How much do you require your 4th or 5th grader to read?

[Tld2]

I've been requiring 30 minutes from a book I select and 20 minutes of additional reading daily.  My daughter feels this is too much, so I'm just curious what the rest of you are doing at this age.

[freesia]

At that age, I required about 30 minutes. I also read aloud at least that amount—fiction as well as non-fiction. I do limit screen time to one hour a day and read myself which encourages extra reading. My youngest was my latest in reading independently. I would probably back off on the extra reading but make sure she has enough down time to make it attractive to her. 

Edited August 10, 2022 by freesia

[EKS]

I don't know how long it took, but I would assign a logical amount (like a chapter) of some high interest book related to our schoolwork.

For free reading, I told them that they could stay up after bedtime reading.  I provided a pile of books that I thought they'd like and gradually increased the reading level of the pile.  They were enthusiastic about reading because they felt like they were getting away with something by staying up late.

[8filltheheart]

At that age I assign about 30 mins of history reading, 30 mins of science reading, and 30 mins of literature reading.  

[PIE!]

5 minutes ago, EKS said:

I don't know how long it took, but I would assign a logical amount (like a chapter) of some high interest book related to our schoolwork.

For free reading, I told them that they could stay up after bedtime reading.  I provided a pile of books that I thought they'd like and gradually increased the reading level of the pile.  They were enthusiastic about reading because they felt like they were getting away with something by staying up late.

We did this too. We didn't tell them that their bedtime was earlier than it would be if we didn't do this. 😁 My older kids (even my 17-year-old) still all go to bed at 8pm and stay up an hour or 2 reading each night.

Edited August 10, 2022 by PIE!

[Southern Ivy]

I currently require an hour of reading - her choice. She can break it up into 30 minute segments; it can be graphic novel, audiobook, Epic!, or whatever. 

[HomeAgain]

In 4th and 5th we had assigned readings during the day (literature to discuss, reading program, etc). We also have a standing rule in our house that says that mom and dad get the living room at 8pm.  It's a fluctuating rule, depending on outside commitments, but after 8pm I send kids up to bedrooms.  (Even the 23yo still removes himself at 8pm. 😄) There's usually an hour of reading that happens with that.  Sometimes not. Sometimes it's legos or robotics. But it's a great incentive because I won't come and turn off lights until I go to bed.  I made sure to fill bedrooms as they were growing up with books that have been well loved for generations, seeing what they gravitate to and adjusting accordingly.  Oldest ds really liked real-ish stories.  Youngest ds seems to prefer fantasy worlds.  Every once in a while I throw something in there that might be a little out of the comfort zone.  I found a book about the presidents that youngest ds LOVED and memorized most of the information from it.  Right now he's starting to explore deception techniques from WWII and I have a few non-fiction books I plan on throwing in there.

[Lori D.]

Perhaps dig a little further into the "why" behind DD's statement that she feels 30 min. (required) + 20 min. (additional) is too much.

- Is she possibly a "late bloomer" and not quite up to full-on independent reading yet, or doesn't have full-on reading endurance yet?
(maybe just a little, back down the reading level of the required reading books -- see how she does with books at-reading level or even a little below reading level; or, encourage endurance by breaking the length of required reading into two 15-minute sessions separated by other non-reading schoolwork, and then the free reading can be done by staying up an extra 20 minutes in bed with the lights on)

- Is the required reading perhaps a bit too much of a jump up above her current natural reading level?
(maybe try out loud/together "buddy reading" ("you read a page, I read a page") for books that are harder in reading level than she is used to)

- Is the required reading just not of interest to her?
(again, maybe try out loud/together "buddy reading")
(or randomly, once a week, make required reading time extra appealing in some way -- like special tea [or hot chocolate] & cookies or popcorn while reading, or get to read in a unique spot [dry bathtub filled with pillows for a cozy nest; in bed; in a "tent" (blanket over a table) with a flashlight; up in a tree or special outdoor spot, etc.])

- Is there a possible eye issue that is only now starting to surface?
(along about this age, books get longer, with few/no illustrations, and with smaller print that is closer in spacing; all of that can add up to physical struggles with reading that was less noticeable before, if there is a focus issue or eye-convergence issue)

- All along, has reading (or doing school) not been of interest to her -- maybe she's more naturally athletic or active or outdoorsy?
(maybe try short bursts of focused sit-down school work, interspersed with movement; or give her a basket of "fidget" toys to fiddle with while she reads, to help with concentration [some children need to fidget with their hands, or swing legs/sit on a spinner, or "chew" on something in order to maintain concentration and focus)

[FreyaO]

I can't really contribute to this as my child is younger, but why do people assign a specific duration of reading? Why not 3 chapters or X% of a book? It may be that you reach a natural break in the book before or after the 30 min.

Why not setting the expectation to finish 1 or 3 books per week? Or one book that you select and two more of her choice. Maybe she will finish one during a very long setting and then skip reading the next day.

Setting it as "X min + Y min/day" makes it sound like a chore to me. An invitation to keep checking the clock until you can run away. 

[Tld2]

4 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Perhaps dig a little further into the "why" behind DD's statement that she feels 30 min. (required) + 20 min. (additional) is too much.

- Is she possibly a "late bloomer" and not quite up to full-on independent reading yet, or doesn't have full-on reading endurance yet?
(maybe just a little, back down the reading level of the required reading books -- see how she does with books at-reading level or even a little below reading level; or, encourage endurance by breaking the length of required reading into two 15-minute sessions separated by other non-reading schoolwork, and then the free reading can be done by staying up an extra 20 minutes in bed with the lights on)

- Is the required reading perhaps a bit too much of a jump up above her current natural reading level?
(maybe try out loud/together "buddy reading" ("you read a page, I read a page") for books that are harder in reading level than she is used to)

- Is the required reading just not of interest to her?
(again, maybe try out loud/together "buddy reading")
(or randomly, once a week, make required reading time extra appealing in some way -- like special tea [or hot chocolate] & cookies or popcorn while reading, or get to read in a unique spot [dry bathtub filled with pillows for a cozy nest; in bed; in a "tent" (blanket over a table) with a flashlight; up in a tree or special outdoor spot, etc.])

- Is there a possible eye issue that is only now starting to surface?
(along about this age, books get longer, with few/no illustrations, and with smaller print that is closer in spacing; all of that can add up to physical struggles with reading that was less noticeable before, if there is a focus issue or eye-convergence issue)

- All along, has reading (or doing school) not been of interest to her -- maybe she's more naturally athletic or active or outdoorsy?
(maybe try short bursts of focused sit-down school work, interspersed with movement; or give her a basket of "fidget" toys to fiddle with while she reads, to help with concentration [some children need to fidget with their hands, or swing legs/sit on a spinner, or "chew" on something in order to maintain concentration and focus)

Your last statement about her being athletic and just not interested is spot on.  I suggested having bubble gum available for reading time and she lit up and says she's actually looking forward to reading now!  Thankyou!

[Tld2]

37 minutes ago, FreyaO said:

I can't really contribute to this as my child is younger, but why do people assign a specific duration of reading? Why not 3 chapters or X% of a book? It may be that you reach a natural break in the book before or after the 30 min.

Why not setting the expectation to finish 1 or 3 books per week? Or one book that you select and two more of her choice. Maybe she will finish one during a very long setting and then skip reading the next day.

Setting it as "X min + Y min/day" makes it sound like a chore to me. An invitation to keep checking the clock until you can run away. 

I read my daughter your response and she agrees with everything you're saying!  Three chapters a day it will be!  

And thankyou everyone else for your reminders about bedtime reading.  We've done that a little in the past but I think we'll reinstitute that as well!

 

[Southern Ivy]

1 hour ago, FreyaO said:

I can't really contribute to this as my child is younger, but why do people assign a specific duration of reading? Why not 3 chapters or X% of a book? It may be that you reach a natural break in the book before or after the 30 min.

Why not setting the expectation to finish 1 or 3 books per week? Or one book that you select and two more of her choice. Maybe she will finish one during a very long setting and then skip reading the next day.

Setting it as "X min + Y min/day" makes it sound like a chore to me. An invitation to keep checking the clock until you can run away. 

For me, I set a time limit because otherwise mine would never choose to read. She struggled greatly early on and has determined that she "hates reading," so we're slowly working through that mentality. She currently is still overwhelmed by chapters, so rarely does she read a chapter book. She'll read longer graphic novels on her own, but those don't always have those natural breaks. Thus, our time limit, otherwise I definitely agree that natural breaks are the way to go. 

There are days her assigned time is like you said "checking the clock until you can run away." But, there are other days when she actually gets engrossed and doesn't track the time. Those are the times I'm working towards, when reading is actually pleasurable. 

[Ellie]

I never required my dc to read. Not ever. We went to the library weekly, and they could check out whatever they wanted or nothing at all. I read aloud to them from the books I thought were important for them to hear/experience, and that's about it.

[domestic_engineer]

17 minutes ago, Ellie said:

I never required my dc to read. Not ever. We went to the library weekly, and they could check out whatever they wanted or nothing at all. I read aloud to them from the books I thought were important for them to hear/experience, and that's about it.

I’m genuinely curious … did this strategy work for any struggling readers?  I never required reading for my kiddo who picked up reading easily. But now I have a dyslexic who struggles with reading, and thus, doesn’t pick up a book unless required. I don’t  know if I need to make daily reading a requirement for this kiddo or if that would just make reading even more distasteful. 

[Ellie]

9 minutes ago, domestic_engineer said:

I’m genuinely curious … did this strategy work for any struggling readers?  I never required reading for my kiddo who picked up reading easily. But now I have a dyslexic who struggles with reading, and thus, doesn’t pick up a book unless required. I don’t  know if I need to make daily reading a requirement for this kiddo or if that would just make reading even more distasteful. 

I don't know how requiring a child to read when he doesn't read well would be beneficial. o_0 In fact, younger dd didn't read at her age level until she was 9.5yo, and she was still able to enroll in the community college when she was 14, testing into English 1A, college-level.

[8filltheheart]

3 hours ago, FreyaO said:

I can't really contribute to this as my child is younger, but why do people assign a specific duration of reading? Why not 3 chapters or X% of a book? It may be that you reach a natural break in the book before or after the 30 min.

Why not setting the expectation to finish 1 or 3 books per week? Or one book that you select and two more of her choice. Maybe she will finish one during a very long setting and then skip reading the next day.

Setting it as "X min + Y min/day" makes it sound like a chore to me. An invitation to keep checking the clock until you can run away. 

For kids who are reluctant readers or struggle with reading, time limits are less overwhelming than x pgs/chpts.  There is success in completing the reading vs reluctance when looking at a number of pages.

FWIW, I keep school short in elementary school. 4th grade is 4 hrs. So an 90 mins reading, about 45 mins on math, 45-60 mins on spelling/grammar/writing, plus 15 mins on religion, 10 mins on CNN student news, and then about 30 mins of discussing everything=done.

For my kids who are strong readers or who like to read, I am more likely to say pg numbers. But, even when I assign pgs, I estimate how much they can read in 30 mins.

Edited August 10, 2022 by 8filltheheart

[Brittany1116]

6 hours ago, FreyaO said:

I can't really contribute to this as my child is younger, but why do people assign a specific duration of reading? Why not 3 chapters or X% of a book? It may be that you reach a natural break in the book before or after the 30 min.

Why not setting the expectation to finish 1 or 3 books per week? Or one book that you select and two more of her choice. Maybe she will finish one during a very long setting and then skip reading the next day.

Setting it as "X min + Y min/day" makes it sound like a chore to me. An invitation to keep checking the clock until you can run away. 

Some books lend well to chapters or pages but others lend well to time. There are also seasons where I need him to engage something half an hour instead of reading for 12 minutes and then wandering away for another 18+ until I can get back to him. It also builds stamina for longer reading sessions in texts and future years. 

[Servant4Christ]

I don't require a specific amount of time reading. My thought is that Oldest already reads quite a bit in order to accomplish most of his subjects each school day and reads well above his age/grade level according to all his standardized test scores. He's also my bookworm kid. If I attempted the 'books at bedtime' thing, Oldest would be regularly sleep deprived and stay up all night long reading. 😂

That said, I'll reassess for each child based on our goals when they reach school age.

[OakParkOwlets]

I have a 5th grader.  She reads a lot for her homeschool work and has no major reading concerns to work through, she can easily pick up a highschool level novel and read it for a half-hour if feels like it, but overall she just doesn't like reading.  Reading is just not a hobby she enjoys, she would rather draw or dance or do a handicraft.  This is hard for me to understand because reading is my main hobby.  If she is reading quite a bit during school should I be making her sit down and read additional books if she doesn't enjoy them?  I don't want to make her hate reading, but would it benefit her to train on reading stamina building somehow?

[lulalu]

DS reads around an hour each day. Usually that is a chapter or two of whatever novel he is reading. During the school year he has an added half hour of an assigned book. 

[Moose]

My son is entering 4th and I make him read for at least 30mins a day. I also read aloud before bedtime, usually a book above his reading level. Reading wasn't a chore for most of last year when he was really into the Zoey & Sassafras series and The Dragon Masters. But since he's finished those series, I can't seem to get him to commit to anything new. Everything is "boring".  

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

In 3rd I required 20min/day during lessons from a selection of books that stretched his reading level. I read most of our literature at bedtime (30min/night) & he was allowed to stay up an additional 30min for free-choice reading. 

This year, in 4th, it’s 30min/day in lessons, occasional assigned history reading, & 30min free-choice at bedtime. I read literature aloud during lessons now so we can begin doing more with the books (summaries, aligned projects, etc) & either DH or I read aloud 30min at bedtime, as well. The books I assign for history are shorter & easier than his free reading - around 100pgs of the Illustrated Classic / Classic Starts style. This was intentional, as I didn’t want him to balk at the idea of assigned books. 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

On 8/10/2022 at 12:38 PM, FreyaO said:

I can't really contribute to this as my child is younger, but why do people assign a specific duration of reading? Why not 3 chapters or X% of a book? It may be that you reach a natural break in the book before or after the 30 min.

I can’t speak for others, but for us it is more a combination of the two - X minutes give or take the nearest natural stopping point.

Many readers this age are advancing through reading levels that will impact book length substantially, so when discussing reading with other parents, time is more comparable regardless of reading level than number of pages or chapters. A “chapter” might be 5 large-type pages or 30 small-type pages. One parent saying they assign 30 pages per day could overwhelm another thinking of their child needing to read 2 of those large-type early chapter books per day before they are ready… but 20min is 20min. 

[ScoutTN]

Never had to require reading for my older child - a born bookworm. 
 

My younger is not schooly and at that age I required 30 mins of “free” reading. Novel or narrative non fiction chosen from a curated stack. In addition, he read 30 mins 5x/wk in history or science and we had 30-60 mins of RA.

Edited August 17, 2022 by ScoutTN

[SilverMoon]

My kids read assigned literature and literature based history and science at that age, and it took longer than the estimate in the OP. I read aloud to them often. Whatever they read on the side was up to them, though I did encourage books or series I thought they'd enjoy. My youngest (6th now) won't really read extra during the day unless he's totally gripped by a book, but if I toss books on his bed he'll read for ages before falling asleep.