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Primary education

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Original poster

DS reluctant to read

23 replies

Helenanback · 22/02/2015 10:06

It is incredibly hard to persuade my DS, (Yr2) to read. He has fantastic decoding skills but finds comprehension/inference more difficult although this is improving. I just cannot get him to read on a regular basis except through bribery, i.e no ipad until you've read to me. We go to the library every 2 weeks where he can choose his own books, which he does and then never looks at them. I've bought books on all his favourite things like lego for example but he just prefers to look at the pictures.

I love reading and really want him to enjoy it but it is now just a chore, for him and me, and I don't know what else to do. I read to him most nights but I just don't know how to get him engaged in reading.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did it get better? Any suggestions?

TIA

OP posts:
redskybynight · 22/02/2015 10:13

The thing that really worked for me (similar picture with my DS) was "letting" DS read "easy" books. You have to remember when they are learning to read that it's hard to enjoy the story because it is such hard work to find out what each sentence says. You say you read to him most nights - does he enjoy this? If he does then it's not a case of he doesn't enjoy stories/books but the act of reading.

If you think about it, if you as an adult what to enjoy a book, chances are you don't pick "War and Peace" every time, but something lighter and easier to read. Same thing for a child. If you let him read books that are well within his capabilities you will build his confidence and make it not so much of a chore.

Original poster
Helenanback · 22/02/2015 10:28

Thanks Redsky that's a helpful suggestion. I think he feels a lot of pressure at school and maybe I'm just adding to it.

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toomuchicecream · 22/02/2015 14:00

My DS was like that - perfectly able to read but didn't choose to for pleasure until the very end of year 4/start of year 5. We did all the right things - library, both parents avid readers, lots of books and stories at home etc etc etc. I am now a huge fan of audio books. DS listened to loads of them (from the library). I reasoned that by listening he was still getting the plot development, character development, vocab, comprehension etc etc etc and could talk to friends about the books they were reading. When reading finally licked for him he read avidly and is now doing A level English. Regularly listens to audio books to go to sleep though :)

nonicknameseemsavailable · 22/02/2015 14:02

if he needs to focus on comprehension then I agree easier books will probably help, they will also increase his confidence.

Lindy2 · 22/02/2015 17:56

Would he be interested in any comics? Lots of pictures as well as words and maybe more fun for him.

Killasandra · 22/02/2015 18:55

Is it possible that reading gives him sore eyes? Does he ever rub his eyes when he reads? Or puts his head on his arm when he writes?

Ask him if the letters move when he reads, or if they are double.

Most children won't tell you unless they ask, because they assume that everyone sees the same as them....

Original poster
Helenanback · 22/02/2015 18:57

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll start trying him with "easy" books to build up his confidence and hopefully enjoyment. It's reassuring that others have got there in the end. I'm in two minds about comics Lindy . He does prefer looking at pictures but to the detriment of any actual reading. Then again maybe if he enjoys it he will get something out of it. Did this work for you?

OP posts:
Original poster
Helenanback · 22/02/2015 18:59

He hasn't mentioned problems with his eyes and they were tested quite recently but possibly his eyes get tired. I will check with him. Thanks for the tip.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 22/02/2015 19:05

Don't turn it into a chore - reading should be a pleasure. If he is forced to do it to get a reward (ipad time) he'll see it as something tedious.

I saw it as the school's job to teach my child how to read and mine to teach them to want to. So, find interesting stories for bedtime and find the books that they want to read. It doesn't matter if the book is "too easy" if they want to read it and gain enjoyment from it.

DSs are now teens and one is an avid reader whilst one finds it boring. I think the "boring" one will come round to it in his own time though. I think DD will be a reader as she loves writing stories. There are too many other things competing for her attention right now though.

goldvelvet · 22/02/2015 19:07

My eldest ds did not want to read for love or money & suddenly at the very end of year one it started to click and the start of year 2 he came on leaps and bounds now that everything had worked itself out in his head and it wasn't such a chore to form words.

DS2 on the on the other hand is already at the same reading level that ds1 was at the end of year 1 in the first term of reception. For him it just came really easily and he could just read in his head and the sound out full words and read fluently. Where as ds1 one had to do the cutting and blending (robot talk) of words for ages and would get really frustrated.

I just think for some of them it takes longer and there is no enjoyment when it takes so much effort and there is little reward. I gave up with the books as it was just frustrating for all involved and we just read road signs, cereal packets, and focused on single words out about. Once it all clicked for him he then became excited about books but he likes factual books and not story books.

smee · 23/02/2015 13:47

TinTin was a hit here so maybe try those. Oh and I agree with some of the others, so read to him if he's reluctant. Doesn't matter if he's reading to himself or not so long as he loves books and stories. Solo reading will come if you just leave him to find it. Other thing which worked for us was making it a bedtime habit. So say he can have 15 minutes to read or go straight to sleep, but it's totally his choice. I'd bet he'll chose reading. Grin

MMmomKK · 23/02/2015 18:34

Have you seen Captain Underpants books?

Not great literature, but they do have a very attractive cover for reluctant readers. Stories are simple as well, and work well for boys. (and girls too - DD1 had a whole period of reading a lot of them lol)

If he hasn't seen them yet - I'd buy one and leave it around the house. I bet you, he'll pick it up!

MinimalistMommi · 24/02/2015 12:07

TBH he probably finds the iPad more stimulating and reading 'boring' in comparison which is what is probably causing the problem.

thewikiartist · 24/02/2015 12:19

This is such a common problem. Have you tried Night Zookeeper? It is a website and app that has had fantastic success in getting reluctant readers started. They worked with the National Literacy Trust on a Reading Torch campaign: www.literacytrust.org.uk/schools_teaching/competitions/night_zookeeper_reading_torch

Worth checking out.

Original poster
Helenanback · 24/02/2015 20:03

Thanks for the book suggestions MM and Smee and the link Wiki I'll try that. I've backed off completely with the reading at the moment; tonight he chose to read his new school reading book so we went with that. I'll introduce some of the reading suggestions over the next week or so and see how he goes. He does love listening to bedtime stories so as pp have said perhaps that is the key to engaging him. It already feels better as I've taken the pressure off of him and myself. I never know education could be so stressfulSmile

OP posts:
GoodArvo · 24/02/2015 21:05

I agree about comics. My kids liked Asterix and Tintin. Anything with funny pictures like Captain Underpants, Big Nate, Stick Dog. When he's a bit older Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

MinimalistMommi · 25/02/2015 11:40

My two loved/live the Beano annuals. My six year olds spend hours pouring over them. My older child loved Tin Tin and Asterix and I think it was one of the gateways into my love of books. My six year old is also reading diary of a wimpy kids and loves them.

PetraDelphiki · 25/02/2015 11:50

Have a look at Mega City Comics...www.megacitycomics.co.uk/ - she has a lot of things for reluctant readers...some of them are really very good!

FWIW my dd was very uninterested in reading for a long time, but really got much more into it after we got her some comic versions of things!

EyeoftheStorm · 25/02/2015 13:43

If he's a good reader then I wouldn't force him. What I would do is read to him and choose books that you think are a little advanced for him. As you're reading - nice and relaxing, cuddled up together - ask him some inference questions, talk about why characters do things, what do you think will happen next, any words he doesn't know. Not so much that it interrupts the flow but enough that it becomes a regular part of your reading.

He doesn't need to read himself, that might come when he's older (even a teenager), because he can read. What he needs is language input and comprehension skills. Audio books work as well.

I have a very reluctant reader. DS is now 10 and I can count on one hand the number of books he's picked up voluntarily at home, but he's just done really well in 11+ exams.

escondida · 25/02/2015 20:10

My yr2 boy isn't that interested in reading, either. He will read with me more than I would expect, but just not bookish. I assume it's normal for him. I've already grown 3 bookworms so this is a nice change, too.

PastSellByDate · 26/02/2015 06:32

Helenanback:

DD1 was similarly struggling at this point - and also bringing home books from school/ library/ gifts which she never opened up.

Our solutions were 3 pronged:

Encouraged magazine/ comic book reading related to her interests/ favourite tv shows (didn't seem like it was work to her - so spending time reading/ doing puzzles/ etc... was a pleasure - no fights). Even video games can often involve a lot of reading - Professor Leyton for example on DS only works if you can read. DD1 adored the puzzles and started really trying with reading and comprehension because of it.

We started reading our childhood favourites to our girls. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/ Paddington/ Charlottes Web/ The Lord of the Rings/ A Christmas Carol/ Pippi Longstocking etc.... They'd listen and occasionally we'd encourage them to read a sentence or two (whilst we had a drink of coffee/ tea).

Fair trade reading scheme. So we started off with DD1 reading one sentence. If she read it well without much help - in return I'd read the next page. We then moved up to whole paragraph - in return I finished that page and read the next page. We then worked up to every other page (DD1 was adept and previewing books and working out which pages usually had images so she had less reading).

I won't say these solved it instantly - but we gradually got there - starting late Year 2, regularly reading nightly (even if only for 5-10 minues) and by mid to late Year 4 - she was back with the pack, as it were.

HTH

PastSellByDate · 26/02/2015 06:36

Oh by the way - at some point in Year 3 DH instituted no seeing the movie until you've read the book - this applied to Harry potter DVDs & Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe DVDs especially. He made a point of really discussing how the movie varied from the book. Was the book better kind of discussions?

DD1 (now in Y7) has transformed into an avid reader - she tends toward fantasy adventure (I blame JRR Tolkein/ JK Rowling really) - but she will read other things, especially if suggested by friends.

HTH

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 26/02/2015 08:36

My kids enjoy funny poems and they will often read the last word in line etc. Michael Rosen and Spike Milligan both very funny.

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