Getting Kids Interested in Reading for Enjoyment

Read to them, any chance you get. I read to my kids until the oldest was in his teens, and then one day they were just too old. They don't read as much as I would like, but they all still read occasionally, and have a good command of the language.

Well, we took the easy route here. DS has no electronics. He is 8 and we have only this year starting allowing any tv - he watches Batman on Saturday evenings (the old tv show, not the movies) and the occasional football game during the season. We have no video games. DH and I only play on the computer when DS is in bed or in school.

We have read to him since he was born. We still read stories to him before bedtime and will for as long as he allows. We also read together as a family pretty regularly - we are reading Swiss Family Robinson right now. He regularly receives books from one of his grandmothers as gifts and LOVES to read them.

One of the first things that got him reading all by himself was the comics. He will read the Sunday comics over and over. He also LOVES the Tin Tin (Herge is the author) graphic novels (yeah, comic books). He absolutely prefers non-fiction to fiction and is gradually working his way through the non-fiction section of his school library.

My son also has a subscription to National Geographic Kids (I think we will upgrade to the real National Geographic soon) and he can't wait to read it when it comes.

Does your school have library class? Ours does (I believe twice a week, although it could be once) and I think it has been a huge thing. The kids can check out their own books on Monday and keep them a week. They pick. If they finish them early (always), they can go to the library every day before school (between the time the bus drops them off and class starts). My son LOVES this.

Does your son get car sick? Mine does not and always has a book in the car. I could never do it, but he started on his own and if we are driving somewhere during daylight - he is reading.

I know others will say this first as well, but here goes: Limit the electronics time to weekends only and/or make him earn that time with chores or whatever it takes to make the electronics a rarer treat, not a daily thing.

I spent some years volunteering in the elementary school library and the librarian always said that for many kids, especially boys, it's critical to (1) get them books on topics they like (even if the adults say "Bleh, that's silly") and not just "broccoli books" that are "good for them" and (2) to give them nonfiction books. Boys at elementary age often are more into nonfiction than fiction and may see fictiono as boring. Even if a book looks to an adult like just some silly list of "top 10 biggest airplanes" or "the world's most dangerous theme park rides" or whatever -- it is still reading. Even if the boy wants to read (gag) "Captain Underpants" a hundred times, it's still reading. Librarians would love to see them reading literature but know that it's important, first, to GET them reading anything. And nonfiction appeals a lot to boys this age, as does fiction themed to their interests -- that is why there are now lots of short sports novels for elementary kids, for instance.

Humor is also HUGE with kids this age, both boys and girls, but again, I would see more boys than girls checking out humor anthologies.

Humorous writers are great. Check out the "Wayside School" short story books which are funny and deal with school life in ways that kids really enjoy. Graphic novels are a good start, too, and yes, school libraries have these now. If he likes history, find history fact books and also ask for help finding some fiction set in whatever period he likes, and so on. If he's around third to sixth grade, a lot of kids that age (boys and girls both) liked the 39 Clues series and other short mysteries--there are lots of such series these days.

Your school librarian and the children's section librarian at your public library will be so glad to help you. They get asked this question all the time, believe me: "How can I get my kid to read?"

My children have grown up watching their parents read. Each of my children have their own libraries and we do as well. If you do not already show this to your child then allow him to see you read. Know that some children are voracious readers and others are not. Ultimately it is up to the child whether or not they find reading a fun activity. In our home someone is always reading something and we often talk about what we're reading with one another - yes even if the material isn't appropriate we still discuss it in an appropriate way for them to understand.

Encourage him to read about whatever interests him, don't limit his access to all types of print and maybe he'll choose to read for fun.

Do you read for pleasure? I notice that in the summer, my son is a veracious reader... easily reading 200 pages a day, needing to making the walk to the library to exchange one book for the next in a series almost daily etc... that keeps up for the first month or so of school, but by now, he has to be reminded to turn off the screens and pick up a book....

Well, so do I.

That being said, if you're already modeling the happy, healthy, reading habits want him to emulate... try getting him hooked into a great series.

DS tore through the Harry Potter books this fall in two months (read a book during the week, watched the movie on Saturday night for several weeks in a row... it was lots of fun)... He loved the Guardians of GaHoole for a while, when they like a series, it encourages the pleasure reading AND has the next book all queued up ready so there's no bookless time in between :) Books with movies are great, too, since he also seems to like the screen stuff that might be a hit.

Beyond that, you can take away some of the choice... remove electronics as an option for entertainment during certain days or times. He'll be more likely to choose books when the other stuff isn't on the table.

HTH
T.

take him to the library or bookstore and let him choose out books that are interesting to him. They don't have to be well written or anything - if he wants superhero readers, let him have them. As long as he is reading, and it's age appropriate, it shouldn't matter what he's reading.

Also, my son has quiet time every afternoon but he isn't allowed to play games or watch TV. He often reads. Sometimes he writes little stories or colors. Other days he makes up games to play. If you don't make electronics an option, he'll be more likely to do something like reading or making up games.

Read together. He can read to you, you can read to him, you can take turns reading a book (one page each) or you can sit together on the couch and each read your own book. The more time you spend reading with him, the more he will learn to enjoy it.

Hi Rocky,
You don't mention your son's age, but the most important thing is to let him choose hiis own reading material. Many kids, especially boys, prefer non-fiction, so he can choose a topic or a person he wants to read about, and help him find books about that. Also, when one of my kids was elementary aged, their teacher told all of the parents that if they had a reluctant reader, ANY reading counts, so if they won't pick up a book, they might like comic books or some kind of kid magazine (about animal, sports, or anything at all).

Good luck!

Our son was a reluctant reader until the summer after second grade, and we have lots of books around the house (I teach college), so it was a bit of a mystery. I will say that pushing him to read did not help; I had to just let him decide on his own that he wanted to read. Once we found a series of books that he liked (The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott), however, he was off and running. Before the change, we did a lot of visits to the library and let him just wander the stacks. For quite a while (before he started to like reading), he mostly got graphic novels out of the library, and that was fine with me. At least it was a book! We also get the newspaper, and I think having that around helped build some interest in reading. The key was patience and giving him lots of opportunities to find something that drew him. Also, maybe your son's siblings or friends can spark his interest in a series.

As for your particular case, I agree with the suggestions that rest time needs to be screen-free. Flashing images are not restful :)

My final thought is that an e-reader might get him interested in the written word and narratives (though I personally love the feel of books and am not over-fond of screens.

Finally, have fun reading to him. I still read to him as a 6th grader at night, though he can finish a 200-page book in a day or two if it catches him.

Good luck!

Read to him. Let him see you read. Find a "hook book" that will draw him in. It's even better if that book is part of a series. These are some of the series that I have seen kids get hooked on. Not knowing his age, some of these may not be age appropriate for him. Magic Treehouse, Captain Underpants, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson Series, Time Warp Trio series, Geronimo Stilton series, Polk Street Kids series, Mercy Watson series, Matt Christopher has some sports series, Dan Gutman also has some sport series.

Have electronic free time. My daughter has to read for 30 minutes every night. During that time, all electronics are turned off. Or, we read ebooks.

Well, video games for quiet times aren't an option, period. Quiet time is looking at books on the bed or doing something *quiet*. No tv. No screens.

I also have time in the evenings when my son can have 'extra stay up' time. This means that after we do our stories on school nights, he can stay up for about an hour as long as he's staying in bed and reading to himself. (We are fine with him reading aloud and he chooses the content.He's in first grade.) We have always done an early bedtime and now that he's in grade school, he doesn't have a 'quiet time' in the afternoon, so this time is presented as a delayed quiet time. So for us:
6:30- getting pjs on, room tidied up, bathroom stuff
7 pm. stories, snuggling
7:30-8:30 May quietly look at books. After that, lights out. This really helps him to wind down.

We also have a rule that there's no tv or video games after story time. He can have 20 minutes of a video game or one episode of tv time in the afternoon, after homework and chores are done and he's earned privileges. (Good report from the teacher. A poor report means no media time, period.)

For what it's worth-- I read to him a lot. Daily. And we do regular trips to the public library as well as his school library. Letting him check out things which interest him really helps.

i suppose i had it easier, as i was raising my boys when electronics were in their infancy. we were just talking yesterday at how jazzed our family was to get atari. frogger! pacman! space invaders!
my poor boys never had the option to ignore books. i read to 'em at breakfast, and i read to 'em longer at bedtime. if we had free time in the afternoon, it was reading time. i read to them as infants, and i read to them as teenagers. i finally (and reluctantly) gave up making them let me read them dr suess's 'the birthday book' on their birthdays, and 'the night before christmas' on christmas eve.
i'm still going through 'read aloud' withdrawal.
it may have backfired to some degree. because they got SO much reading from me, they may have done less independent reading than they would have otherwise. neither of them reads much as adults, to my sorrow, but when it's the right book they will.
i certainly wouldn't push it, forcing reading is almost guaranteed to backfire. if i were homeschooling my kids today i'd continue to include a pertinent book in any unit study we were doing and expect them to read it on their own timeline, and request that a certain portion of every day be devoted to reading something (a calvin and hobbes cartoon book is perfectly acceptable). the best way for them to find books that they WANT to read is to turn them loose in bookstores and the library. i would leave them free to put down a book they decided didn't interest them after all, but engage them casually in conversation about any that seemed to hold their interest. being able to tell a genuinely interested listener about a book one is enjoying always enhances the experience (that's why book clubs are so popular, isn't it?)
super-popular books like harry potter, the twilight books, the halo books, the ender series also makes them more likely to stick with it.
if there are times of the day when electronics simply aren't allowed, it makes it more likely that a book might be picked up. i wouldn't insist on it, though. having unstructured but screen-free time is something for which i think modern parents need to make room. it will rarely happen organically, it should be planned.
khairete
S.

How about you take him to the library, get him his own card, and look up a book on a topic he likes? Bugs, dirt, history, sports...My son's friend has hit on the Percy Jackson books. My daughter is a somewhat reluctant reader and her teachers say there are only so many guided reading books about cats, so we go to the library's early reader section for books on cats. Or if he's into comics, let him read comics. So long as he's reading. My very intelligent SS plowed through comics and graphic novels and still reads them as an adult...along with other books like Life of Pi (NOT for kids). I've also gotten my DD to read recipies with me. She can tell me I need two eggs, some flour, etc. and loves the process. Does he like to cook, garden, build things or blow things up (more along the lines of simple kitchen science vs a rocket in your garage)?

You can also tell him that the video games cannot be on during rest time. If he's resting, he should be resting. I will tell DD that the TV needs to take a break. She will watch all day if I let her, hoping her show will come on. I've taught her about TV schedules.

You need to find something he is interested in. My 8 year old son wants to read anything about history or baseball. My 6 year old son wants to read anything that has to do with football or sports in general. Those books will keep them wrapped up for an hour, whereas other books I'm struggling to get them to their 20 minutes for school.

Take him to a book store and let him look around. It can be better than a toy store for kids!

We just set up a "reading time" during the weekends and summers. (school days were too crazy) At whatever time you decide, we all curled up in our respective chairs with some reading material. The rules were: 1. total silence 2. we started with 10 minutes and increased as they got older. If they see you reading for enjoyment and dedicating that time, they're more likely to do the same.

Kids will ALWAYS watch a video or play a video game if there is an option to do so. You can't let it be an option outside of reasonable designated windows of time. Make sure there are interesting books laying around in all his "lounge" areas. Don't "force it" but make it easy.

My kids don't have video games, but TV is the same exact sort of evil, so we designate times they are allowed to watch (or play their friends video games). They get to watch TV for an hour at night while I make dinner and catch up from busy day. Then it goes off. The rest of their day they can read if they want, there are always stacks of good books around. Sometimes I force them (certain amount per day for school or before library books are due to go back whatever), or sometimes I let them play or go outside if they really don't feel like reading. In their rooms there are ONLY books, no electronics. Nice reading lamps, good selection of enjoyable books. They can read first or go straight to sleep at night. In the car, they have books. They can read, or look out the window and talk. We have never ONCE had a problem with boredom in the car, and we have been on many extremely long road trips.

The challenge is that every single one of their friends have video games, and they bring them wherever they go. So at any and all events, they want to sidle up to a kid with a game. Sometimes I let them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I end up having to engage them in drawing a picture, or playing hang-man or tic tac toe to keep them occupied when I really wanted to zone out or read my own book, but that's the price I need to pay if I don't want them on a video game or watching someone else play a video game the whole time. They're young so I need to teach them how to entertain themselves with other things. If I did have video games around and accessible in the house, car, my tote bag, etc, my kids would never want to read or draw.

They know they can play video games when they get older, get jobs, earn them, buy them, and then fit them into their schedules after responsibilities are done. By then they will be great readers with the habit ingrained.

So many parents tell me, "My kids just prefers games and videos, they don't want to read."

You have to set up your home life to support the habits you want to build. If you only want your child playing games rarely after reading, schoolwork, practicing instruments and playing outdoors, then those are the rules you have to set. The games are put away until they are "allowed".

It's awesome that your son is a good reader. He will grow to like the habit. It helps if they frequently see you reading. My kids know I look forward to windows of time where I can read, and they see me doing it, so now they are doing it too. I've always given them re-caps about what I'm reading about, and they'll ask me what's happening in my book...It takes enforcing at first and that's OK.

the more you try to encourage reading, the more he will resist.

My kids just read every day. it's one of the things they do. Since we homeschool, they have a lot more hours in the day to just chill out, so reading is one of their chill out activities.

I'd suggest finding a book series that he really enjoys. A good book is just like a TV show, you just need to find something that he can "fall into."

No electronic during afternoon rest time. And even my school-age child has an hour of down-time in the afternoon on weekends, during which he needs to lie down and rest, and he has the option of reading or trying to sleep. He always chooses reading :)

Does he like jokes? We gave our reluctant reading nephew some joke books. Knock, knock and the other just regular jokes.

He loved them..

We also got him a Subscription to a children's magazine. Ranger Rick.. There are many others, so consider when grandparents ask, what to give him to suggest magazines be sent to him.

Our daughter loved her magazines as a child and loved all books. We read to her, we all read together and she read to me as I drove the car and ran errands. I also used to rent Books on CD's.. sometimes, I would also purchase chapter books on CD, so she could listen to them as she was falling asleep.

Rest time, bed time, Quiet time should really never include electronics. The bright light and movement is what keeps them awake and their pulse at a higher rate.

Reading is soothing. Listening is soothing. .

Easy Peasy ---No electronics! Screen time equals dulling the brain time. It literally shuts down parts of the brain. It makes children dumbed.

Tell him a story from your own mouth. This puts you in the seat of the wizard, the dreamer, the magic one. Memorize a story. Even if you tell it a piece at a time as you memorize it, he'll never know. Just give it a few minutes a night. Or tell him short stories. Tell him about King Arthur or about some other heroes. You see it's the love of story that will get him to want more and to read more. You have to be the catalyst, not only by your example of loving to read yourself but also the love of story itself, this is reason you Tell a story. You can also make up a story. Of course this doesn't mean not to read to him either. You can read a chapter book, start with the classics, like Peter Pan, etc.

I can't tell you how enthralled my grandchildren are when I tell them a story. All eyes and ears (and often mouths) are wide open, their minds and hearts are stirred in wonder. It is Wonder that gets the juices flowing and leads to imagination which leads to thought and intelligence.

One of my grandsons is very adept with school work/reading etc. but because he is on the screen so much does very little reading on his own. He "fights" story time at my house with the other kids. He'll try to disrupt and such but after awhile he too is caught up in the story and simply listens. It can do wonders. And this leads to reading for reading sake.