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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Reading - books children can't engage with.

23 replies

bettycat81 · 01/10/2017 20:59

My DS (yr3) became a free reader at the end of yr 2 and enjoyed the few books he was able to fit in. So far in yr 3 he hasn't been able to engage with the two books he has been given. The first was a historical based piece of fiction with some political content and wuite tricky language - words not in my Sons vocab yet. The TA realised this and changed it mid way through.

Now he has been given Danny the Champion of the world and although it's a much easier read for him and he reads it confidently he just cant really engage with it. He's not enjoying it and it's become a slow torturous experience. I'm worried he's just going to be put off reading if we continue. I'm stuck.... in the future he will have to read books he may not like so should I encourage him to continue or should I ask for a change so that his enjoyment of reading is not affected?

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G1raffe · 01/10/2017 21:02

My son was a free reader in year 3 but that want they could choose - so he'd just choose a book from the library and change when he wanted.

It's not really "free reading" if its chosen for you is it.? Even my year 1 child is allowed to change their reading book though if they're not enjoying it for whatever reason.

Maybe write a note - please can x change their book as it's not engaging him/tricky vocab/ whatver. They've shown an interest in diary of a wimpy kid .... Or whatever?

user789653241 · 01/10/2017 21:04

I would definitely ask to change book. No point of reading a book he doesn't enjoy at this age.
If he is a free reader, can't you ask the teacher/TA for permission to choose books himself? That's How works in my ds's school.

Todayissunny · 01/10/2017 21:10

Roald Dahl. Love him, but I'm not sure why kids do. I think they read the surface of the story without really understanding - probaby why your son isn't engaging with it. (my kids areally bilingual and not schooled in English-I read a lot of Roald Dahl with dyslexic ds1. He didnt get A lot of the cultural and political jokes ). Year 3 is 9 y.o? So many great books for kids to read. Why are teachers/parents have such a limited scope.
If he is struggling go to your local library and get a load of books out and read with him until he finds something he likes and goes off with it by himself.

One series my 10 y.o. loved and i woukd recommend is warrior cats.

Todayissunny · 01/10/2017 21:11

Sorry typing on my phone.... it's having fun with auto correct.....

ohnowhatcanido · 01/10/2017 21:13

Danny champion of the world is not a great choice for a first read alone Dahl book. What sort of things does he like? What are his interests?

noramum · 01/10/2017 21:15

DD's teacher encouraged the children to read at least 1/3 of the book before giving up. She agreed, nothing is worse than finishing a book you don't like, it becomes a chore instead of pleasure.

I would make a note in the diary to get a new book. Let your DS say why he doesn't like the book (something DD's teacher insisted on, making sure they actually understood the context and could argue about it).

NormHonal · 01/10/2017 21:16

From memory, "Danny the Champion of the World" is quite a slow-building book and only gets more exciting later on.

Ask for something else.

NotEnoughCushions · 01/10/2017 21:20

Teachers at DC's school would be happy to change the book if they really weren't enjoying it or for them to bring in something different that they enjoy.

It's a bit of a balance and possibly depends on how often it happens. As an adult I occasionally give up on a book and further up the school the children will invariably have to read/study a text that they wouldn't have chosen.

In primary school I wouldn't do anything that puts up a barrier to a child reading.

Original poster

bettycat81 · 01/10/2017 21:26

Thank you all for your advice. I would definitely prefer him to enjoy reading so will pop a note in his diary.

He reads quite a bit of non fiction as he has real thirst for knowledge and facts mainly based around his interests in Star Wars and Minecraft so have tried to point him in fiction based books based on these too.

Other Fiction he's enjoyed include books by Jill Tomlinson, Pamela Butchart (currently reading and enjoying "The spy who loved school dinners"), some diary of a wimpy kid and similar.

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bettycat81 · 01/10/2017 21:27

Norm that is certainly what we are finding.

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PrincessHairyMclary · 01/10/2017 21:51

I just write in DDs diary "X is ready xyz from home" and generally don't bother too much with the school books unless she wants to read them. The teachers have never had a problem apart from the school use accelerated reader and the children have to enter a number on the front of the school book to carry out the quiz and earn points (points mean prizes) they haven't shown them how to search for a book title instead so DD has to make the choice of reading a school book or home book or a bit of both.

PrincessHairyMclary · 01/10/2017 21:52

*reading

GU24Mum · 01/10/2017 21:56

I'd ditch it tbh - much more important that they enjoy reading............ though I have tried to wean my DS off the Wimpy Kid etc books and read something less like a comic - fine in moderation but he needed a bit of balance.

So - I think it's good to encourage your DS to read a range of books but that doesn't mean he has to stick with everything he's given.

PS - I'm sure I'd struggle with Roald Dahl too - much more than Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and I can't see the attraction!

redcaryellowcar · 01/10/2017 22:01

I agree with pp, it's not really free reading if he isn't choosing it himself? I think you are absolutely right to ensure that he is reading something he's enjoying. My ds' school will only let them move on book bands if their understanding/ comprehension is good. It seems they are keen to move him on, but not worrying about his enjoyment/ understanding?

sirfredfredgeorge · 01/10/2017 22:43

Isn't one of the points of school books to introduce new vocab, and subjects and styles that would not necessarily otherwise be chosen?

I can understand though, that the choice of a longer book like Danny Champion of the world would be much more of a torture if you didn't get into it, but only reading single styles of books with a similar range of vocab isn't going to help much surely?

whoareyou123 · 02/10/2017 07:56

sir isn't it more important for a child to develop reading preferences/love of reading rather than be forced to read a book they don't like? Plenty of opportunities to read different styles of books they do like.

DS (y3) has been a free reader for a year or so, and reads far more books that he actually chooses from outside school (everything from comic type books like Dogman though to Harry Potter) than the ones he chooses from the limited selection at school.

user789653241 · 02/10/2017 08:18

Sir, I think you can still introduce new vocab, styles and subject without being bored of the certain book. Teacher/parents can give some advice how to choose books, which might be different from his normal choice but still enjoyable for him.
I don't think primary children needs to read something they don't enjoy just for those reasons. You will do plenty of that later.

Wilberforce42 · 02/10/2017 11:24

I would recommend the Jeremy Strong books - they are very light which can be a bit of a relief after Roald Dahl.

sirfredfredgeorge · 02/10/2017 12:41

irvinveoneohone I agree giving someone 4 or 5 hours of reading material that don't interest them isn't good use of time. But equally, giving them nothing but the same type of book over and over again is no use either. The value in reading is expanding vocabulary, ideas, etc.

Returning a book because the vocabulary is new absolutely sounds a nonsense, to me that's why you should be having a reading scheme, books where the reader is supported to read so it's the place for the unknown.

So whilst I agree, don't bother finishing a 5 (or more) hour investment in a book, but equally that doesn't mean always allow them to choose what to read. It would appear to be subverting the reason why the evidence says broad reading support out of school is good, it's not simply the volume of reading, it's also the variety.

Although volume would of course increase speed and stamina.

user789653241 · 02/10/2017 13:01

Yes, I get what you mean, sir.
My ds's school seems to do this very well.
They let the child choose books for reading aloud homework.
But they also have bug club, which teacher assigns the books for each children. Looking at the list of books he get, it seems like the teacher is actually giving him books he doesn't normally choose, like poetry, classics, play, etc.

I think if you get too many of new vocab in the genre you don't enjoy, or a book that doesn't interest you, just looking up the meaning of the word would kill the joy of reading imo.

Original poster

bettycat81 · 02/10/2017 13:51

Sir I'm not opposed to new vocabulary in general but there was just in this particular book there was such a high volume (some of it foreign or political) of it that it was completely distracting from the story as I was spending time explaining what it meant and putting it into context.

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2014newme · 02/10/2017 13:55

Choose different books then. Go the library.

Ginmummy1 · 02/10/2017 14:11

My DD (Y2) has the same issue periodically, where fact books assume a lot of prior knowledge and it takes a lot of additional discussion around the topic in order to make the most of the book. i think this is a pretty common challenge for advanced readers. We just try to make extra time for it, and at least they've learned lots that week!

Regarding books that just don't grab the child's interest, we've had this too. This week my DD really wasn't enjoying one of her school books (fiction, chosen by the teacher). I persuaded her to persevere, and at about the half way point she started enjoying it, and was glad she'd battled through the early stages.

Recently she had a 'school' story though, which we sent back after she'd only read a few pages, the reason being that she is a complete 'goody two shoes' who gets upset when she reads about children being naughty at school! She read a few pages and was going through agonies of anticipation. I didn't see the point of putting her through any more of that. She just read something else instead, and I wrote a note in the teacher's diary.

DD has never read a fiction book that she hasn't enjoyed by the end (though I'm sure that time will come). If the child is a good and keen reader, I think it's generally worth persevering, unless the content is really too difficult or upsetting for the child. It might be different for a reluctant reader though.

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