Reading! Don’t tell me it’s not important!

[Bloodyhell15]

Like the title says. Don’t tell me reading for pleasure as kids isn’t important, all the data says it is! How do I get my youngest (7) to read?! We model lots of reading, her brother reads, she loves stories at bedtime, has a reading age of 10.5. But doesn’t seem remotely interested!

Looking for all your nifty tips, and also stories of your kids who suddenly got into reading later, thanks!

I think this happens frequently especially with children who have a high reading age as they can read the books but the content is often not relevant to them. It is really hard to find the right books (or even better a series) to keep them interested. Perhaps start reading a series at bedtimes which she can continue reading on her own. Some children like comics, or non-fiction but especially at this age my child (and I) found it really difficult to find good books.

Take them to a bookshop or library and let them pick something for themself. Get something age appropriate, as in don’t let a 7 year old read YA, but also don’t worry about it if they choose something young like a picture book with big writing and only 20 pages. Don’t get hung up on it being ‘worthy’. The biggest turn off for kids reading is making them read stuff they have zero interest in so now is not the time to make them struggle through the Chronicles of Narnia (yes Mum, I’m looking at you!)

Is your DS interested in anything in particular e.g. space or cars - if so see if you can find any books or magazines about the things he is interested in and im sure he will get to read ‘books’ eventually.

I had the same problem and still do with my DS (10)..fiction was tricky when younger so he has a massive collection of fact/reference/encyclopedia.. animals, space, history, science, that seemed to work well as nothing was inappropriate.

Always put subtitles on when watching TV. It will help while the reading habit isn't there.

Sometimes when DC really wanted to watch a movie or TV show that was a little older rated and also a book, I'd tell them they can watch the movie once they read the book. Again, not ideal but it helped a little.

I think this happens frequently especially with children who have a high reading age as they can read the books but the content is often not relevant to them.

I agree with this! Although their comprehension levels are there, their maturity levels aren't.

Maybe try some non-fiction based on interests as PPs suggest and continue reading to her. I have a very able reader and read her a varied range of books, including children's classics that use outdated styles of writing. I read The Secret Garden fairly recently - the content is age appropriate and relatable but some of the language is unfamiliar to children now and the writing style is very different to modern books. I find it helps broaden vocabulary and experience of a more formal writing style, while also being a proper story that they can become invested in. I thonk shed happily give a similar book a crack now.

Try non-fiction books instead. I would have devoured anything about horses or kittens or dinosaurs at that age.

The thing is, some kids just don’t much like reading in general, or fiction in particular, and if you (or a misguided teacher) make it into some sort of Worthy Cause rather than a pleasure, it’s likely to backfire.
idk what the answer is - my dd was one of these. I continued to read to her a lot, into her teens, which we both enjoyed. She turned out fine.

Try older childrens books - they have a different vocabulary, will be more challenging to read, but still age appropriate.

Older as in written decades ago, not as in for 'older children'.

At that age reading independently for a while at bedtime was still absolutely non negotiable. 8/ 9 was about the age it became second nature and when they chose to read on their own.

My daughter enjoyed these-
The Worst Witch series
The naughtiest unicorn
Isadora Moon books
Easier Roald Dahl, George's Marvellous Medicine, Matilda etc
The Magic Faraway Tree
The Last Kids on Earth
Spike Milligan Poems

But yeah, no choice at this age. They have to read every night.

Mine were allowed an extra 30 minutes at bedtime for reading to themselves. If they didn’t want to read then it was lights out. We did work hard to find series of books that engaged them. Usually meant going slightly older.

Yes visit the library and find out her interests, let her choose. Also consider comics or comic style books like the Jeff kiney books. Books based on her favourite films. Non fiction too following her interests.

I read a book most weeks, my DDs both read. I work in a library and still I have struggled with my son the older he gets. Currently he’s enjoying a book about solving mysteries, it’s not a story it’s different cases you solve clues and crack codes . It’s not my style of reading but he loves it.

My youngest is severely dyslexic and had a comprehension age far in excess of his reading level. Reading isn’t just about the physical part of reading the words, it’s about vocabulary and imagination etc. when he started senior school he had the “read” books that were far above his ability. Audio books! His English teacher was more than happy for him to read them via audible and he really enjoyed them and was able to understand the themes without the overhead of having to physically read them.

Whatever you do, don't turn reading into am unpleasant chore. The last thing you want is for them to associate it with homework or as some sort of penance.

It doesn't matter what they read - the instructions for a board game, the backs of cereal packets, washing instructions on their clothes, whatever.

Just wait and don't push too much - if she's anything like my DD, the more I want her to do something, the more she doesn't want to!

She was the same, excellent reader, but just didn't want to read independently. It eventually clicked in the summer holidays after year 3 (she was 8 and a few months). It was the Daisy and the trouble with... series that hooked her. I was reading to her and she loved it so much she wanted to carry on.

She's now 9 and a half and reads for an hour every bedtime (more if she's really into a book).

My 14yo still hates reading books. Loathes the library!! However, he loves the Walking Dead graphic novels, so he's working his way through them.

The important thing is, he's doing well at school and, as a pp advised, we always have subtitles on on the TV (cos DH and I are half deaf!).

I have a degree in English literature as does DH, we have several groaning bookcases... It's had no effect on DS!

I think this is great advice.

For example, Anne of Green Gables is accessible for a strong 8 year old reader. It has short almost standalone chapters and there is a whole series. Start by reading together

To encourage reading, you could try making reading into an event. Eg. Stay up half an hour later, cosy up and read together, make a hot chocolate. If they see reading as a comfort they may be more inclined to reach for a book in time.

You can’t make your child like reading. It has to evolve naturally. It also isn’t superior to any other art form: tv, music etc. Just keep strewing books she might find interesting around. Keep stories alive in other forms, theatre, quality tv, film.

Have you tried her with Harry Potter? That's what got dd2 into reading, about age 7, who wasn't such a reader as dd1. From then on, there is Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson, and also don't forget sometimes they like books younger than their age too, mine both loved Flat Stanley and the Lily and Rose series by Holly Webb even when they were much older.

When my twins were little and not interested in reading we started 30 minutes family reading one night a week (the night we had no clubs). We’d all sit in the living room reading our own books but twins would sometimes ask “what does that word mean” and we’d explain. We said dd1 didn’t have to join us as she loved reading and was older but she bloody loved it and thought it was the best.

I’ve got a 9 year old with dyslexia who absolutely loves stories / being read to, but won’t read for pleasure himself- for obvious reasons he doesn’t find it pleasurable!

We have audiobooks on alllll the time. Read to him- and not just stories. Poetry, Non fiction books. News articles etc.

Subtitles on the tv.

Will willingly read the Beano, so he has that on subscription!

Edited to add that the poster upthread is right about books are not a superior way to access stories - we spend an awful lot of time watching movies (not just contemporary kids movies, action etc. but more family movies with richer narratives - think things like Pete’s Dragon, or The Secret Garden), documentaries etc. Board games with a bit of narrative are good- so we’ve got quite a few that are like Dungeons and dragons (lighter!) style quest games. Even the right video games can be good for this.

We also go to the theatre, art shows - even the ballet (a friend is a dancer so we go as their guests 🙃)

Reading for pleasure is not just about academic benefits- it helps children to build cultural capital, empathy, creativity, imagination, develop broader worldviews etc- but they’re not the ONLY way to help children build these assets.

DD was similar at this age. It took a while to find a series that engaged her enough. The advice about older books is good. At 7ish DD read a book I loved as a child, Carbonel and this series kicked off her love of reading. She’s 18 now, reads voraciously and never goes anywhere without her kindle. You just need to find the right series to engage her and give her as many opportunities to choose her own books as possible.

Don’t sweat it, honestly. I am was huge bookworm as a kid and was heartbroken when it emerged that my daughter had very little interest in reading for pleasure. She was very active and just preferred doing other stuff - she enjoyed me reading to her and she read a few things herself, but my dreams of sharing my favourite childhood books vanished into thin air. I worried that she might not do well at school if she didn’t read more but she turned out to be very smart academically and got excellent GCSE results inc 9-9 in English and is now doing A levels, planning to go to university, etc

One child read (and still does, aged 34), and the other one didn't (23). I was surprised it was this way round to be honest. All of my sisters and I read.

Both of mine got into reading later, top end of primary school is where it took off for both of them. The key for us was to carve out time in the day for reading. Eg - after lunch. Then as they got abit more into it they could stay up half an hour later if they were reading. We always read the a bedtime story as well.

Now both bookworms age 18 and 16.