Suggestions for a 5-6yr old weak/reluctant reader

[newlark]

DS (Sept birthday so nearly 6) has just finished Yr R and is very reluctant to read (and is still on ORT Red books). Any suggestions for reading scheme/other books or magazines/comics that might be accessible at his level and help him to engage with reading? I'm keen to try to do a bit over the summer ready for Yr 1. (I read to him lots too - current favourite is Mr Men but he has also enjoyed Flat Stanley and Dr Seuss among others)

[titabeth]

What's his favourite toy? Make a book with him about that toy, or several of his toys. You can write it together and include lots of pictures that you also do together.

[callipygian00]

The Ladybird books are great and a lot more varied than they used to be. You get the old classics as well as some more modern ones added in. Francesca Simon has also done a great series of Horrid Henry books though, which he might like if he liked Flat Stanley. These and the other ones with the red 'Early Reader' band at the top are good. www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/browse/childrens-teenage/education/english-language-literacy/readers-reading-schemes/4289384905/

[callipygian00]

Content is really important for reluctant readers - let him read whatever he shows an interest in - whether it's minecraft/star wars/bug spotting guides - doesn't have to be fiction, as long as it's got words in it, he'll learn. Non-fiction can sometimes help with this, he may see it less as homework and more like finding out about something he's interested in.

[BlueChampagne]

If you have a kindle or tablet, would that make reading more exciting?

[TropicalHorse]

Joke books! Or non-fiction about stuff he likes, ie, trains,dinosaurs, space... Boys this age can be 'thingy' about anything considered babyish!

[Elysianfields]

Two things helped my ds's. First was beano and dandy or any comic, they loved them and in my mind so long as they were reading and enjoying did it matter if the words were kapow or whatever. The other thing was computer games, where there is text in the game to read where you can buy magazines with walkthrough so to help the hard bit, google for the solution, it all involves reading!

Of course I read to them a lot, I adore reading so they saw me with my head in a book while it cooked etc..... I read the first few Harry Potters to them out loud which we all loved and looked forward to. I got expert at reading ahead fast and editing bits that ds1 would be worried about (not ds2 who was 3 years younger but much less worried than his bro)

They grew into prolific readers despite one being dyslexic.

[newlark]

Thanks for responses - I'm trying a couple of computer games/apps. He seems to like "teach your monster to read" but doesn't really go for the reading eggs games. A joke book is a good idea - I will have a look for a suitable one - he is just starting to get the hang of jokes! I'm sure he would read about minecraft if I could find an appropriate level book :)

[iseenodust]

[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yakari-Great-Eagle-v-1/dp/190546004X/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406308222&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=yakari%20bald%20eagle&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 Yakari]] & Eagle is a cartoon-style book which DS liked.
There is a Minecraft annual with the usual mix of reading, pictures, puzzles.

[iseenodust]

Sorry missed a bracket there.

[JourneyingAlong]

Have you tried the julia donaldson songbirds?


My honest advice would be to lay off it over the summer. If he's reading red books hes doing ok. Its best he reads for pleasure and isnt turned off. He's still v young and in many countries would only just be starting!

[NellyTheElephant]

Try not to worry too much. My DD1 couldn't read at all after reception and struggled along through Yr 1. Suddenly she took off in Yr 2 and missed out most of the Oxford reading tree going straight on to free reading. Children learn at their own pace and best not to push too hard, they need to want to do it. When I got worried my mother reminded me that i couldn't read at all at that age (I was a v late reader) but ended up studying English Lit at Cambridge so didn't do too much harm. As someone else said, I would stop trying to make him read and instead read lots of proper books to him (i.e. chapter books rather than picture books) so that he learns to love books rather than thinking of them as a chore. Both my DDs learnt to read mainly by me leaving them hanging half way through a chapter and their desperate desire to finish it. My DS (also just finished Reception) has no interest in reading. I won't be making him look at a single book all summer, but we are most of the way through me reading him the Narnia books at the mo, which he is totally hooked on.

[emmaMBC]

If you are reading to him lots already, you are doing a fab job of encouraging him. These things can take time, and it can be quite daunting for little ones to make that leap in to reader. His love of books is coming from you at the moment, that is brilliant - don't let that go too quickly!!

Paul Jennings is a bit of an expert in this area - and gives lots of tips in this post.

Library visits are a great idea - let him just choose whatever appeals. Find the Reading Scheme sections, rather than buying these, and encourage choosing from there too - Dr Seuss has lots of levelled books, they really helped to hook my DS into reading.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I'm another one who is going to say concentrate on enjoying books together. Ds enjoyed us reading thing like Jeremy strong together (me reading, him looking)

Ds was reluctant (tears and strops) and finished YR on ort 1+. We struggled to ort 4 -6 by end of the year 1. He is October born so older too.

I backed off a lot as it was putting him off. He just got wings in year 2 off he went. He has just finished yr 3 with a G&T register for reading and sats level 4 so please don't worry that struggling at yr or y1 always means there is a problem. I think it is just too young for spme children to be on such a formal footing.

[bibblenoo45]

Here are the perfect books for a reluctant reader. The author is Holly Webb, she writes about animals and I would say girls aged 6-9 can enjoy them. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141365594838?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
My youngest girl was adimant that she didnt like reading, but I managed to convince her with these. What little girl doesnt like animals after all? Theyre not trashy at all and the font it big enough for her to read easily. She liked the stories and when she gets a little older she can start moving onto the Holly Webb books that seem more mature like Rose. Hope thias helps.

[newlark]

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll have a look at all of them - the library reading challenge has been a help (I've helped him choose books that don't have too many words so they are achievable). Because he is still young and I'm aware boys are sometimes ready to read later, I've never pushed him to read when he hasn't wanted to (he is so strong-willed it would certainly have led to tears and strops!) so he hasn't often read to me at home during Year R. My daughter's reading really took off when she saw a friend choosing a Rainbow Magic book in the library and was determined to read one for herself. I guess I'm looking for the ds equivalent so he chooses to learn to read himself!