Reading Independently

[user1467408645]

When did all your little ones starting picking up a book and just reading it by themselves. My son is doing ok with his reading. He is reading green book band books with some support on the more difficult words. He LOVES being read to and although I enjoy reading with him I can't spend the hours he wants reading books. It would be amazing if he would have a go himself sometimes. Please tell me this isn't far off! I think it's more a confidence thing. Is there anything I can do to help him?
Thanks

How old is he? Giving him fun books like Captain Underpants and so on usually is enough encouragement. Lots of fart jokes, silly action sequences etc.

Also, fact-based non fiction is usually easier for younger boys to engage with, and once their reading is more fluent they may switch to fiction, which requires more comprehension skill than non fiction. If you want to develop his fluency and comprehension, keep reading to him, don't just let him go off on his own too much.

My ds was reading independently from age 4 or 5, but he was unusual in the extreme. Most kids start reading by themselves around age 8-10, if at all.

Sounds like your son is on book 5 of the Oxford Reading scheme. Kids are typically ready to enjoy reading independently at book band 10 (white level). This is typically between ages 6-8 but every child probably progresses at their own rate.

Just keep on reading with him as much as you can. It will help him along with becoming a great independent reader when he’s ready.

home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/

My just turned 5 year old is reading blue book band reasonably confidently (depending on his mood and the book) but it is a chore for him - he doesn't get why he needs to learn to read. Ive read to him since he was a baby but whilst he demands bedtime stories, I know it's just a bedtime delaying tactic rather than a love of stories (he's destined to be a scientist/engineer and would much rather have me read an instruction manual!). Yesterday I found a book from his collection of story books that I thought he might be able to manage 'not now bernard'. He reluctantly (as usual) read it but was delighted to have read a book that wasn't a reading scheme book. Later I caught him reading it to his little sister who humoured him very well by sitting and listening and then at bedtime took it to bed to read by himself 'because it's what big boys do'. I am not under any illusions that this is the start of him enjoying reading but it is a breakthrough of sorts!

It varies enormously. The more you show a love of books and spend the time reading with them, the more they’ll want stories. It’s an investment in their future. Nothing lovelier than a wet afternoon curled up on the sofa, with a book box for them to choose from.

It took lockdown for my youngest to voluntarily pick up a book. He loved being read to, and read the stuff brought back from school, but that was it.
So, 9years.
His older brother was about 7years.

Local library? My ds loves going and if he struggles or doesn't enjoy the story then just take it back for a new one. Then there's no pressure and it gives him a chance to explore other types of reading. DS5 loves going to look through the old local newspapers, can't read much of it but finds it fascinating!

It happened one weekend when our DD did it when she was on green books, so there is some hope!

Find a book he is desperate to read (it was Rainbow Magic for us. Ugh.) and read it with him, not to him. We would get DD to read the first sentence on a page then we would read the rest, with a pointy finger where she could see it, or we would read it and have her point at the words some of the time. If there's a long word when he is reading just tell it to him. One day we realised she had started secretly reading ahead, then the next she had finished the book. I think it was a confidence thing really.

Someone described Rainbow Magic to me as a gateway drug, and it certainly was for DD. But it doesn't have to be chapter books, you can do it with picture books or nonfiction. Getting them to read just the main character's name or even just the "the"s is a good way to engage them with the whole text without the pressure.

If he is into anything like star wars or Pokémon where there is a host of characters, sticker books with the name labels are good. He can probably read enough to do them without help.

Both of mine started wanting to read independently at around six. My eldest is 8 and reads in bed before going to sleep and my youngest has recently started to want that too, although he likes a bedtime story from us first. He'll have a story, then half an hour to read or look at a book on his own before lights out. Would this be an option to try with your DS?

I would say, just have books around all the time so that he has completely free access. We put a basket in the lounge with a selection of books in, that I change every few weeks, in addition to the book cases in the DC's rooms. Don't limit them to the band of books he's on, have a huge variety. Also, there are loads of YouTube videos of children's books being read. My youngest loves to watch them whilst following with a physical copy of the same book.

Reading independently is something that comes in time. You could always try asking him to be a detective and find something out about a story in a book, then come back and tell you. It'll have him reading on his own without realising that he's doing it and help his comprehension.

It has clicked with DS in the last 6 months and he’s just turned 8. He’s a free reader at school but now reads for pleasure at home. Wimpy kid, 13 storey treehouse series and David Williams are hits at the moment.

Mine started around easter time - she's 5. She was on green level when lockdown started so I guess that was around the stage she was at at the time. Her reading came on very quickly after that though and she can pretty much read anything now. She reads in bed every night now and often in the morning. She doesn't really pick books up at any other time though. She still reads picture books, though we have a few chapter books we read together - she likes the faraway tree and rainbow magic as mentioned upthread (urgh).

Cherry that's not necessary rily. True.

I admire books and dd 1 is sensational reader and was fully receptive to all my tactics (not really needed)... Dd2 doesn't like books or reading or even listening to
me reading!!