Is there a MN guide to getting your primary school aged DS to enjoy literacy?

[NotMostPeople]

My ds aged 8 is a stereotypical boy in that he loves maths, science etc but hates literacy. His reading ability is good, but he rarely chooses to read. As he hates literacy his handwriting and spelling aren't great, but his teacher tells me that his ideas and vocabulary are good. We (teacher and I) firmly believe that he actually has great potential regarding literacy, but has decided it's boring and he's rubbish at it so is easily distracted/procrastinates/moans and generally produces work well below his potential.

I could of course, just let it go and conclude that it's just not his thing, but he seems to young to come to that conclusion. I'd like to find a way to get him to enjoy writing, but I've no idea where or how to start. I wonder if anyone else has managed it or if there are any teachers about who might have some ideas of what I can do at home to help him?

First up, what does he enjoy? If it's football, get some footie themed books, ask him to write lists of favourite players etc, then move to stories of his own about that.

Same sort of thing for different hobbies and interests. Film tie in books are also good.

Post about what he loves and I will give you some ideas.

My son is exactly the same - even now at age 14. In lower juniors, he loved Captain Underpants (and there is also a Robot series in the same style) to the extent that he got his best friend reading it and they made their own magazine style book with fart/burp characters in it. When he got too old for that, there was another lull in reading until he found some Michael Morpugo that he liked (War Horse ... the one about the Bull ... the one with the German Pilot - sorry, bookshelf in boxes as we've been decorating!). Then another gap until he went through all the Alex Rider books and now (finally) reading Harry Potter. He does read the newspapers though, as he is quite interested in sport and money (financial things!). I know children are measured at a young age at how they can write in a whole range of genres but in the grand scheme of things, most of us in our day to day lives write emails, letters and reports. My son still hates creative writing and really struggles with it. But his essays in history for example are very good, because he has facts to understand and interpret rather than needing to use his imagination.

I have no useful suggestions but also have a "literacy hating" DS (Year 3). He was in tears the other day and begging not to go to school again. After going through many possibilities it came down to he didn't like literacy - or more especially he didn't like writing and hated having to do it. (His reading is actually ok). Unfortunately they have literacy every day :(

He admitted that literacy on Fridy (when they read a book and then have to write on a related topic) was a bit better. But that still leaves 4 days a week when he is "having" to write and hating it to the point he doesn't want to go to school at all.

He won't voluntarily write more than his name on a birthday card at home, and we've been down the route of trying to find things he is interested in to write about ...

My advice would be not to worry about it.

DS1. Didn't enjoy reading at that age. It was far too much work and the books that he could read didn't appeal to him that much. He loved (and still loves) stories though, so I got him audiobooks. He used to listen to them every night at bedtime (and while he was doing other things). In fact, he still does. Over time his reading improved to the point where he could read the kinds of books he was interested in. He's now 11 and a total bookworm (and in the top set for English at school, despite having been at level 1b for writing at the end of year 3).

Boys that age often prefer comics or books with lots of pictures - Tintin, Asterix, Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Sorry, I've been away for a couple of days. He likes computer games although I do restrict him a bit or he'd be on his ds all day. I have bough him some of the more comic books, captain underpants, jack stalwart etc and lots of fact type books from the Book People. He will read them if I ask him to, but will never choose to. He also listens to Roald Dahl audiobooks at bedtime. Maybe I need to stop worrying and just let him be.

My DS says he hates reading and being an established bookworm this does upset me. Apart from the sports pages of the newspapers he reads nothing except for things that school make him. I've given up buying him books at the moment and have tried fiction, non - fiction, comics, loads of things. Every now and again I have another go at getting him to read but to-date with no success. DS is bright , he's yr4 and just wants to play cricket, rugby, tennis and computers.

One of the key drivers of enjoying literacy is enjoying the content of the books you are given to read. In the first instance, try to identify the type of book your DS likes and get the ball rolling by letting him read whatever he likes.

Horizon-broadening variety can come later.