Getting the kids to read...

robbietown · Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:06 pm

Hi everyone,

I've got a young kid (aged 7) who was really not interested in reading. I love books and wanted to pass this on and I worried he was missing out. We've been to bookshops and libraries together but there was rarely anyone to help me find the right books for Ben or get him enthused.

A couple of weeks ago I found a new website - http://www.myschoolbookclub.co.uk/ - which has totally changed his outlook. All the books on the site are picked by children's authors - even Ben was interested when he saw all the different fiction (mainly horror!) they featured. It's cheap too and Ben's addicted - so much so that he's got a new book on the go every week.

It's not ideal - I'd prefer Ben to hang out in the library and make less spoon fed decisions but it's a start and he is reading a whole lot more. Has anyone else tried the service? It still feels alien to me ( I loved bookshops as a kid) but maybe this is the future for tech mad kids?

Robbie

wilde · Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:08 pm

Well, at least it's getting kids to read, which is always a good thing. Getting kids to read is difficult (and even more difficult for teenagers, I've found!

), but I think encouraging reading as early as possible is the best thing. My parents aren't into reading novels so much, but luckily my aunt babysat me frequently and bought me books and taught me to read quite early.

I'm sure once your son's tastes develop, he'll start picking out books on his own. I've never heard of that website, but it seems really cool and fun.

Nullifidian · Thu Jan 21, 2010 10:38 pm

I've heard it said that children with parents who love books generally develop a taste for reading themselves. I know that was certainly the case for me, and it never left me, even as a teenager. I'm sure that as he goes on, he'll develop his own tastes.

One thing that might help is having a collection of books on hand. That's not always easy, of course, but when I was a kid, even though my family were working poor/lower middle class, my mother had a collection of books that I could browse through. Most of them were mysteries, historical fiction, with a smattering of literature (my mother was a big fan of Dickens, and she also had a 1927 set of those "classics for the masses" books that came after the Harvard Classics was first published).

I think many people place too much emphasis on what is "age appropriate". I certainly wouldn't give a seven year old a copy of American Psycho or Delta of Venus, but I do think that most kids can soak up books with adult-level vocabulary if their parents support them, telling them what certain words mean or how to find out for themselves in a dictionary. James Thurber used the word "verisimilitude" in My Life and Hard Times, which was my favorite book when I was around 8, but it didn't stop me for a moment. I just looked up the word, read the definition, and moved on.

So, if you have a collection of books, you might let your son see if there's anything there of interest. I wouldn't worry if the words seem a little out of the reach of a child, because these can be explained, and defining words for a child makes reading much more communal.

And speaking of communal, you might want to try reading to your child, or letting your child read to you. Reading aloud to the family was one of the pastimes of literate families centuries ago, and I think that they had a good thing going there. When I was your son's age, I liked pretty much anything that was an adventure story, mystery, or supernatural tale. I soaked up London, Haggard, Verne, Defoe, Stevenson, Doyle, Christie, Poe and others, and these authors might not be a bad introduction to reading for your son.

weaver · Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:13 pm

I used to go to the library and ask the child librarian for suggestions for my son. Then at bedtime we'd snuggle down and I let him pick two books that I would read aloud. The fact the books were right there and he had a choice seemed to spark his interest. I read to him every night and it was a wonderful experience for both of us.
Books your 7 year old might like: The Biggest Bear
Sylvester And The Magic Pebble

Don't be afraid of books you might think are too young. At bedtime these can be just the thing.
Good luck--you sound like a very caring parent and that alone means much to him.

poettess · Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:44 pm

I have a seven year old and a five year old... the seven year old loves to read so much that she is frequently admonished by her teacher for not paying attention in class while she reads at her desk. I think she got part of this from me because I also like to read, but one thing that sparked her love of books was the fact that I would go to the library and pick books that were funny. It wasn't really the books that taught her anything that she liked most, it was the book that made her laugh and laugh and laugh until she had to read it again. Some of our favorites include

Trouble Gum amazon.com/Trouble-Gum-Matthew-Cordell/ ... 0312387741

Berenstein Bears No girls aloud amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Girls-Allow ... =1-1-spell

and pretty much all of the arthur books...

wilde · Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:50 pm


	Nullifidian wrote: I've heard it said that children with parents who love books generally develop a taste for reading themselves. I know that was certainly the case for me, and it never left me, even as a teenager. I'm sure that as he goes on, he'll develop his own tastes. One thing that might help is having a collection of books on hand. That's not always easy, of course, but when I was a kid, even though my family were working poor/lower middle class, my mother had a collection of books that I could browse through. Most of them were mysteries, historical fiction, with a smattering of literature (my mother was a big fan of Dickens, and she also had a 1927 set of those "classics for the masses" books that came after the Harvard Classics was first published). I think many people place too much emphasis on what is "age appropriate". I certainly wouldn't give a seven year old a copy of American Psycho or Delta of Venus, but I do think that most kids can soak up books with adult-level vocabulary if their parents support them, telling them what certain words mean or how to find out for themselves in a dictionary. James Thurber used the word "verisimilitude" in My Life and Hard Times, which was my favorite book when I was around 8, but it didn't stop me for a moment. I just looked up the word, read the definition, and moved on. So, if you have a collection of books, you might let your son see if there's anything there of interest. I wouldn't worry if the words seem a little out of the reach of a child, because these can be explained, and defining words for a child makes reading much more communal. And speaking of communal, you might want to try reading to your child, or letting your child read to you. Reading aloud to the family was one of the pastimes of literate families centuries ago, and I think that they had a good thing going there. When I was your son's age, I liked pretty much anything that was an adventure story, mystery, or supernatural tale. I soaked up London, Haggard, Verne, Defoe, Stevenson, Doyle, Christie, Poe and others, and these authors might not be a bad introduction to reading for your son.

I don't think much of Poe's work is appropriate for a child. I might be biased though, as I've always found his work to be quite dry and overly-descriptive. :lol:

JewellynForrest · Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:55 pm

I am a teacher with 17 years of experience and four boys of my own. I have found that there is no one book or one "right" way to get kids motivated to read. That is why I created a blog for parents and teachers where I not only recommend books, but strategies and things you can DO with the books and the kids to get them hooked. I am hoping people write and give me challenging kids to work with...I love that. I haven't found a child yet that I couldn't help fall in love with reading! www.gettingkidstoread.blogspot.com/

SlyPaul · Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:53 pm

My son is in the gifted program and was "reading" at two. But he really didn't get joy from reading until recently. He's 10 and just now really finding the joy in reading books. It happens for kids at different times. I'm glad he finally found it. Now I'm waiting on my 9 year old to embrace reading

wsscotti · Wed Mar 10, 2010 12:18 pm

I think it really depends on the child. My oldest who is a teenager now loves to read and always has. While my 11 year old wasn't quite in to reading for her it really had to do with interest. My youngest has carried a book around since she was two and it wasn't even a book she could read. It was actually and still is...
Spring In The Valley by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. It's a daily devotion companion. So you might have to try several things to find what works best to spark his interest. Keep trying!

FuzzBunny · Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:22 pm

This is going to sound weird, but I have read to both of my kids since they were in the womb and they have loved reading ever since they were born. Both of them, even at age 2 would just sit and listen to book after book before bedtime. I think once kids learn how fun and exciting reading can actually be they will be hooked.

xkimberleyx · Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:07 am

I believe that reading to my children daily, even for a short time, has been very helpful in keeping them interested in reading. My oldest is 7 and he enjoys books with humour and my youngest is 2 and loves when I read him anything with bright, colorful pictures. I think it's a lot of trial and errror to see what they enjoy. They will eventually grow to have their own tastes and preferences. The key is to keep it fun and interesting

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