What is your policy on questionable reading material (for elementary school age child

[madteaparty]

I am embarrased to admit that the only (ONLY!) books my 8 year old willingly picks up and reads for more than the required amount of time/pages are....Goosebumps series.

I do make him read other stuff, daily, and we read to him at bedtime. But how do I get him to **willingly** branch out from Goosebumps?

Many thanks,

:bigear:

[Rebel Yell]

figure out what he likes about that book and find that in a similar book.

 

Chiller mystery? Maybe a child's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. SHort/easy vocabulary? Get good books or adaptations at that reading level. SOmetimes it's nice to read an easy, fun book... might whet the appetite for "better" or challenging books. But if every book is a struggle or a bore it does little to encourage reading.

 

Look for other series books... Hardy Boys? hank the Cowdog? Historical fiction- Dear America/My Name is America series?

[SailorMom]

At 8? I'd say leave his free reading alone. At least he's reading.

The best way to get them to branch out is to assign fantastic books for school. He'd probably love Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, etc.

He will willingly branch out when he finds a genre he likes, so just keep introducing him to different types of books.

[Walking-Iris]

I am embarrased to admit that the only (ONLY!) books my 8 year old willingly picks up and reads for more than the required amount of time/pages are....Goosebumps series.

I do make him read other stuff, daily, and we read to him at bedtime. But how do I get him to **willingly** branch out from Goosebumps?

Many thanks,

:bigear:

 

well I can't answer to the questionable parts of Goosebumps since we've never seen one, but the easiest way to keep books or movies, games etc. that don't jive with your families values away from your kids is to just not have them in the house to begin with. I don't agree with censorship AT ALL, but I'm also not going to let my kids read or watch whatever happens along. I obviously can't pre-read everything, but if something comes to my attention that I sincerely do not agree is appropriate for my children then I'm the final dictator of those decisions. :tongue_smilie: At least until they are teens.

 

If he's not willing to part with his Goosebumps then he might like something that is similar in theme... Spiderwick Chronicles, Harry Potter, Choose Your Own Adventure, Neil Gaiman's books.

[laughing lioness]

Phillipians 4:8 is our standard for media, books, activities:

 

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

 

I don't belong in the camp of folks who say "at least my kid is reading something..." I think it was Dorothy Sayers who said something to the effect that we have educated our entire population and yet we haven't taught them how to be responsible with it.

 

I would set a standard with your dh, inform you kids, work for input/buy-in from them and then look to/refer to the standard. I'm also about heirarchy in familes, so if the kids don't have total buy-in exert parental authority. (blame my M.F.T. training ;)).

[BigMamaBird]

My dd is a strong but emerging reader, so we really haven't faced too many objectionable books. One I can put my finger on right away though is the Junie B. Jones books, I don't like those. Our solution to the problem is to not introduce her to them, buy them or have them in the house. I make sure she has lots of other reading material and she doesn't even miss them.

[Starr]

There are leaps in reading that are more work. Right now he's comfortable with the reading level and likes his old friends. Find other fun books at this level or give him a gentle push to read the next level up. Maybe one Goose Bumps and then a different book. Read the books yourself so you can talk about them and make it fun.

[Shellydon]

The WTM strongly encourages parents not to let their kids read junk food type books. It just increases the desire for junk food and doesn't develop a taste for the good stuff.

[madteaparty]

Hi-- I should have clarified. I have no religious issues, just purely esthetics :) Many thanks!

[Shellydon]

I don't agree. Or at least this has not been the case with my kids at all.

 

 

Just repeating the book.

[katilac]

The WTM strongly encourages parents not to let their kids read junk food type books. It just increases the desire for junk food and doesn't develop a taste for the good stuff.

 

I definitely part ways with SWB on this one. I disagree with reading junk books FOR SCHOOL, but not with reading them on their own time.

 

Because of my job, I've had the pleasure of talking to lots of high-achieving young adults, and I have found that they loved reading Goosebumps and Babysitter's Club just as much as any other kid. One young lady in particular made the connection that reading "junk" was her standard method of relaxing, a break from her usual intense activity and high expectations.

 

If my kids were reading nothing BUT junk, then I'd make sure they had meaningful assigned reading and shared reading for "school." If they were spending an inordinate amount of time on any activity I considered pretty worthless, I'd address our schedules so more of their time was taken up by interesting and worthwhile activities. Really, if a kid is putting in a good school day, exercising enough, helping around the house, and so on, they only have so much free time anyway. Younger kids have more, and so I would do stuff like offer to play games, take them to the park, etc.

 

When my kids get "stuck" on a certain genre or series, I will check out other types of books and just quietly place them on our library shelf. Delay the next library trip, and they read them ;)

[Crimson Wife]

My brother loved Goosebumps at the same age and he eventually did branch out to other books.

 

I used to use my allowance to get Sweet Valley Twins and Babysitter's Club books from the Scholastic book club every month. :tongue_smilie:

[Mrs Mungo]

I definitely part ways with SWB on this one. I disagree with reading junk books FOR SCHOOL, but not with reading them on their own time.

 

Actually TWTM is pretty specific about letting kids read whatever they want (even comics or Goosebumps) *on their own time* (at any time other than the times they are reading for school). See page 62 of the third edition.

Edited June 19, 2012 by Mrs Mungo
Iphone

[Heidi]

Phillipians 4:8 is our standard for media, books, activities:

 

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

 

I don't belong in the camp of folks who say "at least my kid is reading something..." I think it was Dorothy Sayers who said something to the effect that we have educated our entire population and yet we haven't taught them how to be responsible with it.

 

I would set a standard with your dh, inform you kids, work for input/buy-in from them and then look to/refer to the standard. I'm also about heirarchy in familes, so if the kids don't have total buy-in exert parental authority. (blame my M.F.T. training ;)).

 

:iagree: 100% We only have good books at our house, and yet they still read for entertainment and pleasure. Im assuming that when they are older and come across junkfood books on their own that they will recognize them for what they are, and hopefully continue to choose to fill their minds and freetime with more worthy thoughts.

[Farrar]

The WTM strongly encourages parents not to let their kids read junk food type books. It just increases the desire for junk food and doesn't develop a taste for the good stuff.

 

Another dissenter from this advice. It is simply not borne out by studies of children's reading habits, which all point to the idea that allowing children to choose their own reading material, no matter what it is, increases reading competence and fluency. 8 year-olds are still working on reading fluency and reading simple stories can help.

 

In terms of getting a child to branch out, I would strew other things like it but that in that vein as well as other things meant to appeal to 8 year olds.

 

And I would try to choose at least a couple of school reading books that would be more literary but still help bridge the gap between school and pleasure reading - maybe a mystery, or ghost story but that's more of a classic for example.

[Mrs Mungo]

When I read The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, I would readreadread and then I would stop and read a romance novel or something equally light. My brain just needed a break. I read 4 or 5 other books while reading it. That cuts down on brain fatigue for me. I am convinced that my strategy is a large part of the reason that I have read so many classics while other people fail in their attempts. Nothing wrong with candy, as long as that isn't all you eat. JMO.

[Deniseibase]

I had a similar issue with my DD. With her, when she was 8, it was the Rainbow Fairy books :D They aren't BAD, per se, just not.....GOOD, y'know?

 

It took a long time to get past 'junk' books, so be prepared to be patient. When she was in fourth grade, I just insisted that she had to READ, every day, for a set amount of time. It had to be a chapter book, and it could not be something she had read before. There are a lot of Rainbow Fairy books, but eventually she ran out!! :) Then she had to read something else for that set amount of time. I suggested slightly better quality books, everything from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to The Tale of Despereaux to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Some books she thought were ok, some were rejected outright. Eventually she read her way through Harry Potter and the Warriors series, and really enjoyed them. OK, not exactly high literature, but it was a step up from Rainbow Fairies!!! :) After that, she decided she did like fantasy and branched out into a larger variety of titles, but still stuck with fantasy novels. I continued to insist that she read daily, and encouraged her to choose better titles, but that was it.

 

By sixth grade, she had decided on her own that she was a reader, and stated choosing to read over other leisure activities. Once she hit that point, I knew I could move forward to the next stage. I then informed her that every other book she read had to be chosen from a list that *I* had made. I then made a list of books that I thought she would like - a lot of classic novels of her chosen genre (like The Hobbit), similar genres (like sci-fi), and a lot of just really good books that anyone might like. I made sure there were enough books on the list that she had a good amount of choice - over the course of the year, she read about 1/3 of the books on my list. She didn't like everything she read, but she liked enough of it that she's now starting to believe that not EVERY book mom suggests is necessarily awful! :lol:

 

This is still a process. For next year, I am choosing ALL her books, but still, I've gone to great lengths to pick books that I really think she will enjoy. AND she's old enough now that I can talk to her about why it's important to branch out and learn to read lots of different books, and she doesn't always LIKE it, but she GETS the concept.

 

So, I would say, the important thing IS that he enjoys reading, but there are ways to guide him into better reading choices without killing his love of reading. It takes time, and you have to break it into little steps, but it can be done. Be patient, and keep at it!

[Mommy22alyns]

I have allowed things like the Rainbow Fairy series and some light things that we've found at used bookstores. Not other things though. And then I assign certain things for school or read alouds.

 

I alternate light and heavier reading too.

[stripe]

I think the Book Whisperer has good ideas about engaging kids in discussing why they love the books they do, including the junk. It's a very encouraging book about reading and its effects, and promoting discussion of literature. I got the recommendation from someone here.

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm currently reading that one. :001_smile:

 

I think it is one of the best books that I have ever read. It is just a little painful. :) Are you keeping a character list or just going for it?

[WIS0320]

Another dissenter from this advice. It is simply not borne out by studies of children's reading habits, which all point to the idea that allowing children to choose their own reading material, no matter what it is, increases reading competence and fluency.

 

:iagree:

 

Personally, as an adult I don't always want to read excellent literature or non-fiction. Sometimes I want to settle down with Sharon Shinn or Jodi Picoult. Sorry, I think realizing that children will also have specific tastes and want to explore them is a good thing. If a child is exposed to a wide range of reading materials they will be able to read the more challenging literature.

 

Hey, it is sort of like I know I am better off with steamed veggies rather than potato chips but sometimes I really enjoy the potato chips. Not every day but they certainly hold a place of value in my life of pure pleasure. Reading and books should be pleasurable too, especially when a parent is trying to help their child find a love for reading for the sake of reading.

[myfunnybunch]

My policy:

 

I help choose books for daily school reading. I am open to requests, but the books must pass the Mom test for appropriate challenge and content.

 

I won't buy twaddle.

 

If one wishes to spend one's own money on literature Mom considers twaddle, then have at it....

 

....and if one chooses to select one "twaddle" book from the library, feel free...

 

but one cannot read it until all schoolwork/instrument practice/chores are finished.

 

We all get to choose what to read on our own time. :)

 

Cat

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm just going for it.

 

I got a bit sidetracked and read the Hunger Games trilogy. :D

 

This is what I am saying! Kudos to anyone who get through those tough books without a brain candy break.

[Forget-Me-Not]

When I read The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, I would readreadread and then I would stop and read a romance novel or something equally light. My brain just needed a break. I read 4 or 5 other books while reading it. That cuts down on brain fatigue for me. I am convinced that my strategy is a large part of the reason that I have read so many classics while other people fail in their attempts. Nothing wrong with candy, as long as that isn't all you eat. JMO.

 

:iagree: with the sentiment, though I haven't read that book specifically. We do a lot of read-alouds and audio books here, and I try to stick to quality children's lit for those, so if a few Junie B. Jones or Bad Kitty books (I'll admit that Bad Kitty tickles my funny bone :)) find their way into the mix, I don't stress. My 9yo is slowly working his way through The Chronicles of Narnia and loving them, so no complaints there!

[LaxMom]

Hi-- I should have clarified. I have no religious issues, just purely esthetics :) Many thanks!

 

We had the same with my 11yo when she was six and completely into those horribly insipid fairy books - no objectionable content, just crap. We let it go for a while, then told her she would be done with that and move on after the next book (or series, I can't remember) was done. It was fairly easy to redirect her to more challenging, fuller reading material. She mowed through Spiderwick, A Series of Unfortunate Events and into Harry Potter that summer, while we were still reading meatier things aloud.

[madteaparty]

Thank you everyone. We are doing what's been suggested in several responses, which is demand reading another book alongside the Goosebumps. I did not feel right outright forbidding him reading those books so we will go like this a while and hope he outgrows the phase. I did order some books that seem to be in the same vein (a bit scary and thrilling) so hopefully he is drawn to those as well.

[LibraryLover]

He might like Spiderwick Chronicles, Percy Jackson, or Artemis Fowl books.

 

You can try reading a couple of chapters to aloud to get him interested. He might pick it up after you stop. :)

[madteaparty]

Thanks--We read all the Percy books out loud about a year ago (right before Harry Potter). We shall try the rest of your suggestions, thanks again

 

He might like Spiderwick Chronicles, Percy Jackson, or Artemis Fowl books.

 

You can try reading a couple of chapters to aloud to get him interested. He might pick it up after you stop. :)

[WishboneDawn]

Thank you everyone. We are doing what's been suggested in several responses, which is demand reading another book alongside the Goosebumps. I did not feel right outright forbidding him reading those books so we will go like this a while and hope he outgrows the phase. I did order some books that seem to be in the same vein (a bit scary and thrilling) so hopefully he is drawn to those as well.

 

Good. Most of the folks I know that are avid readers seem to have some book series like that in their past that they read voraciously and later grew out of. My daughter recently gave her beloved Cat Warrior books away. She'd read so many that she started to get tired with the style and wanted something more substantial. Right now she's reading Dracula and LOTR.