Is your child a reluctant reader? Speak to reading expert Anne Kitchin about how to enthuse new readers in our Webchat.

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Next Thursday is World Book Day, when children of all ages will come together to “appreciate reading”.

But what happens when your child doesn’t appreciate it, finds it very difficult or actively avoids it?

Anne Kitchin is a primary school teacher with a particular interest in encouraging every child’s love of reading. She has developed a parents’ toolkit through which you can learn how best to help your child. The toolkit is currently available as a one-week course in the beautiful Peak District of Derbyshire as well as online via Skype. One example of a pupil who worked with both Anne and his parents was able to raise his reading age by 2.5 years in 5 months, and has hugely improved his writing and spelling as well.

Anne will be here online to answer your questions about reading at 1pm next Thursday March 6th or you can submit questions to her in advance, below.

You can find lots more information about books and reading on Anne’s website at www.hummingbirdbooks.co.uk

My six-year-old son (Year 2) loves us reading books to him (Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe; Harry Potter; Famous Five). His reading is finally beginning to take off, and he can just manage Horrid Henry books (aloud, with support from us).

How can we help him to enjoy reading by himself (ie: silently, becoming absorbed in the story)?

My six-year old son (yr 1) seems to like fantastical/magical stories. Can you recommend any authors both that he may be able to read himself or that we can read to him? He is fairly able to read himself when motivated, it's just a question of finding stories/authors to motivate him.

Unfortunately I won't be able to be on the call on Thursday but would love some feedback if possible.

My son is age 7. Having enjoyed choosing books whilst he was younger, I now feel a bit overwhelmed in the bookshops and library and tend to end up choosing authors that I remember from my childhood. He likes reading funny stories and is also sport mad. Are there any books or authors that you could recommend? Also, do you have any tips on how we can encourage him to use expression when reading aloud and how to use the punctuation to help the flow of the story. Thanks very much.

What's the best way to encourage boys to read?

I've a 3 year old who has always enjoyed books and we read to him every night. How can we encourage him (without being pushy parents!) to take the next steps? (and what are the next steps??)

Does it matter if you don't read the school book every night? I would prefer them to grow up with a love of reading rather than for it to be a chore.

my son is in his reception year at school and groans whenever we get his school reading book out. he usually loves books when one of us reads aloud to him and we visit the library often. I find that he won't try and will guess what sentences might be based on the pictures and once he does know the words he just says them by rote so im not convinced he has learnt to read the basic words. Would you recommend trying to teach him words without pictures or is that going to totally kill his limited enthusiasm? are there other methods of teaching him that don't have to involve boring old biff, chip and kipper? can you recommend other ways to encourage him?

Hi, I can't join the chat as I will beat work, but hoping you can help.

My DS2 is 7, after a very slow start in FS. where every word was a struggle he was v behind but i wasnt fussed as i knew it would eventually 'click'. He discovered Mr Men books in Yr 1 and the humour helped him enjoy and 'see the point' of reading.

He is now Yr 3and a total book worm, he regularly raids the shelves at home for his older brother's favourites. He has been told by the TA at school who listens to reading weekly that the likes of Harry Potter and Wimpy Kid are 'too old' for him and she will not let him progress to free reads until he reads some more books of her choosing and proves he can do it. She has a point but his comprehension is good and he loves the freedom of choosing at home.

He does not like poems and is not interested ATM in books on sea life or safaris or dinosaurs, how do I get school to understand he can do it... But more importantly how do I keep him reading as he is reverting to old ways of reading-refusing with cries of 'hate it, no point and books are boring'.

Thank you, I am really interested to hear your perspective.

And yes ^^ reading every school book every night can be a struggle... After spellings, project work, maths homework suddenly reading can seem like a chore,especially if tired. Isn't it better to read a book fom home for enjoyment than the school choice for the reading record?

Welcome to Anne Kitchin, primary school teacher and reading tutor.

I hope you all have and at the ready - over to Anne...

Hello everyone. It's a pleasure to be with you all at Mumsnet Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield.

TiredAsANewt
My six-year-old son (Year 2) loves us reading books to him (Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe; Harry Potter; Famous Five). His reading is finally beginning to take off, and he can just manage Horrid Henry books (aloud, with support from us).How can we help him to enjoy reading by himself (ie: silently, becoming absorbed in the story)?
You are doing all the right things by reading to your son as this is the best way to let him see how much fun books can be. When children first start reading it is hard work and it can be difficult in the early stages to get them enthused. I always liken this to an adult reading a complex legal document. It is difficult to understand the content if you are having to concentrate hard on reading the wording.
I find that the best way to get any child reading for pleasure (on their own) is to find them books that are at a much easier level than they are currently reading at school. So, if your son is reading at Stage 8 of the Oxford Reading Tree, pop along to your local library and try and find books at around stages 4 or 5. Obviously most library books won't have a level written on them, but just try to find books that look a lot easier than the school book or ask your son to read you a bit. If he can easily read it without stumbling, then that book is at about the right level for "reading for pleasure".
I did a study on this some time ago and found that, although parents worried that this would be taking their children backwards, in fact all the children became much keener to read and later increased their levels themselves as they started to enjoy reading more.
You will find some more information about this on my blog, following the link below.
childrensbooklady.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/get-your-children-reading-for-pleasure-today/

gettingbacktobeingme
^ My six-year old son (yr 1) seems to like fantastical/magical stories. Can you recommend any authors both that he may be able to read himself or that we can read to him? He is fairly able to read himself when motivated, it's just a question of finding stories/authors to motivate him.

Unfortunately I won't be able to be on the call on Thursday but would love some feedback if possible.^

As far as reading to himself is concerned, have a look at my general recommendations for “reading for pleasure” in response to TiredAsANewt’s question. There are some lovely magical stories in the Usborne First Reading Scheme, but do try to find him books that are at an easier level than he is currently reading at school otherwise you may find that it is a bit of an uphill struggle for him.It is difficult to recommend specific authors for children to read to themselves at this age, because the best authors’ books are generally too hard for them to read on their own.
As far as books for you to read to him are concerned, try Enid Blyton’s The Faraway Tree, a set of three books that all 5 and 6 year olds should have read to them IMHO. “The Enchanted Wood” is the first of these and can be found, along with the other books in the series by following the link www.hummingbirdbooks.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=106_111&products_id=395

The Cosmo books by Gwyneth Rees are also great fun.

Thanks for your ideas, Anne. I was interested also to hear your recommendations about the Magic Faraway Tree series - we have read these to him a few years ago and he loved them and enjoyed the stories on DVD. I think it's hard, though - I sense he sees a very strong divide between 'learning-to-read' books from school, which are very repetitive and lacking in story, and which he finds boring - and the exciting books that we read to him - Famous Five etc - where he is frankly daunted by the sight of the great blocks of text on the page, as you can imagine. Are there any other in-between stages? I remember reading some fantastic stuff when I was seven - all about mythical animals like cockatrices etc - I couldn't wait to spend some time reading! (I will have a look also at the Cosmo books and at your blogsite too, btw - haven't had a chance to yet...

TiredAsANewt
What reading stage is your son at?

... those books were hard-backed and had silver or gold spines that wrapped around about an inch into front and back covers. I SO wish I couyld remember what they were - but it was er-hmmm (too many years) ago (about 40!)

Erm... should know this, obviously. He's on beige level? Is that any help? embarrassed grimace

They are 'chapter books' of about 40 - 50 pages, I think? Last night, he read one called 'Great Aunt Gerttude'. That was good - he actually said he 'really enjoyed' it and that he 'loved reading'. Hopefully we're getting there?

at TiredasaNewt

TiredAsANewt Well not really as schools often have their own colour coding systems.
If he is a good reader, he may be able to manage The Secret Seven, also by Enid Blyton. Alternatively, you could get him listening to a CD of the same and following the words in the book. This is a tricky stage, where they're just taking off with their reading, but can't read anything too complex.
Do try the Usborne First Reading books as well.

Hello Anne waves

my dd's ((almost 7) has come on in leaps and bounds over the past 6 months. She' was a fairly reluctant reader but is now happy to read her school book to me for 10 minutes every morning. Result! However, other than the odd sign/line here and there she prefers me to read to her. I don't mind this at all (love it infact!) but I would like tips on how to make the transition from her seeing it as a "school" thing to a "pleasure" thing. She also finds Chapter books daunting but is actually quite capable ...

Hang in there, kitchenfairy - must be worrying...

TiredAsANewt If he's on chapter books, then he may well be able to read The Secret Seven. There is also a series of books called, I think, Corgi New readers. There is one particularly exciting book in that series called Ambulance.
Barrington Stoke, who make books for dyslexic readers also publish books with a higher interest age than the reading age.

Hello Anne, my son was 2 yesterday. I do keep trying to read him stories and share books, but we're only successful about 1/2 the time. He often just walks off or turns the pages in a random order which I then find frustrating. Mumsnet is full of posters who claim their 18 month old plus babies will sit and listen to a Julia Donaldson all the way through but there's no hope with DS! Should I worry or is this normal and I'll just keep persevering?

Thought so. Will try the Secret Seven (even though still Enid Blyton, will feel like treachery as was always a Famous 5 kid, myself).