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Primary education

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Original poster

6 year old son not interested in reading

42 replies

Coffeep · 01/12/2020 22:08

My son is in year 2. He is on turquoise level at school. He has limited interest in reading. He will read the books the school send home to read and he will read book band books (oxford reading tree or Rigby phonics) from the library if i ask him to but he wont read any longer / chapter style books. I have brought Dahl, horrid Henry, jermery strong, captain underpants etc but he has no interest in reading those. I have tried the you read a page and i will read a page but he isn't interested. Book band books he is happy to read and can read purple level at home. Am i doing something wrong. He turns 7 in Feb so should I be pushing him to read longer books?

OP posts:
CherryPavlova · 01/12/2020 22:12

I’d just read to him regularly so he had pleasure from books.

Mincepiesallyearround · 01/12/2020 22:13

Sometimes it takes a while to click with reading longer things, it’s quite tiring I think for them. Have you tried chapter books with lots of illustrations? Billy and the mini monsters has been a big hit here. Or you could try the Beano or silly poems (Ogden Nash, Michael Rosen) - anything to build up stamina. If he has a particular interest (volcanoes, animals, flying) you can get non fiction books suitable for kids. Just some ideas, I remember my brother didn’t get into reading properly till he was about 8 and then he took off!

elQuintoConyo · 01/12/2020 22:28

Mine is 9yo and would rather eat his father's socks than read. He can read, pretty well. Our school doesn't do bands, so no idea what level he is.

He has a monthly magazine and reads that over about a week. He has never re-read anything. It baffles both DH and I as we both have literature degrees and a house full of books, and have always read to him and around him.

Some kids just don't like reading, And they grow into adults who don't like reading. As long as he can actually read, then I'd leave him to it (apart from what you're already doing, keep up with that).

purpleme12 · 01/12/2020 22:31

Mine is the same age as yours and is the same as you say
I'm fact, if it wasn't for school and all the rewards they give for keeping up the reading I know she'd never read.
She's not a big reader
And she'd never be tempted to read chapter books like you say

WhoseThatGirl · 01/12/2020 22:31

My 6 year old only likes comics - The Beano, dogman and similar. He is a good reader and is more than capable of ‘proper’ books but he has zero interest.

OrangeGinLemonFanta · 01/12/2020 22:36

I know in Mumsnet world everyone has a child reading Dickens by age 5, but I think six is still very young for chapter books, and they are quite intimidating for children that age. DD is 6, in year 1, is reading pretty well and enjoys having longer books read to her, but is nowhere near mentally ready to read them herself. She is one of the oldest children and one of the better readers in her class. I would back off the chapter books with not many pictures and get shorter books with lots of illustrations.

Porcupineinwaiting · 06/12/2020 08:17

Ds1 was a very strong reader and still didnt enjoy reading chapter books until he was 8 or so. Reading is hard work at that age, not a relaxing pastime.

Read to him instead.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 06/12/2020 08:19

Does he hate fiction books? Have you tried factual books? take him to a book shop and ask him to pick any book he likes the look of?

Sirzy · 06/12/2020 08:20

Snuggle up and read to him, no pressure on him to read just encouraging a love of stories.

Ds is 11 and only just starting to enjoy reading fiction to himself. He is a massive non fiction fan though!

Micah · 06/12/2020 08:24

Have you tried non fiction?

One of mine was a reluctant reader, but she did like information books- we got her age appropriate biology books, books on trains, science, art, how to books for crafts etc.

Sometimes if they don’t have the patience for the “story” this can get them reading and learning.

I will say don’t push it. My mother was always telling me I should “make” them read, sit with them for half an hour each night and force them. She did that will my brother, who grew up seeing reading as a chore, like homework, and has never read for pleasure. In fact I don’t think he’s ever read a fiction book. Conversely I was lost in books before I was 3, and she was always taking books off me and stopping me reading!

YesItsMeIDontCare · 06/12/2020 08:45

Long shot - Could your DS have Aphantasia? It's an inability to picture things in your head.

Once I realised my DS has this I understood why he gets no pleasure from reading. It's as exciting as reading a dictionary because he can't picture the scenes the writer is describing.

Complete opposite to me!

eddiemairswife · 07/12/2020 18:46

Some people don't like reading, just like some people (me) don't like sport. I had a visit the other day from an ex-pupil, the only book he has ever read for pleasure was The Karate Kid in Y6.

Leeds2 · 07/12/2020 21:46

I would try and see if he is more interested in comics, or graphic type stories, poetry or fact books. If he is interested in anything in particular, such as football, dinosaurs, castles etc, check whether Usborne have a book that you could put in his stocking for Christmas.
Also take him to the library, when/if they are open again, and just let him choose whatever he fancies. Bring the books home and read them to him, just to try and get him interested in the story.

notdaddycool · 07/12/2020 21:53

Mine has really taken to reading some of the preloaded books on a fire tablet, that might work. Think you can get a trial of the amazon kids package for a month for not a lot if you have a tablet kicking about.

Gyptian · 07/12/2020 21:56

My 8 year old was fairly indifferent to reading for a long time. He read his school books for ten minutes at bedtime but he wouldn’t countenance chapter books at all. Until he discovered Dog Man that is. He is totally obsessed and reads them over and over. He will now go and read them during the day at weekends which he never did previously. He still won’t read captain underpants etc as it’s not in colour, let alone read any books with mainly text but I’m happy with his new enthusiasm. So I would recommend Dog Man if he hasn’t tried them already.

shehadsomuchpotential · 07/12/2020 21:57

My son was only interested in fact books for a long time despite having an amazing imagination and vocabulary.

Try a few fact books. If he shows no interest i would back off for a while. He is reading school books-massive tick. You are reading to him and he reads everything around him. At some point he might develop a particular interest and want to read about it to
Learn more.

Everyone follows a different curve! Try
To relax so it doesn't become a battle of wills
Or a control thing.

Does he like gadgets and would he like the novelty of reading on the ipad? Does the school use the reading eggs app?

GoodKingWindowshopping · 07/12/2020 21:58

Others have beaten me to it. Try non fiction books, some books about science, planets, cars, trains, etc. Some of them are part of reading schemes (Project X is probably the best known one for early readers). The Bug Club has books based on popular tv shows.

Spanglebangle · 07/12/2020 22:00

I agree try nonfiction. I hated and still hate fiction. I don't see the point, you can't learn anything from it. Give me the Guinness book of records, an encyclopedia, history book, science book etc I can read for weeks. Everyone is different, find what works for him.

Barton10 · 07/12/2020 22:10

Mine was the same at that age and the only thing he wanted to read were the football results in the paper! But he was reading something and it grew from there. Not every child likes books. Find something that they are interested in and encourage them.

PresentingPercy · 08/12/2020 12:15

You can’t learn anything from fiction?! Oh dear. I would give it a go. You might be surprised.

As for DS, try comics, info about what he likes - interests. Even a football programme or the sports pages.

I think reading schemes can seem really boring and some DC need stimulation to read outside these labelled books with poor stories. My DC loved poetry. There’s some really good work out there. There are funny and short ones. Even a book of limericks might make him laugh and want more.

purpleme12 · 08/12/2020 12:16

You can learn tonnes from fiction!
It might be made up story but the things they're based on are often real

nibdedibble · 08/12/2020 12:18

Graphic books are a great way into reading. Did it for one of mine

midinthenight · 08/12/2020 12:26

The rabbit and bear books are good for that age. Styled like a chapter books but simpler, lots of illustrations and kids find them funny.

The books you're buying sound too difficult for him. Even though he can read the words, he may not be able to read them fluently enough to enjoy the context. You could read them to him if he enjoys being read to.

Try introducing half an hour before bedtime when you read to him. As he gets older you can gradually get him to read himself for part of the time if he wants to. If not, hearing you read will be just as beneficial. Take him into a bookshop/library and let him choose the books himself.

DelurkingAJ · 08/12/2020 12:29

And don’t worry too much. DSis didn’t read for pleasure until she was 15. She has a degree in English Literature.

Duckchick · 08/12/2020 21:20

DS is on turquoise books but able to read purple too. We're slowly reading through out pictures books at home, a lot of them are at about the right level in terms of the complexity of the vocabulary. We read briefly each morning, and use our books on the days we don't have school books. Does your DS have any favourite picture books he might want to read? DS also likes non fiction, the cheapest I've been able to find are the Usborne Beginners. I think they are purple book band and up in difficulty.

DS loves me reading chapter books to him but will only do the first page of each chapter but every other page would still be too much reading in one go for him, he wouldn't enjoy it. Does your DS like you reading to him and is just not into reading himself, or is he actually not that interested in the books?