What age did your child independently pick up a book and sit to read?

[gogettum]

My dd is just turned 7...she won't read unless it's bedtime and I'm with her. All (well not all but most) of her friends and cousins etc will all sit and read for entertainment and it's freaking me out that she won't do it. We gave books around the house, there's a great selection (although there could be more I suppose!) PLEASE tell me she's not the only one!? Or is this some normal step/milestone that she is just not "doing"?!!

My 7yo DS LOVES books and has "read" them (looked at pictures and turned pages) independently since he was 1. He used to wake up and just flick through books for an hour before getting out of bed, and still will sometimes.

But - he has never sat down and actually read a book to himself since he could read and struggles with actual reading. Hates reading school books.

In other words it's nothing you've done. I can't see how my DS could have loved books more than he did / does. If anything I think school put him off as he knows some friends of his are on a higher reading level, he has some mild SEN which impacts his retention and working memory.

My younger DS has been read to less as second child and will only rarely flick through books by himself.

Both love being read to so we're continuing to do that.

Both my kids read early. We are both readers and we have thousands of books. But I was also worried that they wouldn’t be readers. Here are things that helped:

1. Give her easier books to read. I would do that with hot chocolate and a blanket and a LOT of encouragement.
2. We have a lot of family reading time.
3. I read to both constantly. My younger one I read to for nearly two hours a day, sometimes 3 during lockdown. They know that while I hate crafts, role play and that stuff, Mummy will always always read a book to them. Reading is the sort of default activity in our house. My older one reads constantly. Yesterday he read for 2-3 hours.
4. We are a low/no screen household. We watch sport and listen to the news but since there is no sport currently the TV isn’t really on. If anyone is ever bored, I hand them a book.
5. I always have a book with me when we go out (or when we went out, in BC- before COVID). At a restaurant, here’s a book, long wait somewhere, here’s a book. Don’t put pressure to read, just tell her to look at it, or even read to her.
6. Reading anything is fine. My older one who is 8 goes through long non fiction phases. So he’s currently re-reading some old fiction stuff but is obsessed by the Horrible Histories series. Sometimes he’ll read random fact books for hours. All fine. For independent reading to take off, give her much easier books constantly, and build up her confidence. Don’t hover, don’t correct, just keep offering.

And yes DS1 went through a Rainbow Fairy stage too. They are god awful. I suppressed my inner snob and let him read them on the principle that reading is reading. Then when he outgrew them I donated the whole lot to Oxfam gladly.

I’ve always been dreadful at bedtime reading. Maybe read to nine a dozen times in total.

Both are absolute book worms. Devour books. They’re 9 and 7. Started doing this at 6. Very advanced readers though

DS was 6 and DD was 7 when they began reading for their own pleasure.

Among my grandchildren, one began independently reading at the age of 5, one at 6 and the other, who is now 6, is not yet at that stage.

Both kids are book worms and we are very glad of it!
DS read independently and actually reading was around 6. He would sit with any book and flip through from toddler age though.
DD was closer to 7 before she really started to chose a book and read it by herself.

Have you tried the Kitty Lacey books? A little
More age appropriate than Julian Donaldson but if a similar (slightly harder) reading level. Essentially picture books but the stories are reworked fairy tales and there is a bit more text. Dd loved them.

Also what about The Twits, proper chapter book but quite slim and the text is larger. And then the other books DD liked were/are all the Enid Blyton ones. We used to and still do shares reading. So I read a bit and she reads to me and we go on and on like that. I do more.

18 months. I am absolutely sure. And she was bewildered. Had been diagnosed for attention disorder as she was always running around like a mad thing until I took her to a standard eye check and it was discovered that she was turning blind in one eye and the other had very poor sight indeed.
As soon as she wore glasses she would sit and look at children books mesmerized .
I felt so guilty but I was told that it is very difficult to understand if your child is turning blind.
She is now 16 and still an avid reader.

I think it very much depends non the child and when they find the book or series of books that click with them. My Dd was 6, but she had always been a good reader and just after her birthday I got a series of books to read with her which she loved. O e night she got impatient after she wanted me to read her more and I told her she'd had enough ' well I'll just read it myself mummy' and she was off. She's reaf herself to sleep pretty much every night since. My Dd is still 5 but I think we're quite a way off Independent reading, he doesn't have the interest level yet, but I am varying what we read so maybe if we get the right 'hook'....

DD did read the Harry Potter series but not precociously. At primary age some kids read words but sometimes aren't really comprehending fully. There are some books which it's probably better for an adult to read to them, to explain bits if necessary (especially some of the 'classic' books).

DD1 was reading independently for fun at 7. She read all the Harry Potter books and plenty more at that age, and still sits for hours with a book, day or night at 10.

She has dyslexia, but reading is her major strength. Writing and spelling are her major weakness, which was how we came to get a diagnosis. When you can read and comprehend that well, and yet struggle to spell your name, something is up!

DD2 is 9, she reads a bit before bed but no where near as much as DD1.

Mine is 14 never has! 🤣 He's very good at English, predicted grades 7-9 at GCSE but has been a fan of reading despite me trying to encourage him a young age.

Mine's 13.

I'm still waiting.

My daughter - 4 (she was an early reader)
My son - 3 and will pick a book up now even though he can’t read yet. Probably sees his sister doing it so copies.

My dd is 2.5 and sits and 'reads' stories to her teddies, at nursery she has heard the stories so often she now knows what happens on each page and says it all as if she is reading the story to her keyworker.

We give her books and ask her to tell us what is happening on wach page, so not reading but when she can read she will hopefully want to sit and read books.

Maybe you vould sit down for an hour and read your book while she reads hers?

DD was 8 but she was late to learn to read (didn't really learn to read in English until she was 8, and Finnish when she was 7) but she's still quite a reluctant reader (except for some manga books that she rereads over and over), much prefers audiobooks or me reading to her, especially for English language books.

My 17 month old picks up books, climbs up onto sofa and “reads” them to herself. I think books are definitely her favourite thing. She loves being read to over and over again and pointing to things she knows in them. Who knows if this is just how she is, or if it will continue as she grows. I hope it will. I have read to her since she was very small and I also often have a cookbook or something open on the floor that I dip into and flick through whilst I’m playing with her, instead of having the tv on. I put the radio on if I need a bit of contact with the outside world, rather than the tv. My mum is also a massive reader and she has her once a week (pre lock down) and they do loads of reading. We also go to the library once a week. I really limit my phone use around her - try and only answer calls or look at it when she’s napping / in bed etc. After tea we all o into living room and her dad reads to her and I read my own book - I think it’s important they see adults enjoying books.

Are books there to be picked up and read? All three of mine are readers an have been since they were young but our house is full of books. Not a room in the house that doesn't have some in so it's hardly surprising. Don't make an issue of it, just make interesting books available but above all be seen to be reading. Kids are imitative. If they see you reading it will become a natural part of their life too.

So glad you asked this, OP.

I read avidly as a child...anything and everything. I cannot relate to either of my children (6 and 4) who would never choose to pick up a book of their own accord. I’ve really struggled with this fact, but reading this has shown me that hopefully it won’t hinder them in the future. I guess I’m worried because although my eldest is doing ok academically, she doesn’t take much pride in her English work as it is, and I had hoped that independent reading might help her with spelling etc.

@TheSandman yes...in most rooms 😭

I've always read in front of DD, am a huge bookworm, but it hasn't made her want to read.

People get too worked up about this. If children aren't stuck in a book 24/7 then somehow they are doing it all wrong. Adults who say they don't read for leisure are somehow considered inferior. If you don't have rooms full of books, you're a complete failure.

Some kids like to read for fun, some don't. If she didn't enjoy football or dancing, would you force her to do it? Why aren't you forcing her to sit and do maths for hours on end, for fun? Why it it ok with reading?

Let her be. She reads, her reading level is where it should be. She has better things to do with her time than sit and read.

I love to read, so does DH. DD (10) has a bedtime story we read to each other. She has a kindle and has just discovered a couple of series of books she enjoys. Sometimes she can go weeks without reading. It's only in the last year she would choose to pick up a book rather than resort to one to relieve boredom. If she turns out not to be the bookworm I was as a child, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. It's not like her future depends on it.

At the age of two he was reading to himself.

I cannot relate to either of my children (6 and 4) who would never choose to pick up a book of their own accord

Jesus. That's a bit full on, isn't it?

Other that because she had to for school, about 18!

My oldest has severe dyslexia (reader and scribe for public examinations) and has never voluntarily picked up a book. He loves stories though and I read to him til he was 13 and he’s listened to everything possible as an audiobook. DS2 also has dyslexia, albeit less severely, and didn’t read competently enough to read what he wanted to read u t he was about 11. He’ll never be a voracious reader, but has made his way through Harry Potter, Alex Rider etc

DD has read voluntarily to herself /her younger brother since she was 5 - but it clearly comes to her easily, and beyond having a TV, she doesn’t have screen time/ no access to iPads. I do think that can make a difference for some kids.