Anyone Have Kids Who Are NOT Readers?

It sounds like he is a very visual person--prefers movies but then critiques them and so must see the detail and such in them. Plus he talks about being a chef so that is very visual and hands on versus being in front of a computer or something all day. My bro has never been into reading for anything except what had to be done. He is an electrician, doing really well and is also very hands on and will see things that others miss, give detail about things, etc. He was also an average student, espectially with reading.

It is possible that he does not consider recipes to be reading per se.
BTW, I love to read but have never even picked up the Harry Potter books.

No, I can't say that I do...my boys love to read - although at first it was something they didn't "get" it was just words on the paper until they started absorbing the words and opening their imaginations.....

I personally believe that reading is critical in this day and age - whether it be a recipe or the computer screen - even video games have us read....

I just wouldn't press it - I would state my mind/opinion and then let them digest it...

My sister was like this... drove me NUTS because I'm such an avid and hungry reader.

My Mother never encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone... she's finishing up her BA in Psychology, but stiull hates to read and her writing is atrocious. I think that is where most non readers have issues with in schools - writing reports, essays, etc because they don't SEE grammar properly often, nor enlarge their vocabulary base.

I grew up with major dyslexia issues... by making myself calm down to read and learn to read fast, I helped myself in so many ways. When I talk or type, I still transpose letters, numbers and even whole words... but I realize it and slow down and fix it.

I hated reading pretty much all my life until this past valentines day when i got my kindle :) although i did read all the harry potter books before then. My sisters were huge readers and we would go camping and they would just bunker down with their books and I would be like ummm no we are camping lets go swim or fish or do something! I thought it was a waste of time and now its down time for me. Not liking to read doesn't have any impact on future careers. My husband bought a book for my kindle and got through 3 chapters and its still just sitting there at his last spot. Some people just cant sit down and read like that.

DVMMOM, my daughter does love to read, so I don't have your issue but I do want to offer what I thought as soon as I read the post: It would be great if you could find a professional chef, and/or an instructor at a culinary school, who could talk to your stepson about why he MUST be able to read and read well to get through culinary school and work as a chef! I don't know enough about he field to say that reading is vital to it...but I'd bet there are chefs out there who would say that reading helps them do more than just understand recipes. If you can find that kind of help it might give him a wake-up call. Your stepson may never be a "reader for pleasure" but it would be great if he could get a jolt from someone outside the family (and outside his school) who could let him know the reality that reading is the basis for just about everything else.

Also, do you think he'd actually read something like the memoirs of a professional chef? There are plenty of them out there now, thanks to things like the Food Network on TV, and they write more than cookbooks sometimes. And even the cookbooks include essays and memoirs and thoughts on food. I wonder if you could encourage him to read those kinds of things?

Just a thought!

LOL, 6 of 1! "Ruined the endings of the movies." Well, now the endings of the books are 'ruined'!!!

My 9yo isn't a big reader, and it's the last thing in the world he would choose to do for fun. He's been reading at the 4th grade level since he was 3 years old. He "got there" aka where he wanted to be with it, and then dropped reading like a hot stone for math.

I have some hope for him, he reeeeally loved the Percy Jackson series.

About a year ago I finally figured out WHY he doesn't like reading. He doesn't make the mental imagery / "mind movies" that go along with reading. ... so it's a *very* intense exercise for him. ((He does, however, get crazy visuals from math... he "sees" numbers and math the way that I "see" scenes in books I'm reading.))

Since then, we've been working on the Charlotte Mason method of narrating passages (he reads 1 sentence and then says what is going on/ acts it out. Then a whole paragraph. Then a whole scene. All of this is over the course of months, btw. Sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, scene by scene, chapter by chapter.). It's still WORK for him, he has to consciously try and think in pictures, so it isn't "fun" yet, although he loves stories... it's not automatic or 'easy' yet.))

So I have hope for him, but he is sooooo not there, yet. And may never be.

Oh my gosh yes, both my sons.

One has a fairly severe visual processing disorder; the other one is a great reader. It's funny because they have basically the same attitude.

It's especially ironic when their mom (me) is almost hyperlexic. I spent most of my childhood with my nose in a book.

I really try to encourage reading, and we have a fantastic tutor - younger son now reads at high school level and beyond, which is great for him. However, I have come to accept that they will never love reading the way I do.

If it's any consolation, my husband is the same way and he is a very successful business person (my dad too).

I only enjoy reading if I feel like I am learning something. I have no desire to read fiction. I This has not hindered me academically, or professionally. I have a master's degree and work as a nurse.

My daughter and her father aren't readers but I was an avid reader! They prefer movies. Both are visual learners. My daughter struggled with books because she couldn't "see" what the book was about. There is a point in reading where you're just reading and visualizing it in your mind. I suspect my daughter never got to that point.

By drilling my daughter's reading skills (phonics) and increasing her vocabulary she has grown to enjoy reading more. Reading was a chore for her, she struggled with the words and the definitions. You would not enjoy something that was a struggle for you and you certainly would not do it for pleasure!

For is it was a combination of increasing her skills and finding books she was interested in. She will never be the avid reader I was, but she will read for pleasure.

I have also found that she will read when I read. My favorite relaxing thing to do is put on some classical music and curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book. When I do that, she'll do it. So setting a good example is a good first step!

I have one who doesn't like to read. He is also and "hands on" person. The ONLY time he'll look at books is in the car and they are not "reading" books as much as they're "coffee table" type books. It's okay, he'll be fine. You can't force it or it'll backfire. I would just make sure that he had books available from the library regarding his interests available....books on "culinary arts" etc. Good luck!

My kids are too young to determine this...but I hope they like to read. Right now, its looking like my oldest will be a reader but not sure about my youngest. My oldest has always loved books being read to her (And is just now reading them to us) and although my youngest will sit to read a book loses interest quickly. Like I said though they are still young, so who knows. I absolutely love reading...and actually prefer to read the book before the movie if that is the case. In fact, I have to be honest that I never got through all the Harry Potter books, but I have only watched the movies of the books I've read. I did finish the twilight series though. :)

But my husband he hates reading. I think at most a magazine article...maybe he will read. But he is a successful tradesman and enjoys his job thoroughly.

No, but my husband isn't really a "pleasure reader". He reads mostly for research or to be educated on something. He still reads all the time. You're are a hundred percent right, some people just aren't readers. I know that is really hard for us book lovers to understand (especially for me since I write them as well), but that is the cold hard truth. I think as long as he is doing ok in school, I wouldn't push the issue.

However, that wouldn't stop me from talking about a great book you read. If you bring it up in a casual way, "Oh man, I love this book I am reading! and tell him a little about it without suggesting he read it, then you might peak his interest. A little subconscious suggestion never hurt anyone. :)

I LOVE to read, always have, and spent lots of time reading out loud to my kids, including chapter books.
My son has always liked reading, probably because it came naturally for him. Neither one of my daughters reads for pleasure, they only do what's required for school. It does make me sad but it's just not enjoyable for them, it's an area they struggle in.
On the plus side, they are both highly creative and spatial thinkers, my oldest daughter does especially well in math. I imagine they will end up studying something like graphic design, architecture, computer programming, accounting, something along those lines.
Encourage your stepson in subjects and activities he actually enjoys, that will keep him interested and motivated and thinking about the future.
If he really wants to be a chef, encourage him to get a PT job in a restaurant. I would actually require that of my kids before paying for culinary school (it's not cheap) just to make sure they know what it's really like to work in a kitchen. It's hard, demanding, physical, hot work!
p.s. My son and I both read all the HP books too, wasn't the last movie fantastic? Loved it!!!

None of my kids have ever been big book people.

This is since birth even....

I was not a big reader either, until about ninth grade. Then I would read a book every two weeks.

My kids have maybe three books they absolutely love...and we have burned through a few copies of them.

Other then that, even with learning to read my oldest is not that into it. We do practice....but sometimes it is like pulling teeth. He given up so easy.

My daughter, unfortunately , doesn't show much of an interest anymore. She has a few chapter books on her level(shes 8) but i think she needs to be enthralled more, and challenged. Im actually going to start on book one of harry potter with her. Ive never read the books, so itd be new for me too. I figure she will read a paragraph and then i will and we will read a chapter every other day.

I have two readers and two who hate to read. My husband is not a reader but I am so two take after him and two take after me.. =) My two readers will stay in their room and read for hours. My two non-readers get lonely and need someone to be with them more often...LOL

My son always hated to be read to, hated to read, and has never been a good reader. It's a bad cycle, the less you practice, the harder it is to read, the harder it is the less you want to read and so it continues.