Tell me about your kids suddenly getting into reading!

[Mumsfun13]

Ok so I am totally not looking for actual advice here because I swear I have read and tried it all already! But I am looking for stories/anecdotes that will give me hope!

I have a DD, 7, who has a reading age of 10 and LOVES being read to, but very rarely picks up a book herself. Her ability to avoid reading is in fact incredible (she is v v stubborn personality wise and i do wonder if she genuinely doesn’t read because her brother and I are such bookworms and she knows I’d love it if she joined us 😂). She will be desperate to find out what happens next in a story but still not pick up the book herself (even though she’s more than capable of it). We go to the library, read lots at home, let her choose, have suggested easier stuff like Dogman etc etc. Like I say, have tried it all.

So I guess what I’m asking is: can you tell me your stories of your kids who were late to reading but suddenly started to love it later on?

Give her a torch for her bedroom and place some books you know she would like somewhere strategic? See what happens if she feels like no-one is watching?

Has she said why? She doesn't sound dyslexic if her reading age is that high, but could it be eye strain?

Thanks but have already done this! (Like I say, have already tried everything I reckon!)

What’s eye strain? Has been looked at for dyslexia (not proper test but casually by a SEN teacher because she’s not a great speller and we have some ND in our family) and absolutely not dyslexic… think it’s just psychological but not sure why 🤷‍♀️

And sorry no, I’ve tried to ask her why, she just says she doesn’t want to! Even when she’s desperate to find out what happens next and will beg me to carry on reading…

I'm dyslexic - disagosned at 20 at uni. I have bar early reading struggles have been an avid reader and when my kids showed same issues as me I filled the house with every type of book in hopes of getting them reading.

Partly as over years my reading and wide vocabulary been pointed at as a factor that helped me overcome many issues caused by my dyslexia. We also did a lot of support work around their diffculties.

It goes in phases but late teens and eldest past 20 they do all read for pleasure quite a bit. I think comics was break though with DS aroung 6 - sneaking off a DGP house to read his dad's old ones then horrible history series.

With DD1 it was finding series she liked - Dagon Riders - some nacy Drew and then some Lucy Worsley historical kids books - grapahic novels - everytime I thought I'd cracked it we'd have a period where she'd not read again.

DD2 - she read a lot started in secondary with her friends modern fantasy books - it often what DS also read now as well.

Books where left all over house- we did library trips - audio books - books for presents - I think at one point we must have been keeping The book people going. We also watch you tubers who talk about myths books and story telling more generally. Often thought we'd never crack it - but on cusp of adulthood with youngest and two technically over they do read for pleasure - it really is a marthon not a sprint.

(not proper test but casually by a SEN teacher because she’s not a great speller and we have some ND in our family) and absolutely not dyslexic

Poor spelling and not always reading what there correctly is how my dyslexia affects me mainly. Also DD1 has been diagonsed at 19 - despite me raising concerns since she was 3 and 4 - she has screening tests done by all three schools she attended - all found her on margin or not and that was it.

She went to disablity unit at uni - first for other things - later for dyslexia and dspraixia (same as me) screening got in front of an educational psychologist and did a ful battery of tests - and she is dyslexia and dyspraixc despsite all the SEN teachers in school saying nay - her tester was also scathing about screening tests.

We could never afford the private testing and schools always insited it wasn't that - so 19 a year younger than me and after a huge amount of her and our effort to find out what the problems actaully were.

I know you not asking but apple and pears for spelling helped my DC - 15 minutes a day hugely helped them my be worth a look.

You may find audio books, graphic novels - books like dragon rider with lots or pcitures or even books printed for dyslexic - looking at spacing sizing and fonts - may help her.

Thanks - only described briefly here for ease but I assure you I have my eye on the ball here and I’m confident at this stage it is not dyslexia and not the problem here.

My son is dyslexic and hated reading, it is no exaggeration to say that Harry Potter changed his life! I used to read it to him and at age 9 he decided he wanted to read the books himself. He is an avid reader now. Two of my girls are big readers, my eldest, who was an advanced reader, never opens a book. I read to all of them, and I myself love reading, so I guess its down to personal preference. If you keep reading to her and she enjoys it there is every chance that a book will come along that ignites her interest.

I remember when DS was about 9 hewas a competent but unenthusiastic reader, we went on a family camping trip at Easter and the temperature suddenly plummeted and it snowed. We scurried to the nearest town-raided the charity shops for jumpers and rugs, bought snacks and hot water bottles and the book shop for a stack of books. We made a massive nest in the middle of the tent and by the end of the weekend DS was a committed reader! Not suggesting you do the same 🤣 but just saying that it will happen.

It didn't really matter what the issue was with my DC and reading was - I was sure it dyslexia their schools and schools were sure it wasn't - but I did find some of the programs primarly used for dyslexic kids helpful for reading and spelling support. I certainly wasn't accusing you of not being on the ball.

Ultimately it was persistant finding something they loved and could mange to access/read themselves - whether that was less text or audio or font/size for a while till they did pick up the longer books. DD2 read Harry potter books but first she listened to Stephen Fry reading them to her at bed time.

Your DD seems interested in stories - wanting to know what happens - it's a really good start - just keep her interest up and at some point she may start reading herself more - it's what ultimatley happen with me and all three of my DC.

One of my siblings has always disliked reading and still does, despite being in a house of avid readers. They are much more successful in work than me though, so it clearly hasn't held them back!

When ds1 was avoiding reading due to school trauma, I just read to him every night instead. Then moved to each reading a page, then to him reading to me. There is still great benefit in being read to, or listening to audio books.

My DS was an avid reader all through primary - read all the Harry Potter bookers by Y5 - devoured book after book but then just stopped after starting Y7 - hasn't picked up a book for leisure since, despite us buying them. Not hugely concerned as he's academically bright and reads his set texts for English and continues to do well in school.

DD didn't read at all for pleasure at all at primary - would only be read to and then as she got older and we tried to encourage her to read herself before bed, but she just wouldn't entertain it. Forward to Y8 and she reads every night before bed. We found finding a character she really liked helped - nothing kept her interest until we got her a Lottie Brooks book in Year 7 and she really switched on to it. Some might say Lottie Brooks was probably not advanced enough for a Year 7 but I was just happy she was voluntarily reading something - she has soon discovered other, more challenging reads so I'm glad I didn't say anything and let her catch up by herself.

I have 4 and am a bookworm a as md read to them every night but none ever picked up books until:

one aged 7 because of Dogman (sorry, I know you said you tried!(

one aged 10 who because of dandy and beano

one aged 13 who found Percy Jackson

Just keep trying but it may never happen too and that’s ok, dbs never read except for newspapers or scientific papers, dh only reads scientific papers. Much as it pains me to say it a love of books doesn’t mean someone is learned or educated or at any disadvantage

I would probably tell her that I am going to give her a book at Christmas and this book she will read by herself.

A really good book that grabs her (no pressure, then!).

My boys started reading independently when they got into a particular series ('Beast Quest', I think it was called).

Eldest, 21, is still a reader (not avid but he reads the ood book which is good enough for me!).

I tried those 'Chalet School' books a while ago as I had seen them mentioned on here. I really enjoyed the first one but they are quite old-fashioned (which I loved and would always have loved, even as a child, but it's dependent on her tastes).

I think I first read 'Rebecca' when I was about 10. My mum used to give me books to read.

She'll get there 😀

I'm curious as to why it's so important to you that she should enjoy the act of physically reading a book. Is it important if she doesn't?

She enjoys you reading it to her, so she's still being exposed to literacy - can you give her access to audiobooks instead? Maybe it's the act of sharing the book with you that gives her more pleasure than the story or the act of physically reading a book.

I've read your op again i do think you're onto something with the pressure she's feeling from you and her brother to enjoy reading is probably making her run in the opposite direction. Just chill out about it. Don't make it a big deal, leave books lying around, let her explore them or not. My dc enjoyed the worst witch tv series recently, so we got the books of it out of the library and they read those so that might be a way in. In addition as other people have said - Harry potter really sparked their interest but they still wanted to read it together. We would sometimes take turns and read a few lines each so we were sharing the load (JKR really needed an editor especially in the later books! It's heavy going!)

Have you tried her on an e reader as well? I don't like physical books anymore, e readers for some people are a superior reading experience.

My kids were all reluctant readers. Perfectly able, not dyslexic, just refused point blank to read. My eldest lay on the floor crying about reading and wouldn’t open a book. This never changed until he was about 16 and then suddenly he read and as an adult hasn’t stopped.

likewise took longer with my daughter and suddenly after A levels she hasn’t put down a book

I will try to engineer this! 😆 Frankly it sounds like an ideal weekend to me

I honestly find this so SO heartening! Could happen at any age!

Actually I have tried her on an e-reader (see! Have tried everything!) and she liked the novelty of it but it still didn’t stick. Which, yeah makes me wonder if it’s the pressure. She really is the most stubborn person so that may well be it.

I think that is partly why I’ve written the post in a way - because I think I know I have to take the pressure off but want to feel she may still find reading on her own if I do…

(With my other DC not pressure exactly but really directing them a bit was actually really effective so fully withdrawing from actively encouraging DD would be an entirely new strategy and v different from what has worked before!)

I get why people write this but I DO think learning to like (even if not love) reading as a hobby is really important, yes. There are countless studies that show how important it is, both for academic stuff but also for how beneficial it can be to things like empathy etc. It’s a really really amazing life skill/hobby that is statistically a genuine life changer. I love reading personally so there’s certainly a bit of that there for me, but I do think it’s fair to want this for your children also because it’s been shown so many times to help children/adults throughout life

Hi OP,
my DD (11yrs) suddenly developed a passion for books and reading at the age of 10yrs. She struggled learning her ANC, she struggled to read aloud and struggled with phonetics. She loved being read to and hearing audiobooks. Then suddenly despite a dyslexia diagnosis it seemed to have all clicked in to place and for the last year or so it is difficult to imagine her without books. It’s been such a huge transformation. Just this week she won a reading aloud competition (a bit like a spelling bee) and can go on to compete against children from other schools in our city.
I have no tips, just don’t discount the power of being read to, and listening to stories.
hope that helps.

Is she year 2 or 3?

My DD (now 9.5) was the same - very competent reader (was the second in her class to become a 'free reader'), but just would not want to read independently.

Then at the start of the summer holidays after year 3 (so just turned 8), it suddenly clicked and now she loves reading. It was the 'Daisy and the trouble with...' book series that got her hooked - I had started to read the Trouble with Easter one to her and she loved it so much she had to carry on reading it, even though it was 'bedtime'.

I think it can just be a developmental thing. Though saying that, DD has just been diagnosed with ADHD and I think the focus required definitely contributed. Even now, despite actually hyper-focusing on reading, she is very particular - the book has to grab her attention almost immediately. What I tend to still do if I think it's a book she will enjoy but has a slow start is start it off for her, which sometimes helps.

Tbh I would keep doing all the things you are doing with physical books but lean into audiobooks too, because different people access information best in different ways.

My son is perfectly capable at reading in tests, if he is 'made' to read a particular book or if he wants to play a computer game with a lot of written dialogue (etc) but he doesn't get the immersion into the story in the same way with print that he does with audiobooks or being read aloud to - whereas I am the opposite, I can lose myself in print but get distracted and zone out of the story if I am only listening.

Audiobooks have all the benefits of print reading other than teaching spelling and familiarity with the layout conventions of different forms of text (which is covered at school and doesn't really take that long to learn - you don't need to read a newspaper every day for years to absorb that newspapers have headlines, captions and columns, for example).