Any hints or advice on how to create an avid reader?????

[Dianne-TX]

My secret wish...I want my ds to devour books. Is this a lost hope because it is either naturally who they are or not? It would just bring me joy for him to see the value in books and reading and for him to not be able to put a book down. He is always concerned with how many pages, how much he has to read, etc. He is almost 10. Help!

[Mrs Mungo]

You read to them. You read with them. You read what they read. You talk to them about the books you both read. They see you reading other books. You foster and hold a love of reading yourself.

 

You create excitement about books and authors. I've taken my kids to book signings and watched authors speak on booktv. Other people have gone to signings and sent the books to us. We treat authors as celebrities.

 

You watch movies after reading books and talk about the differences. What changes really hurt the story? What changes did we not mind?

[Sarah CB]

My secret wish...I want my ds to devour books. Is this a lost hope because it is either naturally who they are or not? It would just bring me joy for him to see the value in books and reading and for him to not be able to put a book down. He is always concerned with how many pages, how much he has to read, etc. He is almost 10. Help!

 

It's still possible :) My dd was always an avid reader. Ds (10) took a long time to catch on. For the last couple of years he's read when he's had to or when he had a really, really good book. But even then it would take him *forever* to get through a book and he didn't pick it up very often.

 

Last Christmas, he The Mysterious Benedict Society for Christmas. He loved it. So, I bought him the second one and he loved that, too. Then I bought him the third. Then I found another series I thought he would like...and he did. All of a sudden he couldn't stop reading. He reads during all of his meals (except dinner), he sets his alarm for 6:30 every morning so that he can read before he gets out of bed, he reads at night and he reads every chance he can get.

 

We've always read a lot out loud as a family and he's always had access to tons of books. For whatever reason, the book he got last Christmas sparked something and now he absolutely loves to read.

 

I'm still working on my eight year old, but I'm getting closer. He's working through the third book in The Series of Unfortunate Events and it seems like he's picking the book up more and more on his own instead of just when I assign reading.

[Embassy]

You read to them. You read with them. You read what they read. You talk to them about the books you both read. They see you reading other books. You foster and hold a love of reading yourself.

 

 

:iagree:

[orangearrow]

Find other kids who like to read and start a book club.

 

I had one reluctant reader (which was, honestly, unexpected from this child). A good friend of hers is a voracious reader (along with the rest of our family). She started reading the Percy Jackson series and she and her friend would (and still do) chat and chat and chat and chat about it. We were in a book club/co-op that read through an entire series for a year 3 years ago - then another book club last year and a new one this year. To hear the kids excitedly talking about BOOKS is music to my ears.

 

And my reluctant reader is now, hands-down, as much of a book-eater as her sister. ♥

 

When he finds an author he likes, look up the author's website. Have him read the FAQ and learn all he can about that author. Write the author if they allow it. Go to book signings or readings from authors when they come into town. Anything to make "reading a book" BIGGER than just "reading a book."

Edited November 16, 2010 by orangearrow

[swellmomma]

YOu read to them. YOu let them see you read. You listen to audio books. You get excited over reading anything and everything. I have 2 avid readers and 1 that I am sure will be once he is reading. He loves books as much as the rest of us only we have to read to him instead of him simply devouring them. The littlest one is up and coming too. Reading is a huge thing in our house, but I do not think the kids would have become so avid if it had not been modelled for them.

[Dianne-TX]

This is all encouraging. We have always read outloud and are choosy about books and talk excitedly about what the books are about, etc. We follow a CM type of education, so he is reading good literature. He's had occasions where a book will interest him, but then goes through times when he's not interested. I always have books around and am always reserving books at the library and ask him what books he wants, etc. My dc are not deprived of being in an environment that fosters a love of reading and has books always accessible. He shows promise, so maybe I'll just wait and see what will happen in the next few years. (I hope, I hope, I hope...) I will do some of what you all have said that we don't do enough, too.

[Mrs Mungo]

Try a big variety of books. Try different genres. They don't all have to be great books. They also don't all have to be fiction. Does he like non-fiction? Have you tried sci-fi? Short stories? Today I bought M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. It's a collection of short stories for kids. Let him do a hard book and then let him do something more fluffy.

 

R is for Rocket and S is for Space are Ray Bradbury's short story collections for kids. Many authors have such collections in their repertoire, check them out. :)

Edited November 16, 2010 by Mrs Mungo

[orangearrow]

Try a big variety of books. Try different genres. They don't all have to be great books. They also don't all have to be fiction. Does he like non-fiction? Have you tried sci-fi? Short stories? Today I bought M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. It's a collection of short stories for kids. Let him do a hard book and then let him do something more fluffy.

 

:iagree: Yes to this, definitely! Keep the variety mixed up. Not everything has to be a "great" book to be enjoyed.

 

My kids don't read useless twaddle, but they do get to read fun books, a little "brain candy" seems to make the other books more enjoyable.

 

They usually have a few books being juggled at the same time. Required school literature, a "good book" that mom has picked out, something non-fiction, and the rest are books that they've chosen or had recommended to them by a friend.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My secret wish...I want my ds to devour books. Is this a lost hope because it is either naturally who they are or not? It would just bring me joy for him to see the value in books and reading and for him to not be able to put a book down. He is always concerned with how many pages, how much he has to read, etc. He is almost 10. Help!

 

Everything that Mrs Mungo said.

 

AND remove some of the other distractions. If the TV stays off longer, they are more likely to read. TV is just so easy by comparison. I'm a huge reader and even I can tell when I've been watching more TV, because my book consumption just drops like a rock.

 

I can say that what made my older kids real readers was a trip that had a three hour plane ride, no tv in the hotel room and a three hour delay in the airport coming home. I still remember the books they had (The Mouse and the Motorcycle and The Castle in the Attic) because they were the first chapter books that they'd been clamouring to read more of. A few months later, the younger of the two told me that he'd been afraid of chapter books, but after that trip, he learned that he didn't have to be afraid anymore.

 

We didn't have electronic games at this point. I don't know if this would have happened if they'd had Nintendos to retreat to rather than books. Even now I will frequently restrict the use of video games for days and weeks at a time.

 

 

You might also consider read alouds as a continued bridge into independent reading. The Jim Trelease book The Read Aloud Handbook is a really good guide to using read alouds, even with older kids (maybe even especially).

 

Also, do you let him read books that are entertaining and vibrant and good reads, even if they are "below grade level"? Sometimes a kid decides that they aren't interested in books or are no good at reading and need just the right book to get them over the hump.

[Mrs Mungo]

Also, do you let him read books that are entertaining and vibrant and good reads, even if they are "below grade level"? Sometimes a kid decides that they aren't interested in books or are no good at reading and need just the right book to get them over the hump.

 

I agree. I am an avid reader. I read extremely dry and difficult non-fiction. I read Tolstoy. I love Shakespeare, I think it's hilarious and/or tragic and/or beautiful. I also read trashy romance novels. TRASHY ones. They are delicious bits of thoughtless brain candy.

 

What's funny? In college I knew a lot of facts about daily historical life from reading historical romance novels. It came in handy at times. :lol:

[NanceXToo]

Let him pick the books he wants to read. Take him to the library and/or used book sales regularly, and let him choose.

 

Offer, where relevant, to rent and watch the movie after finishing a book for a fun comparison.

 

Try things the characters try (like my daughter enjoyed trying goat's milk after reading Heidi- she didn't enjoy the goat's milk, but she enjoyed the opportunity to try it haha. After re-reading Nim's Island for library book club, the children's librarian had the kids make a tinfoil "raft" and see how many crayons they could float on it in a bowl of water before it sank, etc). If the characters go somewhere, maybe you can go there too (or someplace similar).

 

Try audiobooks sometimes, or read aloud, or see if he wants to read aloud to you, or take turns reading aloud (often my daughter likes me to read aloud to her but she wants to "read the things people say.").

[Jamee]

Last Christmas, he The Mysterious Benedict Society for Christmas. He loved it. So, I bought him the second one and he loved that, too. Then I bought him the third. Then I found another series I thought he would like...and he did. All of a sudden he couldn't stop reading. He reads during all of his meals (except dinner), he sets his alarm for 6:30 every morning so that he can read before he gets out of bed, he reads at night and he reads every chance he can get.

 

 

This is how it happened for us too, and about the same age too. I got the Percy Jackson series for DS for Christmas last year and MADE him read the first one, before the movie came out. Although he enjoyed reading, he only read bits here and there of non-fiction. He recluctantly started PJ, and took awhile to get into it, once he started he couldn't stop! We had finally found something that sparked his interest. I'm glad I got all the books at once, for it went from one to the other. He now takes his books with him everywhere and reads all the time. He's had to read some books he hasn't liked, but we basically said that's life and he needed to get used to it. But most of the time, mom is right about her book suggestions for him.:D

[EthiopianFood]

I'm a huge reader and even I can tell when I've been watching more TV, because my book consumption just drops like a rock.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one. :(

[EthiopianFood]

What's funny? In college I knew a lot of facts about daily historical life from reading historical romance novels. It came in handy at times. :lol:

 

You're kidding! I have a friend who said the same thing, but I didn't believe her. I mean, how can you tell if the information is factual? :confused:

[FriedClams]

I agree with the others - read to them and limit all electronic media. Severely.

 

One other thing I will add is that in my house I gave options to my kids that involved picking reading or some less pleasant task. We have quiet time here and the options are "books or bed" - meaning you can read or you can take a nap. No toys. No audio books. Absolutely no electronic things. No fooling around. For years the kids would read for a good hour to two hours just in the afternoon. That really paved the way for them loving to read.

 

I keep a rotating supply of books in the car and the kids read a lot then. Their friends even read in my car and often borrow from the supply! It's hysterical.

 

We have quiet reading time some afternoons or evenings with a fire on, hot chocolate and everyone on a couch with a book. I love that!

 

We also do regular library trips (or I would be broke). I do let the kids pick some books but I still regulate for content and appropriateness (in terms of challenging enough, twaddle, etc.). But - I am very anti-super junk books, so the kids know I have veto power.

 

I assign books with a "read the first three chapters" rule. Occasionally the kids won't like the book and we let it drop. 85-90% of the time they end up liking or loving it and read the whole thing. I think knowing they can drop it helps them work through the initial getting-into-the-book stage.

 

Right now we're in a family audio book at night stage. Love it! We're listening to Johnny Tremain (just did The Door in the Wall) and Mossflower is next. I think enjoying book as a family is really critical.

[Sherry in OH]

Set an example. Read to your children, read to yourself. Listen to audiobooks. Have a good selection of picture and chapter books scattered throughout your house. If the child has a hobby or special interest, subscribe to a magazine focusing on that interest.

 

While you do not want your children to read a lot of twaddle, a little bit (like candy) can be fun. Encourage them to re-read old favorites even if those favorites are far below their current reading levels. Look for other books by favorite authors. Have a challenge to read as many Caldecott, Newbery, or other award books as you can access.

 

Reading is a habit. For a really reluctant reader, set aside an hour or two per day to read. No TV, no computer, no electronics. The choices are read or sit and stare at the wall.

[Crimson Wife]

I agree with the others - read to them and limit all electronic media. Severely.

 

:iagree:Turn off the TV, DVD player, video game system, etc. for a month and you'll likely be pleasantly surprised at how much your kids will read.

[Jamee]

You're kidding! I have a friend who said the same thing, but I didn't believe her. I mean, how can you tell if the information is factual? :confused:

 

It allows you to guess really well.:D But depending on the credibility of the author, some is very accurate. I too learned a lot of my history from good historical fiction.

[Gwenhwyfar]

i'm gonna play the other side for a moment ~ some people just do.not.enjoy reading for recreation.

 

just like some of us don't enjoy riding bikes, knitting, or building scrapbooks.

 

recreational reading is a hobby ~ and not everyone has the same hobbies.

 

i fought this with dd13 for a few years (ds12 has special needs & this convo doesn't apply) ~ i kept trying to "make her into a reader".... the thing is, she IS a "reader" -- meaning, she is perfectly capable of reading when she has the need (or the want).... what she isn't is someone who loves to read for fun. it's just not her thing -- kinda like how she enjoys plastic canvas & cross-stitch work...both of which make my eyes glaze over. :tongue_smilie:

 

every now & then a book or two will catch her and she'll read for fun (one series in particular caught her and she read all the books six or seven times!) - but overall, she simply prefers to do other things...if i were to 'force' a quiet time where reading was the only option --- well, that would be like someone forcing me to cross-stitch. there may be twitching & drool. :p

 

i AM an avid reader ~ always was. lived at the library as a kid. had parents who would ground me *outside* because punishing me by sending me to my room for the day did nothing..i always had a book stogged somewhere that i'd sneak out... (heck i snuck 'em outside shhhh) ....dd13 has seen me reading many, many, MANY times. she knows about lots of different authors through me, we've talked about books until our tongues fell off - she'd pretty near ask for the entire story LOL ...but she doesn't want to read for fun.

 

it's all good. she CAN read ~ that's the important thing.

 

i'm all for seed planting... but i'm also for respecting that not everyone enjoys the same hobbies. drool/cross-stitch. ;)

[sahm99]

When we took ds out of school (he was 7 at the time) I was determined to turn this little non-reader into an avid reader... :lol:.

 

I thought hard, very hard and came up with THE solution, which we have maintained to this day:

All the children go to bed for a nap (2h) and VERY early in the evening and then, either have to sleep...or read:lol::lol::lol:.

 

I do not know any other children who read as much as mine, who devour one book after the other with that much pleasure and eagerness - at this point whenever they get a chance throughout the day...

 

I am convinced, that the huge majority of children will not naturally turn into avid readers, there are just too many distractions commonly surrounding them. They need opportunities to develop a love for reading, and I see it as my job to provide these...

 

Good luck to you!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

You're kidding! I have a friend who said the same thing, but I didn't believe her. I mean, how can you tell if the information is factual? :confused:

 

Lots of historical fiction is heavier on the historical than you'd think. Sure there are some howlers or books in which a hero or heroine doesn't display the thought patterns they would have really had.

 

But I think that many historical fiction (even romance) writers do enjoy the little period pieces that bring flavor and conflict to their story. I read through many Jean Plaidy books at one point. They did a good job of describing the period and an even better job at making the historical figures memorable.

 

I use lots of historical fiction with my kids. Why would I discount the adult version?

[gingersmom]

My son used to be very much like this.

 

I don't know that I would call him an "avid" reader but he reads every single day and loves the books he is reading. If I did not tell him to read though I am certain he would not just go pick up a book.

 

We also have a read aloud that we are reading together and for every book he reads we listen to the audiobook in the car (if one exists).

[Spryte]

My (step)son came to us at 9 years old - long story there - and he hated to read. He had never completed a book on his own, and [gasp] didn't have a favorite book!

 

I began by reading to him at night. Lots and lots of reading. Then I would read a few chapters, and tell him I was too tired to continue, but he could stay up and read one more chapter himself...

 

Then, since he was obsessed with screen time, and we were limiting that - we created a point system. He had to earn screen time through reading and other good behaviors.

 

Within a year, SS was reading everything in sight, and I was actually concerned that he was not getting outside enough. Had to institute the point system again, to encourage getting outside and staying active. :)

[Sophia]

Model it.

[MBM]

What's worked for us is to fit it into our daily lives. Usually we read together in the living room at some point in the evening. If necessary, we will drop other things that call us away. No chores. No TV. No internet. No dallying about. So far this approach has worked well.

[Dianne-TX]

My son used to be very much like this.

 

I don't know that I would call him an "avid" reader but he reads every single day and loves the books he is reading. If I did not tell him to read though I am certain he would not just go pick up a book.

 

We also have a read aloud that we are reading together and for every book he reads we listen to the audiobook in the car (if one exists).

 

This sounds like us. He reads, but most of the time I have to tell him to read or it's a part of his school day. They read at night before bed, too. I just want to see him pick up a book and read because he WANTS to, not because he has to or that's all there is to do. I guess, though, I can't complain that he doesn't complain when it is reading time. He really does love it. I guess I need to be content with the way he is and not try to change everything about him in regards to reading. He does love to read, just maybe not the way I define *love* to read. :) I am reading all responses and implementing what we don't do presently. Thank you all!

[Dianne-TX]

What's worked for us is to fit it into our daily lives. Usually we read together in the living room at some point in the evening. If necessary, we will drop other things that call us away. No chores. No TV. No internet. No dallying about. So far this approach has worked well.

 

I've thought about having a day of just reading for our school and not doing chores or anything, just hot chocolate and cozy and just read. :)

[Garga]

i'm gonna play the other side for a moment ~ some people just do.not.enjoy reading for recreation.

 

 

 

 

That's a fear of mine for my kids! I love to read and read endlessly.

 

DH doesn't like to read books. He reads articles on the computer and science websites, etc. He's very smart and knows a lot of stuff, from reading non-fiction stuff online. He doesn't read paper magazines or books. It's all on the computer.

 

Before we got married, I had visions of us reading the same book and talking about it (probably in wingback chairs by a roaring fire with a dog by the hearth...). It never happened.

 

I really hope my kids follow in my footsteps and read like I do, and don't just want to read stuff online like DH does. (Though dh is incredibly well-rounded from all the stuff he reads about. He finds "meaty" things to read, not just fluff.)

[Mrs Mungo]

You're kidding! I have a friend who said the same thing, but I didn't believe her. I mean, how can you tell if the information is factual? :confused:

 

As an example? At one time ladies wore black patches cut into shapes on their faces (or elsewhere). Historical romance novels explain such things because it assumes the reader Has not encountered this. Samuel Pepys and Shakespeare mention it in passing, but they don't explain. They assume the reader/play-goer knows all about it.

[julesmama3]

What helped my son was finding books about subjects he was interested in. He's passionate about baseball and football so I would get him sports related fiction and nonfiction. He enjoyed reading biographies about his favorite sports teams.

 

The series that he can't book down though is Harry Potter. Both my ds9 and dd10 love them. They are in a race to finish the fourth one right now. It has over 700 pages! When they are finished they get to see the movie-this motivates them too.

[Mynyel]

You read to them. You read with them. You read what they read. You talk to them about the books you both read. They see you reading other books. You foster and hold a love of reading yourself.

 

You create excitement about books and authors. I've taken my kids to book signings and watched authors speak on booktv. Other people have gone to signings and sent the books to us. We treat authors as celebrities.

 

You watch movies after reading books and talk about the differences. What changes really hurt the story? What changes did we not mind?

 

You can tell I am on facebook to much when I looked for a like button for your post! :)

 

Excellent, ideas! I am going to try this with my son as well, he will read (and read a lot) when I tell him too but he won't just read on his own.

 

His sister is the opposite. She spends her allowance on nothing but books... she eats, drinks and sleeps (on and with) them. She is even trying to write her own book... told her Yes! Write a book and buy your mom and dad a house ;)

[EthiopianFood]

As an example? At one time ladies wore black patches cut into shapes on their faces (or elsewhere). Historical romance novels explain such things because it assumes the reader Has not encountered this. Samuel Pepys and Shakespeare mention it in passing, but they don't explain. They assume the reader/play-goer knows all about it.

 

Huh. You're making me want to read an historical romance novel now! I just had no idea. I don't like modern fiction in general, so there is a lot that I'm sure I miss. :001_smile: Thanks for explaining.

[MIch elle]

You read to them. You read with them. You read what they read. You talk to them about the books you both read. They see you reading other books. You foster and hold a love of reading yourself.

 

You create excitement about books and authors. I've taken my kids to book signings and watched authors speak on booktv. Other people have gone to signings and sent the books to us. We treat authors as celebrities.

 

You watch movies after reading books and talk about the differences. What changes really hurt the story? What changes did we not mind?

 

 

I did it ALL - tried EVERYTHING. My 13 & 16yob's have always loved being read TO but they do not read themselves unless they have to.

 

I STILL read aloud TO them! Maybe someday they will enjoy reading - I still have hope. :001_smile: