AIBU to ask how you motivate your kids to read?

[Sundiamond]

Posting here for traffic.

I have a very bright 9 yr old DS. But he seems to be reluctant to read new books - constantly dipping into old series. Over and over again.

I'm a writer/big reader. It drives me nuts. I know that it's my thing, that he might not be a reader.

But any thoughts on how to keep motivating him? I show him new books online, take him to bookstores. Get audio books. We'll buy new books, he'll try them and then give up. Says it's 'not his thing.'

With a new series I often start off by reading it to him. Then he finds me too slow and wants to read it himself. Nothing wrong with re-Reading books though.

I bought the series of Minecraft books....
What happens if you stop hassling him about it? Ensure a steady flow of new books of all types (including comic type ones) and ignore.

Graphic novels and audiobooks can both encourage reluctant readers.

My 9 year old DS is a very avid reader. He has a reading kindle and kindle unlimited and we spend a fortune on books he likes. He also Adores loves series! He has also reread many of his favourite series many times, but it doesn’t stop him reading new books too. So I think relax and take the view that whatever he reads as long as it is appropriate for his age is a good thing. My ds has read the original count of montechristo, 3 musketeers etc but is currently obsessed with some Samurai series. And he has learnt a lot about Japan.

He has actually told you that it's not his thing maybe listen? I'm a really avid reader, one of my kids is, two aren't. I don't force my hobbies on my kids.

Try facts books. One of mine would spend hours reading these long before he showed any interest in story books.

I don't anymore. I've accepted (eventually) that she is her own person,with her own interests and reading is not her thing. She has to read whatever comes from school,I read to her sometimes, I'll buy books if she shows an interest in them but that's it.

As sad as it is (for me) ,She doesn't like it and I don't see the point in making her do it as long as she's a good reader and keeps improving at school.

My 8 year old is an avid reader, but loves to reread some of his series of books. He's read Diary of a Wimpy Kid series at least 20 times 😂.
We go to the library monthly and he gets to choose books to try but doesn't have to finish them if he doesn't get into them.. Some library books we've ended up buying so he can read them multiple times.
Kids brains love repetition so let him read familiar books, ask questions about them and maybe even read them yourself. Take him to bookshops and library and he'll find more he likes too..

My DC have to leave their screens downstairs at bedtime, but they are allowed to read in bed for as long as they like (within reason). I find this is the best encouragement for a reluctant reader!

Read to him. That will extend good range—he may be interested in things that are hard for him to read. It’s dull to read books if you’re still struggling to spell out vocabulary. With mine I found that if I read books With the m, they often started to read then themselves after a while.

I actually did some research on this for work and found that students who were read to by loved ones tended to enjoy reading more.

Similar situation here, though mine's 12 now. I agree to some extent with others that you might have to accept he'll never love fiction, but it's important to keep his comprehension skills up. For us, the main thing was for us to keep reading to him (I still do this, although it's tailing off now). Although he used to groan a little bit, he did actually enjoy it I think (when I asked if he wanted me to stop once he hit Year 7, he said no). I tried really hard to choose books I thought he'd get something out of, and we shared a couple of real gems. With audio books, we listen to them in the car - captive audience! For fairness, we take it in turns to choose what we listen to (no screens in the car, ever) - on his turn, let him choose whatever music he likes, but on your turn, choose an audio book. FWIW I've found that DS is getting a bit more enjoyment out of reading now he's at secondary and they're doing more challenging books in class. But left to his own devices he'd still choose to reread Tolkien/HP for the 15th time than pick up something new - I doubt that will ever change.

There was a time when every other book DD read was Harry Potter, but I'm relieved to say that they do come out the other end eventually. She's still what one English teacher called a "re-reader" but is much more willing to try new books. (She has a friend who can't see the point in reading any book twice, for contrast.)

Boys are sometimes less keen on fiction - things like horrible science, murderous maths, etc may go down well.

I think you need to establish why they aren't his thing and what he enjoys about the books he re-reads.
My son is a good reader but can feel overwhelmed it there aren't many illustrations. From recognising this he's read several different book series rather than just the story tree house set

I kind of have the opposite problem... Mine are constantly reading and asking for new books (but also clinging to old favourites, so we're running out of space! )

So, hm, advice...

Does he have favourite genres? Maybe try and get new books in the same genre? But also get a sprinkle of different genres (including non fiction and comic books), as he may develop new interests.

Get him novelisations of his favourite movies or TV series.
If he plays video games, maybe try and find him some old "choose your own adventure" books. And limit screen time, so that books seem like the most appealing option when he's bored.

Make reading social and interactive. Read to him (doing the voices). Talk with him about favourite stories and characters. Invent together sequels and alternative endings, discuss "what if" scenarios and "who would win in a fight between...?"
If you have other kids (or if he has friends or cousins around), get the other kids involved too.

... Make sure his eyesight is OK, and check with him whether reading gives him headaches.

I would say just keep trying and encouraging. I can recommend 'Holes' by Lois sachar, but 9 may be a little young, or books by Michael Morpurgo I think are great for that age.
Maybe if you read them first and recommended it as you enjoyed it so much or ask to read it after they have so you're encouraging and asking their opinion on it to get them more interested?

Read to him, comics, sports reports in the paper, fact books etc.
Not everyone likes reading stories. Not everyone likes reading.

My children are avid readers but since lockdown I noticed they have preferred rereading old books. It's comforting, I think?

My 9 yr old is a very reluctant reader, so I'd take being a rereader happily!!

We are making some progress and I largely put it down to -

Me and DH reading to her every day. We choose books that are too tricky for her or off putting because of more complicated vocab or lack of illustrations or close type etc.

Audio books - every single car journey we listen to Audible or BBC Sounds, even short journeys will get us a chapter of a story in.

Reading books for younger children - she's enjoying a series that the child much younger than her that lives in our road has lent her. She's less daunted by larger type, pictures and thinner books. She's reading these willingly and independently though!

Having periods where everyone is expected to read, so not just at bedtime but sometimes if I know we are planning to head out in 20 minutes, I'll get them all ready then get them in the car with their book early and ask them to read while I pack the car or hang the washing out before we head off. Or I'll pause the TV on a weekend morning and ask everyone to read 2 chapters before we press play again.

Reading alongside them - I read my books/kindle in front of them, talk about what I'm reading, express a desire to get back to my book or how I find it hard to put down, reading for book group etc so that they see me enjoying books and reading for pleasure so they see it as a lifelong thing.

Take them to the library regularly and let them browse and choose and see oithers doing the same.

Get them to read or listen to a book before they can watch the TV or film tie in. We've listened to HP book by book and only watched the films after doing so. This way they can experience the difference and see how the internal world you create can be better!

I have noticed a real difference over the last few weeks so feel some of these stretegies are paying off. It's really hard to know what makes the difference. Dc1 is a bookworm and reads voraciously so it's a challenge to be faced with a less motivated reader!

Recently I've also been thinking about behaviour modelling. I see myself as a big reader because I read a lot, but it's always in bed. So my children never see me read (except to them). They're much more likely to see me on my phone. So recently I've tried to get in the habit of reading downstairs in the daytime/early evening sometimes, so they actually see me choosing a book over doing something else.

Cross post Kylie, but yes to everything you say!

My DC have to leave their screens downstairs at bedtime, but they are allowed to read in bed for as long as they like (within reason). I find this is the best encouragement for a reluctant reader!

Same here.

I also still read to them, even though they’re 9 & 12, so even if they go through spells of not reading themselves, they’re still enjoying books.

DD did exactly the same at 9, bleddy Harry Potter series on loop for the best part of a year. Finally got bored of it during lockdown and explored a lot more new books. Was quite desperate to get to Waterstones when the shops reopened and spend all her saved pocket money.
She still dips into HP now and then but I've also read many books more than once. There's something very relaxing about rereading something you've read and enjoyed.
I'd stop worrying, it sounds like he enjoys reading just needs to find the next thing that stirs his interest!

How about sharing books, you take it in turns to read a page? We did this with one of ours. Mind you, after sharing the second Harry Potter we both agreed that they were not our thing! Ds preferred factual books, especially animal ones. All three dc adored audio tapes, (shows how old they are!) especially all the Roald Dhal ones and would listen to them over and over again. I think it’s about trying to foster a love of books by finding what they are interested in.

I think reading to him is a really good thing to do. You can read a variety of books and read at a slightly higher level than he can read himself. I read to mine until they were 13/14.