How to get kids to read actual books, not just comics

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

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raich

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 11:32 am

My oldest is a voracious reader. My next two basically only want to read comics and graphic novels. I would love to help them learn to appreciate and enjoy reading actual books... only I'm not sure how.

Any ideas?

imasinger

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 11:41 am

Read aloud to them at bedtime. I read aloud to my kids through high school.

Then, leave off at an exciting moment, and tell them it's bedtime.

Be sure they have flashlights nearby.

mha3484

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 11:52 am

My boys school librarian runs a contest and there are prizes for the class that takes the most chapter books over the year. It encourages them to expand their horizons.

amother

Grape

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 11:53 am

Can you read them a really good story one day and then leave the book around for them to get curious, open and read alone?
Some pictures may be important for today's age for starters and move from there.

raich

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 12:20 pm

Ooh thanks for the ideas.

I like the idea to read to them but bedtimes are staggered and I'm always so tired at the end of the day...I would probably yawn through the whole reading. But I should try it!

Does anyone bribe their kids to read? I heard someone say she incentivizes her grandchildren to read quality Jewish biographies by paying them a nice amount per book.

amother

Lightyellow

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 12:27 pm

Reading a chapter or two out loud to get them hooked, and then stopping has worked well for me.

Bringing a bunch of books from the library and leaving them lying around. Boredom strikes unpredictably.

We allow reading in bed past bedtime, within reason, while other forms of play are no longer allowed after bedtime.

Focusing on books/editions which have some amount of illustrations, but are still meaningful somewhat advanced books.

Also, limiting the availability of lazier, flashier entertainment, such as electronic games and videos.

zigi

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 12:28 pm

Get the next stage books. Like dairy of a wimpy kid. It has text and pictures everywhere. There is a frum girls book that is similar. Also horrible histories.

zigi

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 12:29 pm

Keep buying, or taking to the library. They eventually will find a series that they like

raich

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 3:33 pm

99% of the time my kids don't watch or play video games at home, so that's not stopping them from reading. We do have tons of comics and books with lots of pictures, so I'm sure that's not helping...

Love the idea of letting them read in bed after lights out. But they all share rooms and I can see it becoming an issue with one kid wanting to go to sleep and another wanting to stay up reading. Also, they already go to bed later than I would like, so staying up reading might be problematic in terms of them being able to get enough sleep in order to function well in school. I'm the kind of person who can read in bed for hours so I don't want to create that problem while trying to solve another one LOL

amother

NeonPink

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 3:39 pm

My kids prefer the comics but will read reg books to if it's something they are interested in...so make sure it's books that appeal to them

amother

Yarrow

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 4:22 pm

You can read together with them, either switch off sentences or switch off pages. The more sentences or paragraphs they read, the more you read.

One dc became interested in reading when we did this with Harry Potter.

amother

Sapphire

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 4:34 pm

amother Lightyellow wrote:

Reading a chapter or two out loud to get them hooked, and then stopping has worked well for me.

This worked for me as well.

Also taking out a mix of comics and regular books from the library and telling them for every book they read, they could pick a comic to read.

LiLIsraeli

Wed, Apr 10 2024, 6:40 pm

I pay my 10yo to read chapter books. She is currently reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School.

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