Seven year old and reading

[Franny1]

Do people think seven is still young re reading for pleasure? My seven year old DD is good at reading (she’s end of year 2 but reading year 3 level books at school) and likes being read to (which we’ve done every night since birth) but just doesn’t seem interested in reading for pleasure herself, either fiction or non fiction. We’re quite a booky household and her brother is a bookworm so I don’t get it..

She has good friends who love reading already and I read everything I could get my hands on at her age, but maybe she’s still a bit young and I’m overthinking it?? Had anyone else had anyone transform after this age?

Some kids do, some don’t. The usual MN response you’ll probably get is that their 7 yr old was reading war and peace and they can’t possibly relate. I have a very ‘good’ reader who had no interest in pleasure reading until they were 12 and it drove me nuts. Would/ could read all the books they had to but didn’t see it as a fun activity, preserver and have them read for 15-20 minutes every night, develop the habit, and then when they find the style they like, hopefully then comes the love! Not everyone thought does enjoy reading, but the habit gives you the best chance!

So reassuring thanks! Yes we’ve always had the habit and read with her every night - these days we try to choose books she can technically read herself and take it in turn to read a page each. Hopefully the love will follow - I find it so reassuring that it happened for yours at 12. There’s hope!

I am a reader and I would love my kids to be, but sadly they aren't. They are good at reading but don't often do it for pleasure. It's a shame but IME you can't force it.

Mine were both keen readers at 5 (especially dd), but it's totally normal for it to happen a bit later.

My sons were keen readers, they still read for pleasure, I doubt my daughter has read a book since leaving school!

My DD was slow to learn to read and while she always liked being read to she had no interest in reading independently. When she was 7 I introduced audio books which started up an interest in Jacqueline Wilson books (you have to check which are suitable as some are for older children) and then from around 8 shr started enjoying diary of a wimpey kid and its increased from there

Really depends. I was a very precocious reader but I'm not sure I read a lot for "pleasure" as a kid, certainly not at age 7. As an adult, I am now a very voracious reader as is my husband. We have an only child who is 7 and they are a very keen "pleasure" reader, but plenty of their friends aren't reading for fun yet. I sometimes wonder if our DC reads more for pleasure because they are an only child so there's more unstructured time at home without a peer play mate.