Any tips on getting my 13 year old DD to read more?

[Yourinmyspot]

DD who is 13 only reads when she has to for school. She never reads for pleasure. I’ve tried to get her to read more but she’s just not interested. Has anyone got their reluctant child to read more?

Has anyone got any good book recommendations. She has read a couple of the Lottie Brooks books as she has to do a book report every term for school. She seemed to enjoy those.

Does she have an interest / hobby and would she enjoy more factual reads. At her age I was working my way through the adult library, as 'children's' books just didn't interest me, so might be worth going for murder mysteries, dystopian fantasy aimed at adults for example. Doesn't matter what she reads as long as she does. Try putting the subtitles up on the tv, or using online magazines and both of you reading an article and using what you've both read as discussion points over dinner. Cook books and cooking together would be another way to stretch her vocabulary.

My youngest was never a reader. I tried everything, including taking away games and screens. In his case I thought it may be down to him being ASD and struggling with imagination. Just get her to read anything - pamphlets, non fiction, even audio books can be good - our library had little MP3 players with the books on you could borrow and he did try those.

I love reading but some people are just never going to like reading for pleasure and that’s ok. My concern with it was really down to how they coped with English at school. My eldest has always been an avid reader and he breezed through English. My youngest has now passed his higher thank God but it was a massive slog to get there and I think the big difference between them is their reading from a young age

If they can enjoy reading and find it not a chore, it will make their essential study of English at school more straightforward.

She’s still young enough to have a bedtime — you could say that bedtime is X time but she can read till she’s tired. Then reading is a bonus rather than a chore.

also a great idea. I would be strict on unsuitable tv but relaxed on reading

My DD wouldn't choose to read from the age of 11. At nearly 18 she has just been told she is moderately to severely dyslexic. She had had a visual stress test and has visual stress too so now has an overlay.

She couldn't/wouldn't/didn't verbalise any of her difficulties/lack of enjoyment of reading so it might be worth exploring your DD's reluctance a bit more.

DD flew through the reading scheme at school and got GD in her SATs. Reluctance started with long chapter books.