DK readers- too boring and childish for year 1

[witchwithallthetrimmings]

My Ds in year one and just finished ORT stage 6, now been given DK (level one learning to read) readers. The reading level seems fine but the content seems more appropriate for a 3 year old than an almost 6 year old. He finds them so so boring and is beginning to hate reading. Has anybody else found this?

You can get DK Level 1 books with Star Wars(and Marvel?) but I'm guessing that the school isn't sending those ones home. Personally I think that all reading scheme books are dull and the most interesting books at that stage are picture books like Julia Donaldson etc.

I find this a lot with the Yr1 students I help with their reading. It's not just that their boring or age inappropriate, it's that outlook and even vocab are often oppressively distant from the world they experience.

There are strategies that you can try when working individually to inject interest. One is simply to ask why the book isn't very interesting (sounds daft, but answers are often unexpected-one kid I work with hates books about 'Joe' because that's his name). Another is to move off the book when read, to discuss issues relating to it even if not to the content (one kid hated guinea pigs but loved cats, so essentially used the tedious Spotty Guinea Pig story that way). You could also try re-writing the book, asking what would be a good story which used the 'frequent' vocab or sounds in it. In other words, make the book relevant and consolidate rather than ask the book to do it for you.

That sounds daft when we all want children to 'love reading', but in some ways it does mirror what we as adults do when reading since surely nobody intelligent really 'loves books' unreservedly? A lot of what we read, even for pleasure yet alone at work, is infuriating or bad, or perhaps interestingly but badly written, or well crafted but tedious. We inject meaning and relevance by understanding significance, it's not a bad skill to ask of younger learners.

But it would be good if the books were just that bit less shite...

I always quite liked the DK readers! DS1 and DS2 had some level 1 ones about football, star wars and submarines IIRC, so not really "babyish" topics.

I preferred them to Biff and Chip!

Too childish for a 5YO !!!You are joking, they are little children!

I am really curious at to which DK Readers you have been given as none of them that I have seen are too childish or boring (except maybe the ponies or puppies one for my DS who thinks they are for girls) for any 6 year old that I know

we have been given one about a trip to the dentist and one called "big machines" that seemed only marginally more sophisitcated that "dig dig diggers" by Tony Mitton. Both seem better suited to be read to a 3-4 year old than a reading book for a 6 year old. There was nothing in either book that he did not know or had not thought about and no story, so no interest in reading it. My ds is bright but no genius btw

This one?

DS2 still likes diggers and he is 6, should he have grown out of it by now?

Does your DS just not like reading? Does he read anything at home through choice rather than school books? Both DS1 and DS2 got pretty bored of Biff and Chip but would read them quickly so that they could get back to reading Roald Dahl/Mr Gum etc which was far more enjoyable.

He may have been given factual books as a lot of boys prefer them to stories, however if he prefers stories then maybe you should mention that to his teacher.

I've just posted about my ds 4.7 yrs who thinks his reading books are 'boring' too because 'they don't tell me anything I want to know'
The books he likes best feature deadly animals or myths and legends- subjects which don't crop up too often on ORT pink level!

Ive got the star wars level 1 and 2 ones at home for my ds also year 1 and on ORT 6 at school, he loves them! Bur then he loves star wars. Maybe ask if he can have ones matching his interests?

I think maybe what my ds is after from books (which may be the same for yours) is interesting new facts, as opposed to things they know already.
Just looked at the big machines book and I guess my ds would say that was def boring. The page they show on amazon has really tedious (in ds opinion I'm sure) text:
'The factory has gone. It's time to build a pond for the park. An excavator digs a hole'.
What many boys want to know (surely) is how an excavator works, what would happen if one fell over, how deep a hole it can dig, what other machine could beat it in a fight- that kind of dramatic, exciting stuff.
Not sure it exists for younger readers though.

The trouble is, until they are able to read long passages with complicated vocabulary about how an excavator works etc then they aren't going to be able to manage "more interesting" stuff. And they get to that point by practising reading easier books.

I always distinguished between the books that they read to me (easy) and the books that I read to them (more complex). The boys (who are now 6 and 8)would look at the words in the book as I was reading to them and so pick up more complicated vocabulary etc. For example DD is in 4 and just staring to read. She reads things like Rala Rwdins which have one or two sentences on each page. But when it is my turn to read to her I read Winnie the Witch chapter books. Of course she wants to be able to read more complicated books herself in the same way as her older brothers but she realises that learning to read to that standard is something which will take her a couple of years!

Preghead my ds is year 1 and ORT 6 also I have ordered some star wars dk readers for Christmas but only level 1 cos I wasn't sure of difficulty does your ds read the level 2 ones comfortably?

exactly "sops" thank you. If i find anything suitable i will let you know.
domestic he loves diggers but wants to know more about them then they dig big holes and knock down things

caffeinated DS2 read the Level 2 Star Wars ones during Year 1. Not sure what ORT level he would have been then though. If you look at this one you can see what the text is like.

I find that the [http://www.usborneonline.org/catalogue/browse.asp?org=DUF31959&css=1&cat=1&subject=r&subcat=ib Beginners]] range is very popular, especially with boys - would that be any good?

Try again... Beginners

My DC love/loved those too Evil, but I don't think the Level 1 ones have much more information than the DK ones.

"until they are able to read long passages with complicated vocabulary about how an excavator works etc then they aren't going to be able to manage "more interesting" stuff. And they get to that point by practising reading easier books."

domestic, you are quite right and that is exactly the problem. If they won't practice with these easier books how will they ever get to the interesting ones?! I have tried to explain to ds that he will get there with practice but patience is not his forte.
I have tried the 'sandwich method' (I'll read you one then you read to me, then I'll read another). While I'm reading he sits still and is attentive. But when it's his turn I get wriggling, lying on the floor, throwing legs and arms about and a commentary of guttural groans instead of actually looking at the words or even the pictures.
It is doubly frustrating as he knows all his sounds and knows how to run them together to form words and I know he has all the skills he needs to read but won't put it into practice.

Domestic thank You I think I'll get him a couple of each. If he finds the level 1 ones too simple his brother in reception will still benefit.

No I think the level 1 ones are about right, I just got the level 2 as well as they were on offer but he is just picking out wors from them at the moment and looking at the pictures

Preghead thank you responding I am going to get mostly level 1.

When my DS was 6 he showed little interest in reading so I tried hard to find books that would engage him.

He was especially interested in cars and F1 but hated most car related books aimed at his age particularly ones that put faces onto cars. His understanding of the world was far greater than his reading ability. I found a series of books by Rising Stars called Download. The Download F1 was probably his favourite. You can do a 'look inside' to get a feel. They were originally targeted at teenagers with a low reading ability and I would say they were comparable to DK readers levels 2/3. They can be bought through amazon.

After the success with this book, I bought several others in the series which he loved. His reading really took off with these books.

He also liked the DK Star Wars books already mentioned. I tried him with the Usborne Beginners and the Kingfisher Young Knowledge books - I think they are great, but I had limited success with them with my DS.

He is 9 now and is a very competent reader but I still have to put a lot of effort in to find material that will really engage him. Think it is a boy thing as by this age I couldn't get my DD's nose out of a book!

If you can get to the library a couple of times a week and take out a good few books - He'll soon let you know if any of them engage him. Keep trying! Pellshky is right - it can take a lot of effort but it's well worth while.

My son wasn't too taken with many of the reading books either.

He really liked the Harper Collins I Can Read series, though. Especially I Am Batman (which is a Level 2. It was a bit of stretch then and he is a good reader).