You can't force a love of reading.

I've loved reading from a very young age. It was probably my favorite thing to do when I was a child, and all my friends thought I was reading way too much (I've been called a bookworm more than once). But I still hated reading what was required at school. I think the teachers ruined for me a few books that I would have otherwise enjoyed by forcing me to read them when I didn't want to. I felt like they were interfering with my personal space. But I don't really know what to think about this matter. Some kids wouldn't read at all if they weren't forced to, and sometimes they grow up to regret it. I have a friend who always tells me that she wished she had read more as a child. I think in the end the matter lays with parents and teachers who should know how to attract children to books, and at the same tame allow them more freedom in what they choose to read (or accept that some kids just aren't inclined that way).

Reading is like any other interest whereas you either enjoy it or don't. Some people outright loath to read so the children are people also, so it has to be understood that just like any other adult it cannot be forced. Unfortunately they will have to, to get through the course of learning. I am sure those who do not enjoy it are so glad they no longer have to after schooling years.

Oh, I agree. What you have to do is rarely something you like to do. But, even though I don't think you can force a love of reading, I do think you can and should encourage it. Some kids may not know how much fun reading can be if they're left on their own. But, turning it into a chore isn't the right way. I don't know if I'm the right example, because I already did like reading. But, in sixth grade, our English teacher read to us. To me, that was a good way to encourage reading. It introduced kids to the story (who doesn't like a good story) but there wasn't any pressure. We didn't have to do quizzes or reports. And since it happened during class time it wasn't like reading was stopping us from playing, because if we weren't listening to the book, we'd be doing school work. My mom also had a good way to introduce reading. She simply bought books that she thought my brother and I would like. (I usually ended up reading my brother's books, because he's not much of a reader. I mean a reader for fun, although I think he reads more as an adult than he did as a kid) Not for any special occasion. Just maybe once or twice a week, she'd buy a book for us. And then she'd leave it up to us if we wanted to read. So we weren't forced to do it. But, it was available if we wanted. Also, I don't think this doesn't come under force, but one of the worst things I saw when I worked at a library was when parents vetoed what books kids picked for themselves. I don't mean books that went against their morals or anything. I mean parents telling kids that the books were too easy and they had to pick something more up to their level. These weren't books they had to read for school. These were books the kids wanted to read. Wanted to read for fun. And they were told that their choice wasn't good enough. I always thought that was a good way to turn a child against reading. They'd think this was supposed to be fun, and they still had to pass some kind of test. (Sorry for going off topic, but that always bothered me)

When I was younger I was really a voracious reader. I would also like my children to develop this. My daughter at the beginning refused to read. But when she started to learn how to read and she got interested to Disney princesses, she would ask me to buy books about these. My little boy is more interested into reading although he couldn't read on his own yet but he would often request me to read something for him. I hope when he would grow up he would be a wide reader too.

this is true. I started my kids early with trips to the library and billed it all as "fun"! For a while they didn't like to read anyway but eventually they both became very avid readers in their own areas of interest! I have a friend who really does not like to read at all. But not long ago someone gave her an ereader. She loves it! I think she looks at a book and is intimidated and this way it stays "small" no matter what! Now she reads all the time!

i have a 12 year old daughter and she hates to read. her dad is always going on about it to me when i talk with him. i try to tell him to just let her find her kind of book then she will love to read. i was about 11 when i started getting into reading. before that i wasnt that bothered until i picked that one book up it was a great book call the man who loved clowns, sad story made me cry even at 11! but from there i was always reading and still do today alot! so i think yes you should try to get kids to read but dont force it on them. just should them all different kind of books out there i am sure something will get them reading and loving it! not only that kids do alot more reading in there free time then before, now adays kids are always online playing games searching for things and even using sites like facebook. so for them to be online doing all this stuff they are always reading!

My father used to read to me and that is how I learned to read before I even went to school through just following the words on the page as he spoke them. As a result, I've been a reader from at least the age of 5 and I'm a convinced advocate of reading to children as early as possible in such a way that they are also able to follow the story on the page as well. Learning this way instilled in my a livelong love of books and reading and it's not an exaggeration to say that I'm a compulsive reader - if I see something printed, I have to read it - I do it automatically.

I don't even remember when I started reading books with all that interest... But I love it! As you say, and as someone already said, forcing children to read some sort of book is not appropriate. They must get different types, and surely they'll pick on one. In my case too, all my siblings have soft spot for classic novels (I'm crossing limits to say so, but let it be for now XD), but I hate them! The novels I mean Had they forced me to read those classics, God knows if I ever cared to read again! Encourage children to read, force them not

I completely agree with you. If you force a child to do something, they will later hate doing it because they were forced to do it at one time. Personally i have always loved to read. I remember when i was younger and i got in trouble and was placed on punishment, I got all of my books taken away and wasnt allowed to read. I hated that. lol

i agree that forcing is not the way to go, encouraging is. many have given their opinions on this which i agree too. i've been reading since young but it's always been the same type of books then and now, it's the same genres too. but my husband tells me that novels and all(books that i read) are like not much use for me, it's better to read general knowledge books that are helpful and useful to me. i know that but still, i can't help but want reading my own preferred books and when he tells me that, i get irritated because i know they are good for me but i just don't feel like reading them as i'm not interested. so i'm guessing that's how children feels too, that's why i encourage my tutees and my children to read any books they like and my son has turned out nearly like me. -_- he just wants to read books on planets mostly hehehe i agree with you that reading is a taste that is acquired. children should always be encouraged. there could be one or two books that we might buy or borrow, something that would pique their interest, like maybe ufos, our body, etc. a book with pictures but thick enough with tons of information that when they're bored, they would want to pick it up and look through. i used to have one on ufos, myths and legends and it used to fascinate me sometimes when i didn't have anything to do or when my friends talked about ghosts or something. that book definitely gave me some knowledge but unfortunately, it's lost as someone borrowed it from me and never returned it back. it cost a lot too:( oh well, have a good day

No matter how hard you may try, you can not make another person enjoy what you do about reading. You can show someone what reading and books mean to you. Still, it is up to their own hearts and judgments what they will feel about reading.

If children grow up in a household where they don't see adults reading regularly, and where there are few or no books, the chances are that being forced to read a few books in school isn't going to do anything to make them enjoy reading. And that's even truer if they've grown up spending most of their free time watching TV or playing computer games. Teachers would probably do better taking the time to actually read to the students. When I was young, most of the teachers would take at least half an hour a day and read to us. My favorite time of day in school when I got to find out what came next in the book. My parents also had a large library and I always had plenty of books. Children learn more from what's around them than by attempts to add a little bit of a good thing to their lives.

I always loved to read, even as a small child. My mother loved to read, as did my older brother and sister. My father and his brothers all loved reading. I guess I just thought of it as something that you were born with. Or maybe because it was all around me I just naturally took it up too. I don't think you can make a child like reading if the seed is not already planted in them. You may force them to read but you may not force them to like it. Sometimes they might grow to enjoy it once they are older, when the choice is all theirs. They may rebel against it when it is required of them but later find they like it when they choose it.

I hated reading during my school/college days. But one day i came across a book on a famous individual in history, and i could not stop reading it till the end. What i mean to say is that every child loves some topic. So we should find out what the child loves and give him the books related to his liking. He is obviously read it from cover to cover, thus inculcating in him/her the beautiful habit of reading...! :)

I dread to think what kids are being given to read. The usual story is that they give them the dullest, most "acceptable" books and then wonder why kids are bored to tears, quite literally in some cases. The fact is if it's not fun, it can't be interesting, and kids can't learn because they don't see why they should be inflicted with something boring simply because someone says so. The results are obvious. I've met talented kids who can barely stick a sentence together. Natural reading has to start with something the kids are genuinely interested in, then it's a logical thing to want to read. Doing it the other way is teaching them to read at gunpoint. If people can't read, they're seriously handicapped in their careers and in their personal life, like finance, etc. This is a truly lousy situation, where people are turned off reading by lack of imagination and lack of "acceptable" choices. Dr. Seuss may not be Tolstoy, but he probably got more kids interested in reading than these horrific educational bores ever will.

It's true you can't force the love of reading. You have to start early on a child, exposing them on reading materials at a very young age, even before school age. Love for reading starts at home, you have to introduce reading little by little, buying them books with lots of pictures long before they can read. Exposure to these materials will enhance their love of it in the future. By the age of 3 or 4 the child's mind is pretty much made up for what it want and like so it's really going to be a problem forcing them to read when it's not their top of mind.

No, you can't force a love of reading, but you can encourage it. I began reading to my children during their first year of life. Whether they could understand the words didn't matter as much as the closeness we felt during reading time. As they grew older, reading time continued until about age eight. By that time, they were reading simple books on their own and I made time to let them read to me, which they thoroughly enjoyed. As the years passed, we continued to have reading time, moving from stories like Black Beauty and Flicka to the classics, with each of us taking turns. Today, both children have a passion for reading - not because they were forced, but because they were shown the joy of it. They also look back on those times as special memories. Although neither of them have children of their own, they offer reading time to their neices. When the neices visit, that's one of the first things they ask - 'Will you read to us tonight?'. The older neice is now happy to have someone willing to listen while she reads one of her favorite stories.

Even in High School teachers and admin. were really trying to push us to read. All of a sudden, in the beginning of high school, they created "Sustained Silent Reading" which is just a mandatory 30 minute "reading" time at school. You HAVE to be reading a book for LEISURE, can't read a magazine, etc - otherwise you'd get in trouble. I could never decide if it was a good or bad idea in high school. I was a really big 'crammer', as in, I would do a lot of my homework and reading DURING class so I wouldn't have to take it home and do it then. So it sucked that I couldn't read my school work, such as textbooks, books for class, and other reading material. But then again, I was really into reading in high school. I still kind of am, but in high school I LOVED reading books. I would have a new book every couple of days. So, for me, it wasn't terrible being forced to read (except when I wanted to get some school reading done and they wouldn't let me!) but at the same time, if I didn't like to read, I bet I would totally dislike reading more after trying to be forced to do it.

The love of reading is always been learned, by time. In that aspect parents had a vital role in guiding their children at a young age to develop this traits. Like bedtime stories is one of those, like parents should be a living example of reading. because young children tends to imitate their parents. I can attest to this because when i was 9 years old my parents love to read newspaper every morning, so i end up also reading it, but on the comic section, until it came in time that i love other reading materials.

I am having the problem to read because of my impatient character. I read a lot of books just because of the examination and the need in my work. I shall fall asleep once I read my book. ha! ha! ha! I just pray so that my children will not be the same as their father.