Reading Struggles

[bbymks5]

Does anyone else have a child who you have to go through WW5 to get to do their daily reading homework??

My nine year hates to read...we've let her pick out books to either buy or check out and she'll read about 10 pages and that's it, she loses any and all interest. There hasn't been one book that she's read from start to finish.

We've had her eyes checked and there wasn't anything wrong in that department.

Her comprehension is good.

Does it get any better??

 

[dawnmarch]

I only have experience with one child so I can't draw any wider conclusions but in my experience, no, once a non-reader, always a non-reader. My hubby and I are HUGE readers and our son loves to read but our daughter just does not like to read. Oh, she'll read fashion blogs endlessly on the internet but just isn't interested in books. We read to her since she was a baby and we've bought her every kind of book she ever showed any interest in but still, no.

 

[IntenseMagic]

My 11 year old loves books and loves to read. BUT, his school does AR (Accelerated Reader) and they are required to get so many points from different books every six weeks. Like this 6 weeks is nonfiction chapter books and they have to have 20 points. They get the points from taking computer tests on the books after they read them. And while he loves to read, he is not a good test taker and getting his points every 6 weeks is super stressful. I am a huge fan of getting kids to read, but the stress of these tests is taking his love of books away. He has told me so many times that he would much rather just write book reports. And I would happily keep a log. I just wish there were options for proving they read.

On a side note, I hated reading when I was younger...I mean HATED it! I was a really good BS-er, so I could write papers that made my teachers believe I read a book when I had barely even cracked it open. Probably in my late teen years I found some books that I actually liked (VC Andrews series) and that began my love of reading. Now, I can't get enough!! Reading is one of my absolute favorite things ever. So there is hope, maybe at some point there will be a book that really creates that spark.

 

[NancyP]

OK, help me out here. Not everyone is a reader!! I hate to read! I'm 77 and all my life I have hated to read. I am a "show me" person which is why YouTube is the best thing they could have invented. I never pushed reading on my children. If they wanted to read that was fine, if they didn't, and I could see they REALLY did not like to read, I accepted that. Had lots of go arounds with teachers but, oh well! Today all 5 of my children are well adjusted with good occupations; even the two that hate to read. Then I have one that would devour every book that crossed her path, so go figure!!

 

[BevG]

I have a daughter that does not enjoy reading particularly. She will read for school, but does not read for fun. I think she has finished 1 book for the fun of it. She recently read all of Wurthering Heights in 2 weeks, but that was because she had to for school.

 

[tkradtke]

I only have experience with one child so I can't draw any wider conclusions but in my experience, no, once a non-reader, always a non-reader. My hubby and I are HUGE readers and our son loves to read but our daughter just does not like to read. Oh, she'll read fashion blogs endlessly on the internet but just isn't interested in books. We read to her since she was a baby and we've bought her every kind of book she ever showed any interest in but still, no.

So Dawn, let's just continue the separated at birth thing... LOL!

I agree with Dawn, once a non-reader always a non-reader, at least in the school years. My son has always loved to read, my daughter never really has. She faked it for a while and had us convinced she was reading (and even somehow faked her way onto her school's battle of the books team!!)... but she really wasn't reading. We read every night to both kids from birth until around age 8, joined fun book clubs at the library, bought tons of books, checked out even more books, but no... not a reader.

The interesting side note is that my son was very late in learning to read. He had no interest in beginning readers and instead of spending time reading those, he seemed to just wait it out and jumped straight into chapter books. Clara is competitive and taught herself to read super early in order to keep up with her older brother. But she never really progressed beyond those early readers as far as just for fun reading... she was only interested in it until she caught up with Alex, and then she moved on to something else.

 

[AnneofAlamo]

I love reading more than about anything. None of my kids liked it. I read out loud to them. Then they began reading to me. One chapter every night. Then we would talk about what may happen next. They are all readers now. My youngest is still in the read to mom stage. He struggles with reading and will eventually get it. We had to have 30 minute rule everyday for reading. It was torture at first. I bought one book each. It was there book. Sometimes a stack of books can overwhelm.

 

[bbymks5]

I've read to the girls since they were little as well...not consistently, but we've always had books in the house. She used to love thumbing through them and making up stories before she started school.

I keep telling her, she better enjoy books she can pick out now, because pretty soon they'll be given books she HAS to read.

I only have experience with one child so I can't draw any wider conclusions but in my experience, no, once a non-reader, always a non-reader. My hubby and I are HUGE readers and our son loves to read but our daughter just does not like to read. Oh, she'll read fashion blogs endlessly on the internet but just isn't interested in books. We read to her since she was a baby and we've bought her every kind of book she ever showed any interest in but still, no.

 

[bbymks5]

That's crazy!! Has he talked to his teacher to see if there's a happy medium?? Some kids just aren't good testers, and when reading is so important for the rest of their classes, you'd think they'd find a better system.

Is it bad I wish my daughter could BS her way through reading and book reports LOL

My 11 year old loves books and loves to read. BUT, his school does AR (Accelerated Reader) and they are required to get so many points from different books every six weeks. Like this 6 weeks is nonfiction chapter books and they have to have 20 points. They get the points from taking computer tests on the books after they read them. And while he loves to read, he is not a good test taker and getting his points every 6 weeks is super stressful. I am a huge fan of getting kids to read, but the stress of these tests is taking his love of books away. He has told me so many times that he would much rather just write book reports. And I would happily keep a log. I just wish there were options for proving they read.

On a side note, I hated reading when I was younger...I mean HATED it! I was a really good BS-er, so I could write papers that made my teachers believe I read a book when I had barely even cracked it open. Probably in my late teen years I found some books that I actually liked (VC Andrews series) and that began my love of reading. Now, I can't get enough!! Reading is one of my absolute favorite things ever. So there is hope, maybe at some point there will be a book that really creates that spark.

 

[bbymks5]

I get it!! I love to read books of my choice, but I dreaded the forced on me books in HS.

Since kindergarten, her one consistent piece of homework is to read each night; 15 mins in kinder, 20 in 1st, 25 in 2nd, 30 in 3rd and now 35 in 4th grade. Her reading grade is really suffering because of her dislike of reading.

Her writing grade on the other hand is usually one of her higest.

She is struggling with math due to her reading as well...which is only going to get harder..grrr

OK, help me out here. Not everyone is a reader!! I hate to read! I'm 77 and all my life I have hated to read. I am a "show me" person which is why YouTube is the best thing they could have invented. I never pushed reading on my children. If they wanted to read that was fine, if they didn't, and I could see they REALLY did not like to read, I accepted that. Had lots of go arounds with teachers but, oh well! Today all 5 of my children are well adjusted with good occupations; even the two that hate to read. Then I have one that would devour every book that crossed her path, so go figure!!

 

[kim21673]

2 out of the 4 boys LIKE to read....not love. They read when I tell them too, but don't read on their own. We are definitely a math family!!!!!

My 5th grader typically reads every day and I usually don't have to tell him to. I have to threaten Seth to read for WEB and he usually lies about reading. I volunteer in both of their classrooms for WEB reading so I know if they are reading or not!

Derek, my 6 year old, does so well at reading, but will only read when I tell him to, or when he has his guided reading bag. He is in kindergarten and already reading at a mid first grade reading level. He loves to listen to me read though!!

I HATED reading at a child and didn't start reading again until a few years ago. Not that's all I want to do! In fact, I was just upstairs finishing a book I started the other day, and then bought the second book in the series so I can start that tonight when I go to bed!!

 

[bbymks5]

LOL!! Fake it till you make it!!

I learned to read in preschool and was always grade levels above the actual grade I was in.

I remember being in tears working with her on sight words...she'd be balling, I'd be on the verge of a mental break down...hubby wasn't amused.

Sounds like I have an "until she's graduated" battle on my hands.

Can't wait until they have to read Shakespeare...kill.me.now.

So Dawn, let's just continue the separated at birth thing... LOL!

I agree with Dawn, once a non-reader always a non-reader, at least in the school years. My son has always loved to read, my daughter never really has. She faked it for a while and had us convinced she was reading (and even somehow faked her way onto her school's battle of the books team!!)... but she really wasn't reading. We read every night to both kids from birth until around age 8, joined fun book clubs at the library, bought tons of books, checked out even more books, but no... not a reader.

The interesting side note is that my son was very late in learning to read. He had no interest in beginning readers and instead of spending time reading those, he seemed to just wait it out and jumped straight into chapter books. Clara is competitive and taught herself to read super early in order to keep up with her older brother. But she never really progressed beyond those early readers as far as just for fun reading... she was only interested in it until she caught up with Alex, and then she moved on to something else.

 

[bbymks5]

I'm really terrified for the day she brings home her first mandatory book to read. I keep hoping by that time she'll just give in, but I don't think it's going to happen.

I have a daughter that does not enjoy reading particularly. She will read for school, but does not read for fun. I think she has finished 1 book for the fun of it. She recently read all of Wurthering Heights in 2 weeks, but that was because she had to for school.

 

[NancyP]

I get it!! I love to read books of my choice, but I dreaded the forced on me books in HS.

Since kindergarten, her one consistent piece of homework is to read each night; 15 mins in kinder, 20 in 1st, 25 in 2nd, 30 in 3rd and now 35 in 4th grade. Her reading grade is really suffering because of her dislike of reading.

Her writing grade on the other hand is usually one of her higest.

She is struggling with math due to her reading as well...which is only going to get harder..grrr

WOW, that is exactly how my granddaughter's reading goes. She is in 4th grade now and is suppose to read 35 minutes a day. She doesn't LOVE reading but she is ok with it. Now my grandson, in 7th grade absolutely HATES any kind of reading. When I was taking care of them, I would tell him that he MUST learn to read enough where he can read his schoolbooks and do his homework, and the better he reads now the better he will do in highschool.

 

[bbymks5]

Having her read out loud to me is the only way I know it's getting done.

She'll scan through books at the book stores, read the back covers, say she's interested in one, get it home, and it's like a switch was flipped. Same with the library.

This is the best part...she'll say she read at a friends house, we'll ask her what book and she'll tell us the name; then we go find them and then she doesn't like them all of a sudden...ugh!!

I've even tried checking out duplicate copies for her and I to read together...nope.

I love reading more than about anything. None of my kids liked it. I read out loud to them. Then they began reading to me. One chapter every night. Then we would talk about what may happen next. They are all readers now. My youngest is still in the read to mom stage. He struggles with reading and will eventually get it. We had to have 30 minute rule everyday for reading. It was torture at first. I bought one book each. It was there book. Sometimes a stack of books can overwhelm.

 

[bbymks5]

We tell her the same thing...it goes in one ear and right out the other.

WOW, that is exactly how my granddaughter's reading goes. She is in 4th grade now and is suppose to read 35 minutes a day. She doesn't LOVE reading but she is ok with it. Now my grandson, in 7th grade absolutely HATES any kind of reading. When I was taking care of them, I would tell him that he MUST learn to read enough where he can read his schoolbooks and do his homework, and the better he reads now the better he will do in highschool.

 

[bbymks5]

My heart would sing if she just read when I tell her to read...I'm not even exaggerating when I say it's like going into a nightly war with her.

My evenings with her is like the worst version of Groundhogs Day you could imagine...and there isn't a punishment that has worked yet to correct it.

She likes math and had always done pretty good in it, but because she doesn't read, her math gardes have been going down. Hard to solve a problem when you don't want to read it or follow directions.

2 out of the 4 boys LIKE to read....not love. They read when I tell them too, but don't read on their own. We are definitely a math family!!!!!

My 5th grader typically reads every day and I usually don't have to tell him to. I have to threaten Seth to read for WEB and he usually lies about reading. I volunteer in both of their classrooms for WEB reading so I know if they are reading or not!

Derek, my 6 year old, does so well at reading, but will only read when I tell him to, or when he has his guided reading bag. He is in kindergarten and already reading at a mid first grade reading level. He loves to listen to me read though!!

I HATED reading at a child and didn't start reading again until a few years ago. Not that's all I want to do! In fact, I was just upstairs finishing a book I started the other day, and then bought the second book in the series so I can start that tonight when I go to bed!!

 

[Tree City]

My 11 year old loves books and loves to read. BUT, his school does AR (Accelerated Reader) and they are required to get so many points from different books every six weeks. Like this 6 weeks is nonfiction chapter books and they have to have 20 points.

Wait, they're required to take tests and get 20 points? Hmm. IDK how I feel about that. At DD's school, they are given their AR range and then they're given a list of points in order to reach certain AR point goals: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Hall of Fame.
DD's range is like 4.5 to 10.4. I might be off on the months for her for this semester, but that's close lol. Anyway, my point is, as a 4th grader with that range, she can read books in that range to reach each of those levels. (I can't remember her exact numbers right now and she's asleep so I'm not gonna ask lol.) But my point is that each student, based on his or her own reading ability, has an individual score in order to reach each level. It's all personalized. DD, with such a large range, has a high score for Hall of Fame (highest level) cuz books with an AR level of 10 are worth a LOT of points. Like, she could get 20 points in a book or two. But a student is NOT required to reach any AR goal. They are encouraged by the teachers and these fun banners that show which level each child is at, and kids also encourage each other, which is super cute; however, there's no penalty for not reaching a goal--even "just Bronze." DD loves to read, but if she hated it? Gosh, I can't imagine how difficult that would be, on top of regular reading requirements!
Sorry, this doesn't answer the OP. I have no advice for that, other than to suggest maybe a book on tape? Perhaps drawing or coloring while listening could make the "book" more enjoyable.

 

[tkradtke]

Sounds like I have an "until she's graduated" battle on my hands.

Maybe, maybe not. Clara never has enjoyed reading, but since middle school, she has had her school reading under control. Once the switch was made from logging time or AR points to reading a book as a class assignment, things got much better. Her middle school was very big on executive functioning and she has turned into a very good student (not top grades or test scores, but an organized, hard working, conscientious student). She keeps on top of her reading even in high school now because she treats the books, not as stories to be enjoyed, but as just another homework assignment (if that makes sense). It makes me a little sad that she thinks this way, but I'm glad she's found a way to make school reading work for her. As someone who loves to read, I had the opposite problem.... total overachiever in the lower grades when it was all free reading, but I really struggled when we got to assigned books in the upper grades.

 

[bbymks5]

We've even tried that...unfortunately she's like me in this area, just tunes them out LOL

Wait, they're required to take tests and get 20 points? Hmm. IDK how I feel about that. At DD's school, they are given their AR range and then they're given a list of points in order to reach certain AR point goals: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, Hall of Fame.
DD's range is like 4.5 to 10.4. I might be off on the months for her for this semester, but that's close lol. Anyway, my point is, as a 4th grader with that range, she can read books in that range to reach each of those levels. (I can't remember her exact numbers right now and she's asleep so I'm not gonna ask lol.) But my point is that each student, based on his or her own reading ability, has an individual score in order to reach each level. It's all personalized. DD, with such a large range, has a high score for Hall of Fame (highest level) cuz books with an AR level of 10 are worth a LOT of points. Like, she could get 20 points in a book or two. But a student is NOT required to reach any AR goal. They are encouraged by the teachers and these fun banners that show which level each child is at, and kids also encourage each other, which is super cute; however, there's no penalty for not reaching a goal--even "just Bronze." DD loves to read, but if she hated it? Gosh, I can't imagine how difficult that would be, on top of regular reading requirements!
Sorry, this doesn't answer the OP. I have no advice for that, other than to suggest maybe a book on tape? Perhaps drawing or coloring while listening could make the "book" more enjoyable.