how to get a kid to read....need suggestions

[KellyHabersham]

I'm in need of suggestions/advice on how to encourage my daughter to be more into reading.....not saying that she "has" to have this as an interest, but she DOES need to be willing/able to do whatever reading is required for schoolwork. Meanwhile, my mom is paranoid that Heather isn't going to pass her Language Arts class (which is required for getting out of 8th grade), and will have trouble in high school if she keeps up being resistant to reading.


Frustrating thing is, I think a lot of this has to do with Heather looking up to my sister - Patty has never been into reading, and because SHE thinks reading is "boring", unfortunately Heather picked up on this mentality. I also suspect that it might have to do with her not wanting to be like my mom, who spends more of her free time reading than doing anything else. (I should probably also add that Heather does NOT have a learning disability when it comes to reading)

[Seshat]

With my niece, it turned out to just be a matter of getting the right book into her hands. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing which will be 'the right book' until she gets it and develops the love of reading for its own sake.

With Ashleigh, it was 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' by Lemony SNicket. Or rather, the first book of the series. Once she'd read it, she begged for the second (didn't have to beg hard - both parents, uncle, aunt, and all four grandparents had been waiting for her to develop that love).

She's not the avid and passionate reader that I am, or that her brother or maternal grandmother are. But she's a good reader and usually has a book on the go just for pleasure. Which is enough.

[Chanlin]

The thing that matters most regardless of age is choice. Let her choose what she wants to read. Be willing to read to or with her as well. Since she's older make it into something you can do together and then talk about after.

Also her age is going to factor in heavily. At 8th, 9th grade most research shows that children want to read about characters that are like them or just a few years older.

Like Seshat said finding that right book is what will matter foremost. Also ease into the activity. 8th and 9th grade tend to be the age when students will rebel quickly at being forced into doing things they don't want.

Finally if you aren't sure of good book titles to try, try asking at your local library

[Taurus52]

With my son it was "Dungeons and Dragons" at 13. He had to read and pass a quiz on the Player's Handbook before I would let him play. He now has a Masters in Engineering. If she is into Twilight Have her read the book. The books are usually much richer in detail than the movie. S whether it in Harry Potter or any other book movie combo try starting there.

[ArcticChicken]

My mom trained my sister to read with a magazine subscription. She started out by looking at the pictures, and gradually started reading the articles. She's still not nearly as much of a bookworm as I am, but she does read for pleasure.

[Der Cute]

My English teacher told us - it doesn't have to be a book to be reading. ANYTHING, including comics, short stories, back of box descriptions, ANYTHING goes.
When I was 9ish it was Little House on the Prarie, Black Beauty, short stories around 50 to 100 pages . Shoot, even Dr. Seuss.

What if you took a book and made a play day? Like she is Cat in the Hat and has to recite a line somewhere in the day? Or when in the car driving around see how many billboards she can read off. Or kid crossword puzzles, the circle the word ones, things like that. What are her favorite subjects? Barbie? Horses? Dirt & bugs? Find a museum exhibit if applicable and go have her read the little blurbs next to the scenes.

Have her help you look things up in books (if you still use the phone book). Any exposure to words is what you need here. You can also push sentence comprehension and creation later, up the vocabulary first.

One day a friend and I were having a joust. He said Articulate. I said Delegate..all words ending in -ate. Play that?

[Mishi]

My little sister (Kitty) hated reading because it took a while for her to learn due to her speech problems. When she turned twelve, I gave her a copy of "Page" by Tamora Pierce. It was the second book in that story arc, but she was hooked anyway and has turned into a bit of a bookworm. It's all about finding something she's interested in. Kitty is also a kinesthetic learner, so she needs to move/fidget in order to enjoy a novel. Otherwise she finds that she's looking at the words, but not actually reading them.

Finding out your daughter's learning 'type' and aiming for a genre that she likes may help, good luck!

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Choice. Interest. Both are key.
Me? It's a rare subject that I won't find interesting to read about. It's also crucial that the reader can bring the world to life. What I mean by this is that... they have to be able to take the words given to them and be able to see in in their minds. Writing technique helps so very much-- this is why excellent and good writers are a pleasure to read, it makes the mental construction (with words as boards and nails) easier and even a joy.
What's the kid interested in? What does she want to find out more about? What is she curious about? What has she always wanted to know?
If she likes pioneer stuff, Janette Oak(e?) has a series of romance/pioneer/Christian/slice-of-life series, Love Comes Softly. I enjoyed those when I was eight or so... but I read far above my reading level. I tested at 13+ in fifth grade using Accelerated Reader.
EDIT: she may find reading boring simply because it's homework. I'm like this. Gotta do it? BORRRINNNGGG. I flake out on 'gotta' more often... I'm getting better, I think. Does she draw? Does she like to write?

[Lyse]

My youngest niece was like that - it wasn't that she had a disability, she simply didn't want to read and up until about 4th grade she was a few years behind on her reading abilities. Very puzzling and frustrating for a family of bookworms. It was her older sister that fixed things.

Andrea started reading her the Harry Potter series, a couple of chapters a day. By the fourth or so book, Jordan was completely hooked on the stories and characters. Then, at a pretty pivotal part of the book, Andrea stopped. Jordan had to finish it herself to find out the ending.

Jordan is now 18, and she is usually the one that insists on the very regular library trips. :-).

[AriGriffin]

When I was a kid, my Mom took me to story time and other events at the library every week. She'd let me check out as many books as I wanted- usually around 20. She, Dad, both Aunts, Grandma, and Grandpa would take turns reading to me until I could do it myself and then they'd have me read to them.
Does your local library offer any teen programs? I'm trying to offer more programs for teens at my library, but the library in the next county over offers a bunch of programs for teens- story time, book clubs, game nights, poetry slam, movies, writing clubs, author visits, craft classes, and a ton of other stuff.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Ask for recommendations at your library, or the kids' department if you have a B&N nearby. If you're lucky you'll find someone who really knows the department (some stores are better than others but some of them really do have people who know their stuff and are excited about sharing their knowledge with customers).

[SongsOfDragons]

My dad read me Winnie-The-Pooh and other stories from when I was one and a half to about six... though I think bedtime stories are a little old for an eighth-grader. ^^;;. I second the suggestions to find her what she wants to read and trying to figure her learning type.

[kansasgal]

You might try Manga. That's what helped my son to get into reading, but for the rest of it, the others are right. It's a question of getting the "right" book or magazine into her hands and making her want to read more.

Sookie Stackhouse series, Harry Potter, Dresden, Terry Pratchett, Piers Anthony, any of them are good as well.

[Sapphire Silk]

My love of fantasy and science fiction began with a summer camp counselor reading the Hobbit to me and the other girls in my cabin at the age of 9. I was already a reader, though.

Try giving her books on subjects she likes for birthdays and christmas.

Try comics. There are lots of good kid comics, and the writing appeals more to girls as well as boys these days.

Let her try reading "grown up" material if she shows an interest. Sometimes kids are turned off by kids books because they condescend.

With my nephew, it was finding the right book. A year ago, you couldn't get a book in his hands. His mother would take him to the local used book store and let him get any book even remotely interesting to him to meet his summer reading requirements.

He found something that hooked him, and now he begs to go to the bookstore.

Used books are usually cheap

[fireheart]

You might try Manga. That's what helped my son to get into reading, but for the rest of it, the others are right. It's a question of getting the "right" book or magazine into her hands and making her want to read more.

Sookie Stackhouse series, Harry Potter, Dresden, Terry Pratchett, Piers Anthony, any of them are good as well.

Seconded on the manga! Depends on what level of content you want to expose her to though. I read Claymore, Negima and Chobits. Some good starters might be Tsubasa Chronicles, xxxHolic, Cardcaptor Sakura and Chibi Vampire/Karin. Alternately, One Piece, sailor moon (if your library has it, my library has the first five or so volumes), Buddha (Osamu Tezuka), Bleach, Naruto are all good choices as well.

As for the rest of those choices, they're all pretty good, although I wouldn't suggest the Sookie Stackhouse series to a 13-year-old....while the vampire idea is there, there is QUITE a bit of sex throughout the series....