Discussion Board: Primary Schoolers

Hi there, Just thought I would share something that is working really well for getting the boy (10yrs) reading. It's not that he can't, or even that he is behind his age level for reading, but he just seems to avoid reading it if he can. Something though that has been working very well is going to secondhand book shops. He enjoys the hunt of being able to get so many books for his money and he actually comes homes and reads them. Old comics are his thing at the moment (any reading is better than nothing). Goosebumps were great for a while but have now done there dash. What do others find their boys enjoy reading? M girl on the other handis the opposite (7yrs) and just loves reading, she has a montain of books.

[color=darkred][/color]I am a teacher of Intermediate level. I always advise parents to let their kids read whatever interests them. Even if they are reading wrestling magazines or car mags, at least they are reading. You can always show an interest in what it is they are reading (fake it if you must!). I also get boys to read Paul Jennings books. I tried to read one myself and it certainly wasn't to my taste as he writes especially for boys and their interests. Gleitzman is also good, and Horowitz. Ask at the library for good authors and novels related to your childs interest. I found a novel about a boy who wanted to be a wreslter and nearly had a stampede to my desk by some boys who wanted to read it. I gave it to the most reluctant reader. He was thrilled.

It's not just boys :-( I despair about my adopted 9 and 11 year old girls. They can read okay but see it as a chore or even a punishment. I have a tradition with my 16 year old daughter of buying her a book at Christmas & her birthday and she is an outstanding reader. The 9 year old has comprehension problems sometimes so deliberately chooses simple readers that do not challenge her understanding of the world. I've tried what I think of as 'fluffy' pre-teen novels for the 11 year old and she always sounds appreciative and tells me how often she reads and how she enjoys the books...but progress is ssslllooooowwww.

Hi! Both my boys love to read. My oldest was reading simple stories before he started school, hes well above his age for reading. My second, hes just starting reading, hes 4. He loves books, can recognise lots of words, and can read all of the "special" and "on sale" and "reduced to clear" signs in the shops!!!! He surprises me sometimes with what he comes out with that he can read. We got him a leapfrog think for Christmas, with a thomas the tank engine book in it. Its wonderful, he can have the story read to him, or he can read along one word at a time, play games all kinds of things. He is getting a better comprehension of whats going on in the stories. They have those things for all ages.

I am lucky my 4 kids all love to read and my two older girls love to write as well but my son who loves to read and is a good reader and speller struggles with writing. He just can't seem to get much down on paper although with all the reading he does you would think that it shouldn't be such a problem. He struggles to get school work finished in time and is often behind. I don't know whether it is lack of interest in writing or that the witing he does do has to be "just right" so ends up spending too long doing too little

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