Reading for fun

[Moodymornings]

What age did your DC start reading independently and for fun?

About 7 for DD and maybe around 10 or 11 for DS.

Depends what you mean by reading and depends what you mean by independently.

As U2s, lots of dc will hold a book and babble their way through it - "reading" to themselves or their toys or a sibling.

By 4/5/6 mine were borrowing 8 books a time from the library and reading for pleasure. Obviously, the difficulty of the book increased as their reading ability did.

DD didn't really started reading properly by herself until she was closer to 10, then she was a bookworm for a few years and now barely touches books at 14.

DS is nearly 8 and while he will happily read to me he won't read by himself because "the paper feels bad and it makes sounds". Not sure what that is about but he also can't use a normal pencil at school because of the sound it makes so he must be extra sensitive, so he'll only read if I hold the book and turn the pages for him.

Between 6 and 7. He always loved us reading to him but as soon as he started reading fluently-ish he would actively pick a book to read by himself (normally in the car or at bed time).

Oh - two threads?

Yes, I often post on two forums because I find for whatever reason sometimes one gets answers and the other doesn’t.

honestly some people on here are just looking to be nasty.

Still waiting for this bit at 7! Loved being to tho!

Interesting! Any idea what caused the difference?

I think just different personality types. DD is quieter and more interior and so took to books quite naturally where as for DS it developed more as a way to switch off from screens or having down time from being active.

Sadly never despite having enjoyed many a bedtime story!

Honestly, around 14, she just wasn't a reader, she is now age 24 but I didn't push it

My DS (8 in a few months) is the same! He hates "books with white pages" and the scratchy noise it makes if you point to a word or turn the page.

He's still at the point where reading is a bit of a chore.

However DD was the same until the summer after year 3 (was 8 and a couple of months), but then turned into a massive bookworm and at 9.5 reads every night for 1-2 hours. However she is relatively picky so hoping it lasts!

Oh that's interesting that it changed for your DD, hopefully does soon for our sons too.

Yes was just coming on to say the same, how reassuring! Fingers crossed!

anything in particular that turned it around for her @Namechange8240 ?

I think it was mainly finding a book that she was so engrossed in that she didn't want me to stop reading (so I 'let her' carry on reading it herself).

I had tried many other books before that, so I think it was just a combination of finding the right book (it was Daisy and the trouble with chocolate - I was very grateful that there were many in that series so the momentum could be continued - she then devoured the rest!) and her finally being ready to want to read independently. Possibly it being the summer holidays helped too as she didn't have the added academic demands on her.

She is still quite picky with books (definitely judges a book by its cover!) and also strong-willed so I sometimes still start a book for her to see if it grabs her attention.

@Natsku She didn't have the sensory aversion to books though so am hoping DS grows out of that!

That's how I got DD to start reading - got her really into a book (hat full of sky I think it was) then was "too busy" to read to her and her need to know what happened next was too strong for her reluctance to read.

Had you ever tried this before @Natsku or @Namechange8240 ? Because I do feel like I’ve tried this tactic a bit already actually but not made a difference! Sometimes we’ll be reading something she LOVES at night and she’ll beg me to read more and I’ll say no but of course you can stay up late to read it if you want. But she never does 🤷‍♀️

But maybe it needs to be the right combination of book, reading ability, not too tired etc etc and eventually it WILL work… here’s hoping!

But maybe it needs to be the right combination of book, reading ability, not too tired etc etc and eventually it WILL work… here’s hoping!

Yes, I think just give it time. Even if they have the reading ability, they still need the stamina, focus and also the maturity and awareness to realise that reading to yourself can be fun.

Don't push it too much (my DD is quite contrary so this would just make her more stubborn, something has to be her idea!); just keep trying different books.

We also did the library summer reading challenge at the same time, so that was an additional bit of motivation.

Well it helped with my DD that she was grounded at the time, and it was the summer holidays, so she had very little else to do as she couldn't watch tv or game and she couldn't play with her friends. And stopping the book at a cliffhanger.