really hoped they would stick to the habit too.

I've bought them books upon books. They don’t have electronics (apart from very basic mobile phones that they don’t use unless out and about). I’ve tried reading with them and reading the same book separately so I could discuss it with them. I’ve offered to read a series with them then take them to see the movie adaptation. Nothing works!

Their high school seems to try to push reading as a homework but other than that there doesn’t seem to be any initiatives.

Anyone got any tips that work for your DCs? Or what their schools do to get them reading?

Two DC, both early teens.

One a very avid reader. One will literally never pick up a book out of choice. Both raised the same. Both highly intelligent.

It's difficult when we know what pleasure reading can give, but unfortunately it just seems to be the way the cookie crumbles...

Mine got her reading spark back about 14 when she got a new English teacher who reignited her love of reading.

The other has never had the same love for reading and never reads now at 13.

Ours didn’t have TV’s in bedrooms and still don’t one reads a lot the other doesn’t.

I just was more concerned that they both lost the interest in it when they moved to high school. If they had never been particularly in to it I would be less worried.

My DD 13 reads about one/two novels a week. I have encouraged reading but I don't take too much credit for it...I think she's just like that. I have another child who never reads fiction. He prefers non fiction on subjects he's interested in.

One thing I've noticed with my DD is that her friends love reading so talk a lot about books which helps.

Are your children boys op? My other DC is a boy and I find, sadly, boys don't tend to talk to their friends about books and reading.

Mine aren't avid readers anymore but they do read. I let them read whatever they want and they seem quite interested in gangs and drug cartels so ones reading about Pablo Escobar and one's reading The Real Top Boys.
They both enjoy horror too.
I know people say you shouldn't force your kids to read but I kind of did. I told them to treat it like homework and to read 20 mins a day. I also keep sending them memes about reading benefits and it's a superpower. I'm sure they just roll their eyes but it seems to work a bit.

You're not going to like my answer!

Mine got into it via TikTok..no amount of her boring mum encouraging her to read worked. She discovered book tok and off she went.

13 is DD and 11 is DS.

l think you’re right about boys for the most part unfortunately.

It may return. DSis did not, would not read for pleasure. Then took a book on holiday at 15 (away with friend’s family) and came back and read everything she could lay her hands on. English Literature degree followed.

I have heard of this being popular! 🤣

So can I ask what do they do then?

something is occupying their time and whatever it is seems to be more interesting.

some kids love to read but others don’t unless they think there’s nothing else to do

then there are the ones who just don’t like it and they generally become the adults who don’t really read in my experience.

my feeling is if they like to read it’ll come back to them but something might have to spark it

I get that you might not want them on social media. But sometimes I do think you need to back off and let them come to stuff themselves. The more you try and push teens towards stuff the less attractive it becomes to them.

My DD used to read loads but has stopped in the past year. I’ve stopped pushing it as I am sure she’ll start again at some point if I keep putting them in her room. She does love her English texts which is a start.

DS1 remained a voracious reader throughout his teens and beyond.

DS2 stopped for a couple of years but picked it up again.

DD3 stopped at 12 and didn’t touch a book until 16, when her friends were all discussing the latest books. Now she reads from time to to, preferring a kindle to a paperback.

Mine are older now. but when they were younger, one switched to non-fiction for quite a while which then led back to fiction, one regressed a bit to younger fictions and read the same over and over, and one took an interest in magazines / comics. Interestingly the one stuck with the (younger) fiction is the one who doesn't really read at all as an adult while the other two are pretty solid with their reading. Maybe now I'd consider audio books maybe in the car?
Good luck!

Op, if they liked it at one point they will go back to it.. One dd is an exceptional reader, like outstanding.. She went through phases you Csnt force it. I'm ridiculously passionate about books 😂📚 one of my favourite things is to look at our books and tell her about them.. To see what she wants to read next!..

Second child had literacy issues not supported by school because they don't understand it... Thank god for covid and I got her reading!

She also likes books but not the same level. I use films and TV in same way eg :where is story going, characters etc and vocabulary flash cards.

She's top English group without being an avid reader.

• context dd was something like age 15 in it all at 10. She has since been told the texts she's reading are top 5 %. Silly I know but when I say an amazing reader, she really is

Nothing, she just likes reading and finds it relaxing so she chooses to do it. I helped her get a library card and will buy her books that I know she will like for her birthday but thats about it.

I was a voracious reader in primary school, devoured books like anything, until I was about 14. I was tired, a bit overwhelmed with so many different subject areas in school and didn't find any stories interesting or motivating anymore, so stopped reading anything outside of the (really boring) books that were set for english. Picked it up again in my mid 20s with very different genres than I had liked as a teen.

Personally, I think if someone had been over encouraging or pressuring me to read, I would have felt it was a chore rather than something nice to do. I'm glad nobody pushed me into it because I doubt I would have fallen back into reading so happily if it had become something I was 'supposed to do' rather than something I remembered liking and chose to do again.

All 3 of my girls have loved reading, all through their teens and now they are 20s/30s.

My eldest son (21) would rather stick pins in his eyes, my youngest son (19) loves reading and has done for the last 3/4 years or so since getting into Numbers by Rachel Ward

@SpiritedSneeze@SpiritedSneeze absolutely!!
I really love them... My dad did.... You can't force it

Same, ds1 is, ds2 isn't. No logical reason why.

Audio books got one of mine into reading.
She listened to them at night or when she was doing other stuff like drawing or whatever.
Seemed to ignite a spark & then she started reading books by authors she had listened to. Now she reads a lot.

I came in to say the same. Reading was always encouraged in this house but DD lost interest around aged 12. It was Tik Tok that rekindled the interest. Now she spends her money on books!

I read loads and always read to them loads. So reading was normalised in our house. They liked the princess diaries, Angus thongs. Both loved black beauty, little women, what Katy did, Heidi etc.

I'd encourage reading to support their interests. You could try a family book club - take in turns to choose a book and discuss every month.