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How to encourage my 5 year olds to enjoy reading

6 replies

BookWorm6380 · 03/08/2025 07:44

I love reading, and have done ever since I can remember. My 5 year old twin girls have just finished Reception, and could not be more different! It was a huge struggle to get them to read the book they brought home each week, and to be honest I'm dreading Year 1 when we will have to do more of it. They have shelves and shelves of different books which they will not touch. I try to make reading fun for them, using different voices and props to act out the story, but they absolutely hate books - either being read to them or learning to read themselves.

Strangely, they seem to have done extremely well in their first year at school and are well on track with their reading and writing. The teacher even said to "keep doing what we're doing" at home because they are doing so well! In truth, they're doing little to no reading at home.

In terms of what they DO like - they are endlessly active. They have to be on the go all the time. Just watching them absolutely wears me out! They are very imaginative and spend hours engaged in pretend play. They don't have much screen time at all, as they're not interested in it.

So, I'm stumped. On one hand I am thankful that they're still doing well despite the lack of reading, but on the other, I hear about how important it is to foster a love of reading and I worry about their lack of interest. Any advice?

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NewDogOwner · 03/08/2025 07:47

Find something silly and funny that they can giggle at. That is what hooked mine. Also, when they are a little bigger, the Goosebump books. Each chapter is only a page or two and there is a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter so they want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

MCF86 · 03/08/2025 07:50

My son just finished y1 and I was very pleasantly surprised to find out he was working "at greater depth" with reading, because he just doesn't show me that at all! The phonics books have been a battle to get read here too and while I knew he could do it, I didn't know he had the fluidity to be considered a strong reader.

The only book he looks at independently at home is a Pokemon encyclopedia type - have you tried non fiction? A kids cook books to choose something to make, or a joke book maybe?

HelloGreen · 03/08/2025 07:52

Audiobooks of funny poems. Or audiobooks in general if they enjoy them.

Do they like stickers? Mine is doing the summer reading challenge with the library and likes to earn the stickers for reading. Our library said that pretty much all uk libraries are run then every summer so yours probably is.

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DancefloorAcrobatics · 03/08/2025 08:01

They are 5!
DC1 (21) didn't start reading & enjoying books until age 9/10 and stopped at ag 15. currently at university, so not missing anything
DC2 (15) does not like story books at all but is well into non fiction like science, history and some biographies.

I have read bedtime stories until age 8/9 - although I did make a point of taking turns.

I didn't start reading until my teens either, but have kept it up well into adulthood.

I think the pressure to read and enjoy books for pleasure for younger children is too much. I agree reading is great for all sorts of reasons, but in the end, they need to enjoyit and find out what they like for themselves.

Your DD's are just not there yet- let them be little kids!

MotherOfCrocodiles · 03/08/2025 08:15

I think you wait until their interest takes off by itself, annoying as that may be. Also try to avoid offering books that are challenging, mine enjoy reading easier books than what they ‘could’ read.

What you can do, is periodically offer them something that you hope might catch on. Successful books to draw them in - joke books, Dog Man (graphic novels), Horrid Henry

Cinaferna · 03/08/2025 08:23

I agree with PP. Try non fiction books. DS2 hated reading and was very behind. But he liked annonline Lego fame. DH bought the manual for the game. Tiny writing in hundreds of thin black pages. But it contained loads of secret info about how to unlock different levels. DS said, 'Will you read it to me?' DH said, Nah. Read it yourself,' and left it on his bed. He'd learned to read within 2 weeks.

Ds1 also preferred fact books. And we all hated Biff and Chip and the magic key. Dreary enough to put most children off reading for life.

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