StephTX Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I recently started homeschooling my son. He is 10 and in 4th grade (August baby so he started K at 6). He has ADHD, and Asperger's and just doesn't really care to read. His 'tested' reading levels always fluctuated wildly, probably depending on how much he cared to answer the test questions that day. He is more than capable of reading at and above his level, but again, he has very little interest in doing so. I'm hoping to find 'that' book that sparks his interest in reading, or at least, some books good enough that he eventually gets used to the idea. So far, some of the books he has read at one point or another are... *Narnia (bk1) -- said it was weird and felt mis-matched, like the story didn't line out right *Percy Jackson (bk1) -- got bored with it, and saw the last half of the movie, so didn't see any point in finishing the book *Infinity Ring (bk1) -- meh, just doesn't spark his interest and is a bit violent for his taste (there are more, of course, but those are some often recommended ones that he's tried) He did used to like the Magic Treehouse books when he was younger and the Hank the Cowdog books. He has somewhat outgrown those though. Of course he likes the 'booger picking books' like Diary of a Whimpy Kid and the Nate books. But I really don't care to encourage anymore of those. I want him to actually read books, REAL books. Not glorified picture books of smart aleck brats. I'm not generally a book snob, but those books irck me. We just finished a study on the Middle Ages, and I would like it if there were some good ones related to that topic that would grab a boy's interest. But that would be a bonus. Ughh, I don't know. Anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Have you tried nonfiction or magazines? My kid brother has Aspergers and did HORRIBLY on reading comprehension tests. But stick a Nintendo magazine in front of him, and he could tell you all about the newest Mario game without ever having played it. He also enjoyed sports (watching, not playing) so he liked books about sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Encyclopedia Brown Lucky Starr Hardy Boys Does he like audio books? We have started audio books on road trips, then returned the tapes when we got home and signed out the books. Evil, I know, but it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlcc Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Great Illustrated Classics - often found at thrift stores My Book House series Gentle Ben My Side of the Mountain Diane Stanley's Joan of Arc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda S in TX Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Ranger's Apprentice (twelve books in the series) Brotherband Chronicles (three in series) Everyone, boys and girls alike, read these here. Even I read them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Cornelia Snook Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 My 10 year old just enjoyed â€Hatchetâ€, and he also really liked Brandon Mull's â€Candy Shop Wars†books. Your son might also enjoy Fablehaven by the same author. Mostly, my son prefers nonfiction. He's been poring over a history book from DK that I gave him for Christmas. Maybe your boy would do better with nonfiction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I see two things going here: 1. books for school / classics (required, usually NOT what the reluctant reader is "into", but occasionally one of these "clicks" and is enjoyed by the student) 2. free reading books (which are the ones the reluctant reader picks up on their own) With my DS with mild LDs, I had to separate out these 2 ideas, and NOT expect that books in category #1 would be what would spark an interest in reading. To keep DS reading and picking up books when he was about 10yo, we kept around a lot of material that fit in category #2. For my DS that was things like magazine subscriptions of his interests, "exploded view" illustrated non-fiction books (like this Star Wars one), Calvin & Hobbes comic collections, the Warriors book series (VERY derivative, but he really wanted to READ the original series of about 8 books). In his early teens, he enjoyed series such as Eragon, Harry Potter, and Ranger's Apprentice, His Majesty's Dragon series (adult), and the books full of "insider tips" on how to play specific video games. Nope, none of the books he LIKED to read were classics or high literature. BUT, the point was that he WAS picking up books as one of his free time activities... We did the "good lit" as part of school -- lots of read alouds, and did a lot of his literature aloud together, "popcorn style" ("you read a page, I read a page"), all the way through high school. That allowed us to discuss in the moment, helped hold his attention, and we made a lot of good memories that way. And, he recognized the difference between "fluff" reading that is just lite entertainment, and writing that was GOOD. And he now appreciates the "good stuff" -- he teases we "ruined" him for trashy writing ;) ) Non Fiction ideas - Ranger Rick magazine (nature) - Kids Discover magazine (various topics) - Odyssey magazine (science) - Dig magazine (archeology) - Calliiope or Cobblestone magazine (history) - Lego Club free magazine - BRICK Journal (quarterly magazine on Lego creations) - adult magazines: Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Discover Magazine - Star Wars non-fiction, with exploded view illustrations (like this one) Ideas for good books to go along with Middle Ages (500A.D. - 1500A.D.) Non-Fiction (a lot of these are at libraries): - Eyewitness: Medieval Life - Eyewitness: Castle - Eyewitness: Knight - Eyewitness: Arms & Armor - Eyewitness: Battle - Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess (Platt) - Cathedral (Macauley) - Brendan the Navigator (Fritz) -- early medieval monk who may have been the first European to discover the New World Fiction- Favorite Medieval Tales (Osborne) - Norse Tales (Osborne) - Adam of the Road (Gray) -- read aloud - a version of Robin Hood - a version of King Arthur Ideas for as you move into Renaissance (1500-1650): Non-Fiction - Rats, Bulls & Flying Machines Fiction - Shakespeare Stealer - I, Juan de Pareja - The Apprentice (Llorente) - The Second Mrs. Giaconda (Konigsberg) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Time Warp Trio are fun and relatively quick. The Hobbit can also suck certain kids in. Redwall, though the reading level on that one might be a bit high. My son is devouring the Candy Shoppe War right now. NERDz is also an engaging read for many boys that age. City of Ember perks some kids up, but it requires a bit of suspension of belief. A Wrinkle in Time is my all time favorite book for Aspie boys. It might be one you want to read aloud, or companion read and discuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runamuk Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 My son (almost 10) has ADHD and struggles with reading and reading comprehension/retention (I also went through this with our oldest child, now 23). Because reading time became such a struggle, I "gave up" on trying to get him to read recreationally and introduced him to audiobooks. I have an Audible account, but we're very fortunate that our library system has a large selection of audiobooks. Once I stopped pressuring him to read, he started enjoying books. He loves listening to stories and will often re-listen to his favorite over and over. He fell in love with Through the Looking Glass and just finished The Hobbit - books he wouldn't have been able to finish had he had to read them. As for reading in our lessons, we do work on reading comprehension and retention. We often do read-alongs - I read and he follows along. Or I'll read a section then he'll read a section. I've also found graphic novels to be helpful. Our library has a number of historical, scientific, and biographical graphic novels aimed at the grammar school age. We use them in conjunction with other books and materials, and he finds them fun and interesting. I think the pictures with the to-the-point-writing gets the message through where a bunch of words wouldn't. Are they what I would choose for him to be reading? No. But I know that if I push the issue, he will give up on books altogether. I think this is where we are fortunate to be homeschooling - I can take my time with getting our son to read. In the meantime, I can find ways to get the information to him in the way he learns best and is most comfortable with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NASDAQ Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 The Phantom Tollbooth. I know more than one AS kid sucked in by this one. Septimus Heap books Trolls, Horvath D'Aulaires Greek Myths and Norse Myths Harry Potter Holes The Indian in the Cupboard Half Magic-series (The Knight's Castle in particular) the Ember series I fill up a box with books at her proximate reading level and she chooses from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 My hFA boy prefers non-fiction for the most part. So does my other son, so I'm not sure it isn't just that my boys tend to prefer non-fiction. My DH is the same way. It really threw me for a loop, because my father was a big fiction reader, and only recently has become more of a non-fiction reader, and my mother was the non-fiction person, and she has recently been more of a fiction person! So maybe one's tastes do change with time. For my boys I've found that my best way to pick fiction is to decide if I hate it. If I hate it, and find it dull, boring or full of long explanations of how things work or detailed adventures, all the things I can't stand, they are sure to love it. Go figure. As for teaching those complicated relationships and deep meanings that I love in fiction, I'm just going to have to use short stories. That way they can sample those stories without getting overwhelmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 It's non-fiction, but I recommend Oh, Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty. I brought it home from the library once for my daughter, and the whole family was entranced by it. It's appallingly appealing. The author also wrote Oh, Yikes!: History's Grossest Wackiest Moments Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I know there's an age gap/ability difference, but Life of Fred books are what got my (7 year old) reluctant reader actually reading. Maybe, if you found a story about a subject that he really enjoys, it would help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephTX Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! We went to the library yesterday to look for books related to the Middle Ages. He checked out... Dragonology Knights of the Round Table The Black Death King Arthur and the Legends of Camelot Hopefully I can get him to actually read them now. He has a Lego Club subscription and loves that, and a subscription to Boys Life (which he seems less thrilled with). I don't know if he honestly reads either or just skims through them looking at pictures and captions. He likes to 'skim' things I think, which is probably why he likes comic books (I refuse to call them grahpic novels - they are disorganized picture books that drive my ocd brain crazy). He would 'read' a book way too fast, and pass the AR test on it at school. I never could quite tell if he could truly read and absorb that fast, or if he has a talent for skimming through grabbing pertitent information. Asperger's is an interesting thing like that. I know some of it has been laziness on my part. He isn't that interested, and I never pushed it the way I should've. It's not an excuse really, but up until now, I had bigger fish to fry dealing with whatever social/behavioral issues popped up at school that day. Forcing him to read more on top of that just didn't happen. Now I feel like we are in a place where I can work it in more, and hopefully he will learn to enjoy it on his own. I'm going to write down a lot of these suggestions and try them out. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 My oldest has aspergers and we sometimes have the same issues. He can read fluently, his comprehension and vocab is sometimes shaky, and I have to push him to read. Aspie kids are really attracted to anything visual. It's why they stim visually at times. It's why tv and video games, computers and comics are so enticing to them. My ds also has a hard time putting the Calvin Hobbes and whimpy kid, capt underpants style books down. I think it's due to the visual style of them. I require my ds to read every day, at least a chapter or two of a book of his choice. I use read aloud time to familiarize him with books I want him to know. I would set 6-8 books aside, a mix of easy hard non-fiction, and he had to choose from those books. He has read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, most of Roald Dahl books, Hobbit, Harry Potter, Time Warp Trio, as well as a few classics like Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan etc. He always ends up liking them, but nearly always reverts back to the visual favorites of his. I feel I'll always have to press a bit since being an aspie makes it difficult to do or enjoy new things. He'd rather stay in the comfort zone. I'd just make it a routine so he knows he has to read daily, and set limits on what to choose to give him some guidance. I also insist that my ds either finish the book he started or tell me why he doesn't like it. He then has to choose something else. I also try to keep good books in the house. Classics and fun series, but I limit the access to the twaddle such as wimpy kid, so he has other choices. Incentive rewards work well for aspie kids too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Hook books! http://gratefulforgrace.com/2014/02/hook-books-how-to-get-a-child-to-love-reading/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I'm thinking of this series today since yesterday Youngest started reading it. The Secrets of Droon. It's a LONG series and needs to be read in order. The books start short and grow in every way possible. This was the series that turned Eldest into a reader. To get an idea of how much the books change get one of the first ones in the series and compare it to one at the end of the series. The author Tony Abbott is also the perfect author to email. We emailed him a few times and he even sent Eldest a autograhped map of Droon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeteranMom Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 My sons hated to read for fun until this year. They are 11 and 12. I just asked them what made them start to like reading. My oldest son said he started to like the stories. He said he liked the new Rush Limbaugh book and "Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--The World's Most Dangerous Weapon". I've always tried to get them books that they might enjoy. They love anything relating to history. They've always enjoyed the Ripley's Believe It or Not and the Guiness Records books. Those were good for the times they were resistant to reading for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Ranger's Apprentice (twelve books in the series) Brotherband Chronicles (three in series) Everyone, boys and girls alike, read these here. Even I read them. I was also going to suggest these, though some are quite violent if that is bothering him. They are quasi Middle Ages set, and my son has had fun pointing out what is supposed to be based on what or where but changed in various ways. I do not allow movies, in general, of books I want my son to read. Also, The Book of Three and the rest of its series are excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I would also look at how much screen time he's having. Books are a less interesting alternative when there's high action/high flicker screen options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I suckered my boys into the Warrior cat series by handing them the short comic book versions first. They quickly ran out of them and I slipped them the novel version. That said, my ADD daughter couldn't/wouldn't read for pleasure until we medicated her. She honestly couldn't read a page and remember what was on it much less chapters and chapters of stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 This week, I realized my son (9) has a reading level *waaaaay* above his fluency level. So, I've been giving him books where he can "read" all the words "easily" but where he can't read quickly. NO FUN! While I'm keeping one book at his reading level (5th grade-ish?) I am giving him lots of easy books to read - books he actually read over a year and a half ago, but that he can actually get through quickly. Otherwise, a chapter was taking him 40 minutes. He was giving up on most of his books. Clyde Robert Bulla has some good books out there. My daughter can read really really well as long as I let her climb and read at the same time. Not sure if your son is already doing that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Have you asked him what books he does like to read? Not necessarily the books you mentioned he likes to read, but read alouds? I've been going through this with my DS 9 1/2 and when I listed a few books we had read together and asked him to rank them, I was totally surprised by his response. My son fits the description of yours by the way! My suggestions; audio books (less risk involved for child to try out the book), rank a few read alouds to find out what he really likes, read The Book Whisperer! FWIW, my DS is totally hooked on a series that doesn't match what he told me he likes! You just never know what will light that spark. The series is Wolves of the Beyond by Kathryn Lasky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 If he was taught to read in a school that used sight words and other whole word practices, reading may not be that enjoyable or easy, here is why: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/aliterate.html You can assess if this might be the problem by giving MWIA 2, if the phonics portion is read more than 15% slower than the holistic version or if more words are missed on the phonics portion, you need to do some remedial work that includes nonsense words. A child that age should not miss more than 1 word on each section of the MWIA, and most well taught phonics students do not miss a single word. Nonsense words are also a good test, the New Elizabethian test. Again, a well taught student should be able to read them almost as fast and as easily as a regular word. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Another Calvin and Hobbes suggestion. It really is a literary gateway drug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 My 9yo son likes the Boys of Wartime series by Laurie Calkhoven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I know this is totally shallow, but many kids are hooked by the covers. You might have good luck with books that have covers that appeal to him. Frankly, in my house, we read whatever we want, whenever we want (with the exception of the dinner table.) About your son's age, my mom made a rule that I had to read at least one non-fluff book for every fluff book I read. But, my fluff was really fluffy: Harlequin Romance novels from the babysitter's house (I'm still shocked my mom let me read them), endless series of sci-fi/fantasy novels from the library, really bad historical romance novels, etc. You might be surprised if you let him pick whatever he wanted--and he might be surprised, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Total long-shot out there, but have you had his eyes checked? Some kids with those labels are going to be low tone (muscle tone) and that affects the eyes and how quickly they fatigue, how they develop proper convergence, tracking, etc. He might have some sensory issues and not be expressing properly physical discomfort with the reading process. I know I can't tell you if I have a headache vs. being tired vs... Anyways, COVD is where you'd find the doc to check for that. My dd hit a wall where she was refusing to move forward with reading even though the skills were there, and she needed VT. Now she wears bifocal contacts. Without them, she has symptoms that look like inattention but are really the visual fatigue. It's just surprising the things vision can cause. I am also low tone and found that my reading glasses help immensely for me too to stick with a book. I had gotten to where I would read the beginning and end, skimming the middle, saying I was bored. I was bored (because I jump to ideas quickly), but it was also uncomfortable for me to stick with the book in a way I couldn't express. The reading glasses solve that. So COVD.org is where you find a doc to get his eyes checked, just to make sure that's not part of the problem. Beyond that, ditto the suggestion to start him on audiobooks a couple grades ahead of his reading level. That way you know his language is growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I would absolutely read aloud. And use voices and make it really, really fun. Start with the Mysterious Benedict Society, the Iron Giant (a hundred times better than the movie) and the People of Pineapple Place. I've read aloud to my kids from when they were tiny and showed them how awesome books are. They read now on their own, of course, (they're also ten) but I will read aloud to them until they leave home. It's about sharing an experience together. Oh -- Wheel on the School is also excellent but I'd start w/ the above books first. I'd also buy used The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trealease. It explains the thinking behind reading aloud and also gives tons of awesome titles. Good luck!! Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Another Calvin and Hobbes suggestion. It really is a literary gateway drug. This is SPOT ON. Scatter these throughout your house. Don't say anything. Just let him "find" them. But reading aloud daily is key because instead of telling him how good books are -- you'll be showing him. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.