How to raise a reader (for life)

[Aabbaas]

Of course it’s not possible to predict what she’ll do in the future but I’d love if DD could be an avid reader growing up.
She is about to start year 1 and can read books with us but hasn’t yet reached the stage where she picks a book to read by herself.

Things we have done to help:

• started reading books when she was basically a new born
• her room is filled with many books and we read to her 2-3 books every single night before bed
• weekly trips to the local library where she is free to choose whatever she wants
• read her school books at least 3-4 times a week to practice

Is there anything else we can do? We are trying to gentlw encourage her to be a bit more independant in her reading but I appreciate she isn’t even 6 yet so she has time.
How much of what we do at home can influence whether she’ll grow up loving reading or not?

I agree. Reading Biff and Chip is incredibly dull. Thankfully my daughter's teacher let her pick her own books from age 7 on so we could read something more interesting.

I think so much depends on the child's personality. My teenagers all read but my most avid reader is the one who took the longest to read independently.

The most important things are: minimise screen use, read to them every day, model reading and talking about books, give them access to lots of books and comics and magazines (either buying or library). I don't think pushing them to be independent readers is a good idea, we read to our three long after they could read themselves. Sometimes they read ahead (this was a win and I've half read quite a few books), sometimes they just enjoyed the storytelling experience (DH is really good at reading out loud) and read a different book independently.

My 3 were all avid readers until teenage (still hoping they come back to it). As above, having loads of books, reading to and with them, letting them choose books, not just the school ones, showing that you enjoy reading. Reading a story was the default comfort if any of mine were upset as small children. Not just for bedtime we'd read together anytime during the day. Listen to audio books or even just recite well known stories in the car. Even read while eating (some will disagree). Talk about favourite books and why you like them.

Oh yes and still reading to them long after they can read themselves! I was horrified when a friend said with her 7 year old she didn't read to her at bedtime anymore. We still read together frequently until around 10 or 11.

Then your daughters school needs to get a bloody grip of themselves.

IME doing all those things will certainly help to create an able reader. However, as an avid reader myself, also a primary school teacher, who did all the things you are suggesting, you have an uphill struggle against constant access to electronic devices. My teen DC are both excellent readers who were read to every day pretty much since birth. However, they show no interest in reading now they are old enough to make it harder to police their screen use. I would say limits on screen use while they are younger is your best bet.

Next Summer, encourage her to participate in Book Trust's Summer Reading Challenge, which will be promoted at your local library.

Never leave the house without a book, then you can read in the supermarket queue, in cafés, on boats and ferries, and in the car (if you drive to school and get there early).

Just know that interest can come and go. I was a huge reader when I was a child, fell out of love with books when I got to my 20s, and got back into it in my 30s reading a hundred or so books a year. Husband was never a reader as a child and has only gotten into it since I have. The most important thing for us was finding the right genres and authors who make us want to read more rather than just reading the popular books.

I'm dsylexic and a reader and all three of the DC are readers despite huge reading and spelling problems - though for many years they struggled.

At times I despaired they'de very become readers now late teens early adulthood they pick up books all on their own and have quite the book collection.

If there are reading problems start helping early at home - we listen to school with pfb and really wish we hadn't.

We filled house with books - used audio, graphic novels and comics got magazines -wider family were modling reading anyway - used libraries - used youtubers talking about books when they were teens. They also have some reading friends who recommend books.

I can't point to one thing we did but just enedless encouraged reading making it a normal activity to do. They have had periods when they all dipped in reading amounts but they've all come back to it on their own.

Having said that DD2 has a non reading friend - diagnosed with dsylexia who never willing picks up a book - one parents is a reader and there are books in the house - and her mates talk about books so not sure why it's so different.

This. Don’t allow her on screens of any sort.
Read with her. Make reading part of your day. Set time aside for reading on holiday. And make it fun. If she likes dance, football, whatever, read books about that.

My kids had screens and smart phones from 11 - they still read.

In fact we've used you tubers talking about books and kindles read facilities and kindle kids libraries on kindle fires subscription services to help get them reading.

It's like anything they need help learning how to manage screen time so as adults they can and it's what done on the screens.

Even games can help - teach your monster how to read helped them practise phonics.

At 6 screen time should be limted and heavily policed - but teen years screens are part of life now.

Fuck knows.

Thought I'd done it. DD was an absolutely avid reader up until about 14, and then just stopped dead. Think school just broke her desire to read by the time she got to GCSE English Lit. She's off to uni in September and picked a very reading heavy subject, so can't imagine her starting to read for pleasure again any time soon. Hoping she picks it up again one day though.

I agree that by modelling good reading habits yourself, including discussion of what you are reading with your husband/wife around the dinner table etc.

Being able to talk about books is a good skill for her

You can’t force her. You can encourage her as you are doing. I’m an avid reader, always have been. My DC was never interested. My DF would have loved me to be sporty & I only love watching sport - which I do a lot. My DM was really skilled at needlework, knitting etc. I have 2 left thumbs. DM’s DF was a very good musician. She was tone deaf. I played a bit. Nothing is guaranteed.

Wish I knew, we always read to DD, lots of books in the house. She loved reading at Primary school. Since she went into year 8 and turned 13 she just stopped reading unless she has to for school. I’ve tried everything to get her to read but she just wont.
There are lots of books in the house she could read and I’m an avid reader, I just hope she starts reading again at some point.

Encourage her to read outside “book” books. Read captions, instructions, directions, information leaflets, newspaper headlines ( not gory ones, find ones about baby animals or something!) street signs, letters, postcards, birthday cards, shopping lists, tv listings, recipes, the backs of cereal packets etc etc.

Reading in our culture is primarily about information, where to find it, how to access it, how to use it, sorry Alexa dear, you are doing a good job and your day will no doubt come, but not yet.

Reading for pleasure is an added bonus, sadly not everyone learns to love reading for pleasure, which imo is their loss and there are lots of good ideas to encourage it upthread, but everyone needs to know how to find and use written information.

You’re doing the right things, but you can’t force it. My mum is an avid reader, house filled with books, read to us a lot as children etc. It worked for me - I am also an avid reader. However my brother barely read the books he was forced to read for school and I would be very surprised if he’s picked up a single book since school. We were brought up the same but reading is just not for him.

I think I’d ditch “ProjectAvidReader” for a start.
My experience is that you can’t mould children into things you would like them to be.

But they do take things in from you. If you genuinely enjoy reading - if you say “oh I’m so pleased today I’m going go and get a new book from Waterstones cos Aunty Peggy sent me a voucher!” And if you spend your own time reading and enjoying it - she will notice and be curious. Make it your thing - and let her see and take interest rather than trying to make it so much about her and books.

i think it’s great for kids to see their parents interested and invested in something other than just them.

My eldest - who historically was never very keen on any of my projects to get her into this or that (gave up when she was about 7🤣) has actually turned out to want to do the same subject at the same uni as I went to.

my youngest - historically much more willing to go along with my ideas for him - has turned out very different indeed. I wanted a little bookworm boy in cords and little tank top who would grow to be interested in humanities . I got a young man who wants to do aviation maths physics and be a pilot. 🤣

Agree you can't force someone to be an avid reader but think if you grow up surrounded by people who pick up a book at the drop of a hat, haunt secondhand book shops, talk to you about books & characters or use books to find information then chances are quite good you'll read a lot too. Worked on my sister and I anyway.

I'm not sure it's something you can do 'raise a reader for life'.

I'm an avid reader, we have literally thousands of books in the house as do my parents who were English teachers. I love reading. 4 adult DC. 2 of them are big readers, 2 of them have probably never read a book they weren't forced to do in school.

They all had plenty of choice and encouragement and options. Some people just don't take to it.

Definitely this. My mum was a huge reader, and there were books everywhere.....both fiction and non fiction. I'm one of 4 kids, all of us read loads.

Also if they like watching TV or film adaptations of books, encourage them to read the book as well.

It's the school policy.

Reception teacher said 3 times a week was enough at that age (as in the child reading the school books to us). We usually do it 4 times a week, some weeks every day. We read other types of books to her every single day and sometimes we ask her to read some sentences/pages. It isn’t a low average in DD’s school for that age group!

To answer other questions. I am not “desperate” for it and I am not forcing her to do anything. In a world where AI and screens are taking over our lives, I think trying to raise her as a books lover could be a great gift.

Both me and DH are readers, however I wouldn’t say avid readers. Life, work, tiredness and screens have unfortunately taken time away from reading. We are not the sort of people that always have a book to hand and read a few pages every spare moment of the day. For me reading is more of an occasion I look forward to these days and now that I think about it, DD rarely sees that as it’s either when I commute to work or when I go to bed at night that I read the most (and on the airplane as well). We do have lots of our books around the house though.

What type of school?

Would your teacher seriously ring a family who work full time / are EAL / in temporary accommodation / have SEN or health issues / have kids living between separated parents.

Let alone just exhausted, snotty reception age kids who are still adjusting to school.

Because we have none of the above and have never managed a tedious school reading book 4 times a week but are doing perfectly fine.

I did all that… older DS will devour books while the other has probably read a handful in his life. I think it’s a shame and was delighted on holiday to see him reading a paperback thriller. They are 21 and 19.