Do your yr8 do much reading outside school?

[lemon888]

I struggle to encourage my yr8 dd to read any book outside school. She used to read reasonably regularly at primary as it was required until reached free reader stage but not much thereafter. She was a free reader since yr4. Once children became free readers the school doesn't push them to read at home. She did ok with her yr6 sat (got a level5) and her spelling and writing are very reasonable. Without extra effort she is in set 2 out of 5 in English. In last couple of years I only buy books that she asked for (eg her friends' recommendations) but she never finish any of those books either. She read only about a quarter or half of a book then never pick it up again. I just think she may struggle with GCSE English literature later on if she doesn't do reading regularly enough.

Also I am quite annoyed about her dad and aunt who keep buying random books for her as birthday, Xmas or holiday presents as they put her off reading even more. As much as some people may like seeing many meaningful and intellectual books on their book selves but it is a very unrealistic annoying expectation for my dd. If I tell them to stop giving her books they will say I am the one doesn't support or encourage dd enough but if they don't stop dd gets even more put off.

Am I the only one?

Constructive comments please.

I don't think GCSE literature is that demanding, unless you're insisting that she gets 7 or better maybe.

DS1 read a lot in yr8, until he got an iPad.
DD read a lot in yr8, bookish maybe
DS2 will still be reading stuff like Hiccup Horrendous, I predict. Kids are all different. I'd be happy for mine to have noses sunk into Calvin & Hobbes, too.

Yes, all mine love reading, and all read when in Yr8, but they all went to the library regualrly - wasn't constantly buying books.

However, they don't need to have read a lot in their own time to do well in Eng Lit at GCSE - the only stuf they need, they are "fed" at school through their lessons.

I don't undertand why you are cross about her Dad and Aunt buying her books for presents though - why on earth would that put her off reading ?

Does she see you curled up with a good book - 'reading for pleasure?'
Do you ever talk about books you've read?

DS Y8. Reads like you wouldn't believe.
I love reading but remember going off it big style at about that age.
Would she read books as prep for going to see the film?

Backforgood, Dd will read anything requires by school. Dd doesn't really read alot for pleasure. I dont have a problem with people buying books as presents if they know what she wants. Just before summer holiday i bought the YouTuber's the girl on line book for her and she did read the whole book for pleasure because dd asked me to preorder it for her. Whether we "adults" like the book or not at least she s reading something for pleasure . I just dont like my in-laws keep on giving books that they think dd should read. Especially over xmas and birthday all she gets are boring books after boring books (from dd s perspective). It s off putting.

My dd reads voraciously - but I belong to two book groups and we are constantly at the library so dhe''s slways surrounded by bookx. She does receive books as presents - some are a hit and others languish unread on her bookshelves. But this summer she had time on her hands and picked up a couple of classics, no pressure from us, she just felt 'ready' for them I guess. Your dd may be grateful for the book presents one day - or not - what do you say to her when she opens them?
If she enjoyed Girl Online has she read the Geek Girl books?

I was going to suggest the Girl Online book, dd (yr 9)says it's very popular even with non-readers. Would your dd read for example the Hunger Games books in line for the next film coming out? Or go and see the film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and then read the book?

my DD is the same age - and hasn't been a keen reader from juniors really, despite being a good reader at school.

However there's been an upturn lately and it is just a case of finding the books they themselves want to read. No point IMO buying random improving books as it can be off putting.
She's liked the Geek Girl books and also the Time Rider series by Alex Scarrow.

DDs in yr 8 read constantly. They have always found pleasure in reading, we buy some books and borrow lots.

Does your DD have a reading lesson during an English class? We have one once a fortnight on their timetable, they are expected to bring either a book or kindle and read during that session - sometimes it's combined with time in the school library, to encourage them to try something new.

Does your DD see you reading for pleasure? I don't think your DD will necessarily do worse at Eng Lit GCSE because of her current reading habits, sometimes some people just prefer doing other things.

DC reads a lot on websites on his pc/phone but not books

DD2, Y8, rarely stops reading.

I think that describing books as 'boring' is really unhelpful and setting a terrible example (unless they are actually all about mining). Our school provides a list of books Y7s and Y8s might like that are in the school library - not much use for my DD2 since she had read most of them before she started the school but it was a decent list and very balanced between factual and fiction and different subcategories within the two main ones (so the factual books included history and science, even some books about maths, the fiction list included a wide variety of styles and genres).

You can't make her read obviously but the best strategy is to have a ready supply of a variety of styles available (either through the library or, as your relatives are doing, through gifting her books). It sounds as if your relatives are doing a sensible thing and you are undermining it by dismissing everything as 'boring' (which is a really lazy description).

Uhtred, not me telling dd.these are boring. It s how my dd see these books. I just wish my inlaws will ask her what books to buy and respect her taste of books. Dd finds it annoying that they criticise her for not reading enough while impose certain books on her.
I bought Hungar Game for her as she asked for the set but then she read only half of the 1st books.
I believe if the school will set reading as a form of homework then dd will do it.

My son is in year 8 and doesn't read as much as I would like him to, although occasionally a book captures his imagination and he can't be parted from it.

His headteacher said that it is imperative that the kids read widely to get good grades at GCSE, the new GCSE is challenging and they will have an exercise where they have a read an unseen passage and answer questions about its age etc. If you have not read widely you will struggle to know that something is comtemporaneous to Jane Austen for example. But I can't see I'll get ds to read any classics except in school.

My DD is surgically attached to her kindle.

I make reading on of my children's "jobs", like packing their bags for the next day or keeping their room tidy. I help them any way I can to find books they can enjoy, but read they must.

DD read voraciously until about Y8. It stood her in good stead for her GCSES, but she is now struggling with the reading for Eng Lit A'level.

DS also read until about Y7, and it also seems to be helping him with his GCSES, though I doubt he will choose it for A'level.

It was Social Media that stole a love of reading from my DC

Mine are Yr 8 and Yr 10 and they still read voraciously. They love their devices, but they go through books like there's no tomorrow. I don't think it's something you can force, though.

We schedule it in, so in bed and reading for 15 minutes before sleep. Ds1 is 12 and Ds2 is 9.

It is now habit and has been for a long time because we went from reading them books to them reading in bed themselves.

But I also read to Ds1. He has started to read the books that I read (young adult ones) so we share it. Could you do that with your DD?

DD is in Yr8 and sadly, no, she reads very little outside of school.

I always really encouraged bootcamped reading from an early age and she was free reading from the end of Yr 2. When she was assessed she had the reading ability of your average Yr 6.

But since she has been at secondary school she never picks up a book for pleasure. She's doing very well in English and her tracking is predicting a 7b at the end of Yr 8, so really can't complain. But I do worry that insisted on too much reading through primary school and turned it into a chore

Mines have kept reading too but I suspect that's because we have a rule that says you can only go and play on the ipad/TV/whatever once you have a certain number of things and that includes reading!

If left to their on devices, dc1 would still be reading quite a bit. dc2 would hardly read at all, apart from whatever he is reading at school.

DS1 is year 8 and has always been a good reader. Unfortunately, the advent of social media means that it's now somewhat "uncool", although I try and encourage it by insisting on an early bedtime once or twice a week. I know he also reads a little on waking in the morning.