Stories of children who became keen readers after age eight

[Meforthree]

Tell me your stories of kids who really got into reading after age 8! I feel like when I look around I can only see stories of kids who are immediate total bookworms as soon as they can read, or else never really get into it. And I’m hoping that’s not true!

My kid is just fine with reading. Loves being read to, will occasionally get into reading a book by herself but not that often… I’m still waiting for the day she gets her nose deep into a series and was hoping it might but this summer but no luck so far. Would love to hear all your hopeful happy read stories!

DC1 was an early reader and was reading fluently at 5. He devoured everything I gave him until he was about 8 then lost interest in reading for pleasure. He's an adult now and reads the occasional nerdy science or maths book but that's all.
DC2 was a very reluctant reader. I found it very tricky as he was clearly as bright as DC1 but learned in a different way. He was probably about 8 when he really got into reading and still reads for pleasure at 28.
This wasn't quite pre- internet but they didn't have mobile phones or social media until they were teenagers.

My son was slow to get started with reading (he's autistic and also had delayed speech) and only really got interested late in his primary school years when he realised that reading was a great way to find out information about whatever his obsession was at the time and that he needed to read the Harry Potter books to follow his sisters' conversations. He went on to be a voracious consumer of fiction and non-fiction and is also a skilful writer as an adult. My youngest daughter also didn't show much interest in reading when she was young, preferring television, but she's done undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in literature.

Yes, I also find them hilarious! Much funnier and more accessible than the Naughtiest Unicorn books, a couple of which we had attempted before (I don't blame DD for not being enamoured with them!).

My Dc loved books and stories before starting school - then really struggled at school - to point we really had to step in at home (later much later found to be dyslexic).

8 was worst time for DD1 - a lot of built in resistance though she could read okay by then . DS who we helped much earlier instead of again listening to school to wait when problems arose - was an avid reader at 8 then dipped ins secondary school to restart being a book worm during A-levels.

We just kept trying - audio books, graphic novels easy reads - I think it was a few series DD1 clicked with in end dragon riders - and some histocial novels - also some you tubers DH watched talking about stories and books helped keep interest.

They are all readers but have all gone through slumps in reading and I really did worry at times filling the house with huge variety of books.

I loved Enid Blyton as a child. I tried to get my son into them but they seem really dated to the current generation.

I read Harry Potter as an adult in my 30s. Loved them they draw you in the same way Enid Blyton does.

Beyond that I've barely read a book as an adult. Spend silly amount of time reading MN.

My older son now 15 had Dogman as his gateway into reading and loves Star Wars books.

I'm still working on my 9yo, teacher was amazed he doesn't really read books, he does love football cards and knows every player - does that count as reading?

Does it really matter if kids do or don't love books?

Yes. DD2 was a very competent but unenthusiastic reader till about year 5. Never read for pleasure really unless it was magazines (and even then never read the longer articles).

now 11 she reads a lot, not quite as much as her sister (who is the proverbial voracious reader since age 5) but a lot. What has helped is 1) a Kobo - like a Kindle but works with the Libby app so she can get ebooks. And 2) letting her read pretty much whatever she wants even if I think it’s a bit trashy/teenage for her.

DD could barely even read at 8 but about 9 years old I was reading her Terry Pratchett when she was grounded during the summer holidays, got to a really exciting bit then was suddenly "too busy" to read to her. She eventually picked up the book herself and started to read (until then she had only read things like ladybird early readers, she was absolutely sure she couldn't read a chapter book) and that was the start of several years of intense bookworming. Her interest did die off somewhat when she became a teenager but she's interested in rereading her old favourites now so hopefully that'll kick things off again.

DS is 8 now and isn't keen on reading although he's very able. I hope something will trigger that love for him at some point.

@Meforthree we had a big breakthrough with horse books (she rode), historical fiction and mysteries. She loved the Scarlett & Ivy series for example.

Older titles like classics aka Narnia, Little Princess etc were watched as films but never read, she hated the writing style. Books like Enid Blyton - it was ok reading to her but never self reading. Maybe as an audiobook.

Harry Potter helped also, we only allowed her from Y3 onwards though and with very long gaps, it took 2 years to get through them.

I feel it improves when they have the stamina to go through longer books and reading to them helps keeping up with longer chapters and a book which doesn't end in 1-2 reads.

DD refused to learn to read until she was 11, after school turned it into a battle. We home educate, so it was terrifying since the pressure was fully on me, and I was very aware it looked like it was my fault! Then I switched from phonics to whole word recognition/intuitive reading, the way many of us were taught, and she picked it up in weeks.

Shes 14 now and costing me a fortune in books, mainly Warrior Cats and manga.

DS also didn’t learn to read until 9ish. He has ADHD and had zero ability to retain the info. Again, I switched to whole word recognition and went back to reading Thomas books to him and he picked it up in weeks too.

I would say dropping synthetic phonics and reading to them, pointing out words in daily life - all the stuff they tell you to do with toddlers. And switch to books they actually like! DD is all animals and manga, DS is Thomas and Titanic textbooks!

For comparison, DH and I were both reading very, very young and they grew up around reading.

None of mine were keen readers at that age. Eldest DS in his teens gradually got into fantasy books and is now not only a keen reader but also a keen writer.

DD was same but became a very keen reader in her teens. Is also pursuing writing.

DS youngest was never keen. Still isn't particularly keen but when he likes a book he loves it!

I read a crazy amount as a kid and into my 30s. Now struggle to read 5 books a year. Go figure. Maybe I should write.

Anyway I never pushed it cos I think in my head it was all about pleasure and if reading didn't rock your world so be it.

Do you know the problem with the Daisys is that we read them TO her a couple of years ago because her brother was reading them! Such a waste, they are a great gateway book :(

So reassuring!

Out of interest how did the transition from uou reading TO him to him wanting to read himself happen? Did he just decide one day??

We do quite a lot of this actually but fingers crossed if we keep at it it will eventually happen! 🤞

Thank you! What age was your DD?

Interested to hear the phrase “built in resistance”, think we may have the same! What do you mean exactly?

My DS, who has dyslexia, recently got into reading at age 14 having never willingly picked up a book and read it before. He was given the Harry Potter box set of books for Christmas and he read the entire set voraciously over a period of a few weeks. He'd seen the films first and I think that really helped. Since then, he has read The Hobbit (also seen the films first), three huge comic book compendiums, and last week he asked me to buy him the book of Jurassic Park.

For him, I think feeling comfortable with a story first is important and also the writing style needs to be engaging. I know the HP books have been a gateway into reading for huge numbers of children and even some adults. There is something about those books and the way JK Rowling writes that really works for some people, when other books and writers haven't grabbed them. As a voracious reader and lifelong bookworm I can't tell you the joy I get from seeing my boy with his nose in a book, at long last!

Edited to say: I read to him for years and both I and my DM tried to tempt him with SO many books over the years, but nothing worked. I'd actually given up and accepted that he was just not going to be a reader, when he requested the HP box set for Christmas. I assumed it would just gather dust, like all the others, but it didn't. He just had to come to reading in his own time with books of HIS choice.

I have 1 who reads everything, she always has her head in a book, the other is a bit more reluctant. But she will read books like Diary of a wimpy kid, Tom Gates, Nina Peanut. Not too intense and hopefully will then move on to ther books and keep reading.

The Wolf Girl series by Anh Do was very popular around here for that age group.

Fear/concern - knows she struggled compared to peers- as did DS at younger age - so avoided doing it. So could do it but associated it with unpleasant work so saw it negatively. Still wanted books but then didn't read them. Trying to read with her was often a battle - endless trying to get out it.

With DS comic books and help at home got him past that at younger age so he doesn't remember that stage but he was the same - huge battle to do support work - but when he started reading by himself felt worth it. DD1 as eldest we followed advice from school so were slower to support at home. She still loved books but hated reading most especially reading aloud.

Audio books help keep love of stories and books going and helped develop vocabulary - taking pressure off at home - books with lots of shorter paragraphs and pictures - finding books with themes she'd push through for - also carryng on the supporting phonics work. DD2 it was The weekly junior that got her reading. Fonts matter as well - some fonts are harder so even if story in engaging they won't read.

My DD is nearly 11 and my DS nearly 9. They are both dyslexic!
My DH and I both read (though I do struggle at times due to illness)
My DD dips in and out of books. Some of the issues have been linked with school and their reading schemes. We just encourage, visit the library....lots of audio books too. Read together at times!
My DS is a really avid reader - pretty much anything and everything he can get his hands on!
I think a lot of it is perseverance but not too much pressure! A teacher recommended that we read the same books as our children so we can ask them questions about the book ......

I enforced reading every evening for my children. Only 10 minutes and to be fair two of the three loved it and read for ages. (20 at the weekend) The third child ploughed slowly though Harry Potter (he chose it and loves it) and Bunny vs Monkey- I don’t mind what they read. Two years in and he has a much more positive attitude to reading and will read for longer. Sometimes things that are hard work need to be enforced and not just left to be picked up when they want to.

visit the library

I use to love doing that as a child - but DD1 took against even that - though upside is younger two didn't go for a few years then decied they were a good idea all by themselves.

I tried every trick - and worried nothing would work but all three late teens and 20 are now readers - so long term we got there. So yes keep at it - and keep pressure as low as possible - as different things work for different children at different times.

A Yoto player is also great, hearing books read aloud helps with language, vocabulary and learning about the readers voice.

I insisted we do the phonics work - for reading and spelling - and school reading books and we tried reading library with reward sheet - so they could read at a good level.

Beyond that I wanted them to enjoy it and choose it - so it was trying to hook them so tried loads of approaches.