9 year old boy dislikes reading -what can we do?

[Haroldplaystheharmonica]

DS1 (9 1/2) just doesn't like reading and I don't know how we can make him like it! He's just taken himself off to bed as it was either that or stay up downstairs and read for a while. He's now lying awake in bed as 8.15 is a bit early for his bedtime.

I read and speed through (fiction) books on my kindle and OH always has a (factual) book on the go so it's not like we're a book-free family. His younger brother is a great reader and has nearly caught DS1 up with the school reading books. This doesn't make any difference as he really doesn't bow to peer pressure.

Has anyone got any advice / pearls of wisdom? The thing is that he'll do his other homework with not too much of a fuss, well he is a 9 year old boy but ask him to read and we end up arguing. It's so frustrating as his maths has come on so much since we've pushed Mathletics and done extra work at home.

Books my sporty sons first got into were:

Rob Childs - a series of books based around a struggling kids footbaLl team

Theo Walcott - TJ books - football based books

My sons have never taken to reading Harry potter either.

I'd totally agree let him read what he wants (my similar age DS likes reading Lego books). The thing that got my DS hooked on reading was letting him read what he want - not what I thought he ought to be reading. He was much happier to read "simpler" books and has slowly built up to harder ones (he has read Harry Potter, but generally turns his nose up at anything too long).
Do you use the library? Why not take him and tell him he can choose anything he fancies the look of?

As another book suggestion, my DS is currently reading through a series called "The Roman Mysteries". Shortish chapters, easy to read, and a history based which fact enthused DS likes.

Rob Childs was my teacher

Mamaduckbone -'like'

My DS (10) dislikes reading fiction. We have tried soooo much. He will tolerate David Walliams and Wimpy Kid but that's about it.

I read factual football books to him, ( Barca ) and he reads football magazines both for children and adults. He also reads Guinness book of records, Ripleys, football annuals, Minecraft handbooks. He despises football fiction for some reason.

Captain Underpants? My boy and his friends go mad for it. It's a comic graphic novel.

My son goes through phases of harry potter etc but also loves these silly comic style things which are just fun. They spend all day doing worthy stuff to prepare them for sats. I'm very happy for him to read whatever he likes in his own time.

PS, as an adult I don't really read fiction. I just don't really get it. I read non-fiction, history, biographies etc. So I completely empathise with all the 9 year old boys who are only interested in football annuals and encyclopaedias.

You have a kindle it seems. Why not try the electronic version for him?

I normally prefer a book to a kindle and only read certain type of books on mine but I could imagine a boy of his age finds it "cool" (or whatever the current expression is).

I would say as long as he reads it is fine.

DS 9 who prefers non-fiction has just finished the On The Run series by Korman & really enjoyed it.
Georges secret key to the universe by Lucy Hawking intersperses pages of factual description.

DS's HT recommends audio books for expanding vocabulary. DS loved Old Yeller but it made me cry on the school run. Next up Treasure Island.

Hi Harold:

Admit I haven't read through everyone's posts but my advice is comics & magazines.

It's not really about reading 'literature' - it's about reading. But to be fair some graphic novels can be literature - e.g. Maus (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maus.

Your DS will probably be into something - maybe Dr. Who - but basically there is a magazine for everything. Buy him one. Don't make a fuss - and wait and see.

The other thing to do is encourage video games that require a lot of reading. We got DD1 (a slow reader) with this one - she wanted Pokemon X - and never expected to have so much reading to do. She wanted to do well in the game so basically had to work to understand what was being discussed. Her vocabulary improved no end.

Nintendo DS professor Layton games were also excellent for this - we used to play these together.

Finally - DH came up with the best cunning plan - NO SEEING THE MOVIE/ DVD UNTIL YOU'VE READ THE BOOK.

Good books for boys at this age:

Holes by Louis Sachar (www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/holes) - the movie is great as well (a Disney film) - lots of old faces from my youth - including the Fonz.

Finally - play to his weakness. If he's wild about the solar system or interested in Chemistry - find things that are age appropriate that he'll want to be reading. Websites count too!

HTH

Just popping back to this thread...

Thanks all for your input So pleased that all 9 year old boys aren't reading Harry Potter and War & Peace! I'm going to try and relax and not bother what he's reading - magazines, annuals, signposts, notices... I'm really not a pushy parent (!) but just want both children to do as well as they can at school. DS1 isn't as academic as his younger brother and I think I'm panicking about what will happen when he starts High School. Not for another year but it's looming!

He can be so dreamy sometimes though and you ask him questions about something we've said or he's watched on tv and it's sometimes like he's not even been in the same room! A trait of kids maybe, I'm sure I didn't listen all the time when I was younger. I do worry about SATS, etc. and the literacy side of things. He has the most perfect, neat handwriting it's just the struggle with things like comprehensions when he hasn't always taken in what he's read before trying to answer the questions. Maybe I'm blaming his lack of reading for this though when it doesn't really have a lot to do with it?

Some other non-fiction but fun books you may try to show him - Horrible Science and Murderous Math series. I agree with other posters - doesn't matter what he reads, as long as he does at least some reading!

It could be he just isn't a fan of "pretend" stories...what about (auto)biographies?

Maybe newspapers might be his thing? Have a look at the FirstNews website?
What are his interests?

Could you turn reading into more of a research project? E.g.

Could he help plan what to do from a guidebook on holiday?
Could he chose a DVD to rent/buy on the basis of film reviews?

Good luck