DGD hates reading

Do your GD's parents read? When I was a teacher parents would often say that they couldn't get their children to read . I would say " does your child ever see you read?". More often than not , the answer would be a definite "no". If you GD can see that her parents enjoyed reading it may help.

I totally disagree notanan2. My whole point was that you SHOULDN'T make an issue of it. Sorry if I explained that incredibly badly!

1. Don't make an issue of it
2. Read TO her.
3.Take her to a book shop to browse

That IS making an issue of it. Its sending a message that yoi dont like her as she is

Much better to take an interest in HER interests. Some movies are very clever, insightful, artistic, lyrical, thought provoking etc.. loving movies isnt a waste of time

AND a key life skill is knowing what helps you unwind. It doesnt matter what it is, its valuable if it relaxes you. Dont tell her, even inadvertently, that her relaxing is worthless

One of the cleverest kids I know hates reading.

And thats fine we dont all have to like the same things.

She can read. She reads as a means to an end to complete school work (top sets across the board) but never ever does it for fun.

She is however gifted at music, LOVES to play music for hours and hours fantastic at sport and loves art

So what if she doesnt LIKE reading?

As other posters said. Eliminiate the possibility of not being able to read, but after that dont try to shove a square peg into a round hole

Het down time is her down time. I would hate to be forced to play music in my down time, its fine to find your own likes and dislikes

I was the same my Dad got me into reading so much so that when I was 12 or 13 I had read all the early James Bond books and Alistair Maclean books He used send me to the Library to pick him books

1. Don't make an issue of it
2. Read TO her.
3.Take her to a book shop to browse
4. Make sure she sees her parents enjoying reading.
5. Be patient. As long as she is reading what is needed to keep up at school then stop worrying.

I agree with the people who are wondering if she has dyslexia. When you say she can read perfectly well, are you talking about 'sounding out' words? A 10 year old shouldn't be doing this very often. Alternatively, as she seems to be very visual, could she have learned to 'read' by memorising whole words which means she gets stuck when she meets an unfamiliar word?

A bright 10 year old can use all sorts of strategies to cover up a reading problem including saying it's too tiring or boring. Having said all that, some children just prefer non-fiction and don't see the point of stories.

Schools can only screen for dyslexia to get an idea of whether or not a child is dyslexic, but it takes 3 hours to do a full diagnostic assessment to find out for sure. This is normally done privately by Specialist Assessors with an Assessment Practising Certificate - you don't need to see an Educational Psychologist. Hopefully dyslexia isn't the problem, but there's a lot that can be done to help the child if it is.

In the meantime, as other people have said, go for books, comics etc with lots of pictures and speech bubbles or audio books (even better if she can follow a text with one) if she will try fiction but don't pressurise her.

I would be tempted to think that there is an underlying issue if she finds reading so tiring and uncomfortable as it sounds. If she could get some assessment or help before she gets to GCSE stage it may be of enormous benefit. School is not going to get any easier as she gets older.

Is she dyslexic? Sounds like my DD, now 30 - didn’t read, got assessed at my insistence and subsequently diagnosed. Had the right help at school (and home). Her book world opened with Harry Potter when they came out

I would ask school (whenever that will be!) to double-check for dyslexia in case the poor child is having problems not of her own making.

If the answer is that she does not have dyslexia but just hates reading, visit your local library and enlist the help of a knowledgeable librarian who will be able to choose books targeted at your granddaughter.

Books aimed at your granddaughter's age group that perhaps target some of her interests, be it riding, ballet or sport etc., may be what she needs to hook her into reading more.

I wouldn't push her reading at the moment until you can check the above. Hope it all goes well!

I have no pictures in my head when I read. Books have to grab at my 'thinking' brain to keep me involved. I love dystopian tales, and mysteries, and sci-fi and the occasional bit of chick lit. I am an avid reader though, live to read, read to live. English Lit at school was torture for me, Thomas Hardy and Dickens, all those flowery phrases to skip through.
When your GD finds her genre she'll be off. X

Annaram1 I had a similar experience. A child was asking for a book and her mother just wasn't having it. What do you want that for? Clearly a non-reading parent.

My husband had a family that didn't read. Then one day he was ill in bed and he got hold of a couple of books a friend had bought in and discovered the joys of reading.

His family just didn't have any books in the house

Something I find baffling

In another life I worked in the children's section of a book shop. A customer wanted a book for her niece.
'What type of books does she like?' I asked.
'She doesn't like reading but I want her to have a book.'
'Does she have any hobbies or interests?'
'She likes horses.'
'What about a book about horses?'

Could you say that sometimes it's nice to sit quietly by oneself and get involved in a good story or learn about a subject? I suspect though that some people just don't like reading and trying to force them only puts them off.

I've always loved books. We didn't have many as a child as they were luxuries we couldn't afford. I would devour the Odham's Children's Illustrated Encyclopaedia which had wonderful pictures of dinosaurs, the inner workings of the human ear, simple maps of the world, etc. It fascinated me.

When I was twelve there was a comic strip version of Jane Eyre in one of my comics. I found it interesting and asked mum if it was a proper book. Of course it was so I joined the local library. I had to pay sixpence to join (later refunded) and got the unabridged version which was a bit heavy going but I loved it. I've always liked a good book I can get my teeth into, as it were.

Buy her comics! Easy to read and mostly funny and it might gain her interest to read more widely. Maybe try listening to her read comics to make sure no underlying problems?

I agree that children have different interests and I'm sure DGD enjoys other things that are not all shared by all the family. I learnt to read with Janet and John books at school, even at 5 years old I thought they were so boring. We didn't buy new books at home, didn't have the money, and the library wasn't near. Thank goodness for a kind aunt who brought comics! Later on I read DM's books, not classics, which were probably not new when she was a child and they weren't interesting either. So I got to secondary school before I realised some books were riveting and yet I was still an avid reader. DGC, aged 5, can't bear to sit still with a book so I read aloud 'to myself' and I know it's all going in from the comments! I don't think that one will be much of a reader either, definitely more of a doer!

I taught my son to read before he started school but he showed no interest until Harry Potter. After that he devoured books. She just needs to find stories that she is interested in. Does she like animals, unicorns, nature, planets?

I was once in a supermarket where they also sold books. In the checkout queue next to mine I saw a little boy of about 7 show a book to his mother and ask if he could have it. I remember to this day her response "Why do you want a book? You've already got one at home." Needless to say he did not get it.

I work with someone who has never read a book in her life but she's perfectly competent in the job which requires lots of reading and writing. My DH who is very clever never reads books. It just doesn't appeal to some people. Hard for those of us who love reading to comprehend I know.

We are having problems with DGS, 8, and writing, he reads fine, prefers English but the school is happy with that as long as he can read in French too which he can.
He just refuses to write, other than his name, he is not Dyslexic, he has been tested twice, once at school and once privately.
He loves Maths and is advanced for his age, same with Science.
We try to encourage him to write down all his Science stuff as he does his experiments, but after a couple of minutes he gives up.
He will be repeating his Primary two from September if he does not start writing properly.
Start school later here.

My son who is at Uni has never enjoyed reading. He reads what he has to and not a thing more. Nothing we ever did turned him on to it. It hasn't held him back.

Luckily all my GC read avidly- well when the 2 eldest got to about 12 it died off a bit but I think they will go back to it when they stop worrying about being cool.
I read way before I started school & am never without a book.
I read to DGC from a very early age & they all loved it.
I think you just have to find THE BOOK that gets to them & that will do the trick. Do her parents read & does she see them reading?
At 10 she is sort of between child & teen fiction- not easy to find THE BOOK that will get to her but I wish you good luck as I would have been very upset if my DGC had not been avid readers.

I love reading and creative writing. It maybe a stance to get her to imagine and write or tell her own stories and then introduce books that way. She could even draw her own characters, make it fun. The thing is like lots of things it's difficult to enforce unless she likes books, other than what she needs to be reading at school.
But just try to make it fun.
I read nightly to my daughter the same book for a whole week, at her request but her passions are still not books. Although she's read a few autobiographies and pregnancy books now, she is an adult.

I don't know but has she had her eyes tested recently? although she can actually read she might be struggling to see the words clearly making it a real effort. At school she probably feels it is just part of life but can not be bothered to put that extra effort in for pleasure.

Has she been checked that she doesn't have dyslexia?
Maybe trying to get her to write a short story, read shorter stories than the ones she has been struggling with. I might have missed this but how old is she?

Has she had her eyes tested recently? As soon as lockdown is over, get her tested. This should be done anyway as eye tests can reveal other health problems.

P.S. Everyone should get their eyes tested regularly!