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FOR PARENTS · AGES 5–11

My child hates reading: what actually helps

If your child groans at the reading book, you are in good company. This guide is for UK parents of children aged 5 to 11 who can't, won't or just don't read for fun yet. It sets out what the research says, what to try at home this week, and when to ask school for a closer look.

Last reviewed · How this page was made

Can't, won't, or not found it yet?

“Reluctant reader” covers very different children. Before you change anything, spend a week noticing which of these sounds most like yours:

  • Finds it hard. Reads slowly, stumbles over words, loses the thread, or is exhausted after a page. Avoidance protects them from feeling stuck.
  • Can, but won't. Reads the school book accurately but never picks up a book by choice. Reading feels like homework, not something for them.
  • Hasn't found their thing yet. Lights up for football stats, Minecraft guides or joke books, but not for the stories they're offered.

Many children are a mix. A child who finds reading hard soon decides they don't like it, so they read less and fall further behind. The good news is that the same few habits help all three: the right level, real choice, and time with a grown-up who makes it feel like fun rather than a test.

You're not alone: the UK picture

The National Literacy Trust surveys tens of thousands of UK children every year. In 2025 only 32.7% of 8 to 18-year-olds said they enjoyed reading in their free time, the lowest since it first asked in 2005, and 44.5% of 5 to 8-year-olds read daily (National Literacy Trust, 2025).

The 2026 survey of 125,375 children found the first rise in enjoyment since 2021, to 36.1% of 8 to 18-year-olds. Among 5 to 8-year-olds enjoyment dipped slightly, to 61.6%, driven by boys (National Literacy Trust, 2026). So if your child says reading is boring, they are saying what most of their classmates would say too. It isn't a verdict on your parenting.

The 2025 report also shows what draws children in. The most common draws were a link to a favourite film or TV series (38.1%) and books that match their interests (37.1%), and over a quarter (26.6%) valued the freedom to choose what they read.

Ten things that help at home

1. Let them choose

Take them to the library or bookshop and let them pick, even if it's the fifth joke book. Choice is what turns reading into something that is theirs.

2. Count all reading

Comics, graphic novels, annuals, recipes, match programmes and game guides all count. BookTrust's advice for parents says the same about comics, joke books and rereading old favourites.

3. Keep reading aloud to them

Children can enjoy stories well above the level they can read alone. Reading to them keeps the pleasure going while their own skills catch up.

4. Talk, don't test

Ask “What would you have done?” rather than “What colour was the dragon?” The EEF's guidance for schools working with parents says tips that prompt longer, more frequent conversations during shared reading are what help (EEF, 2018).

5. Short and often

Ten minutes at bedtime, a chapter in the car, a page each. Stop while it's still fun, ideally on a cliffhanger.

6. Let them see you read

BookTrust's survey of low-income families found children were more likely to enjoy reading when their parent or carer did (BookTrust). Your phone counts less than a paperback they can see.

7. Use audiobooks

Over half of audiobook listeners in a National Literacy Trust study said listening increased their interest in reading (2020). Try following the printed book while the audio plays.

8. Follow a series

Once a child likes one book, a series removes the hard part of choosing the next one. Funny series are a classic way in.

9. Join the Summer Reading Challenge

The Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge runs in UK libraries, is free and is for ages 4 to 11. Stickers and medals do a lot of motivating.

10. Take the pressure off

Never use reading as a punishment or a price for screen time. If the school book is a battle every night, tell the teacher; they would rather know.

What helps at each age

Ages 5 to 7 (Reception to Year 2)

Most children are learning to read through phonics at school, and Year 1 children take the phonics screening check. The books sent home are usually matched to the sounds they have learned, so they can feel dull. That's fine: let the school book be practice, then read them something gloriously silly for pleasure. Praise effort on tricky words, and let them reread favourites; rereading builds speed and confidence.

Ages 7 to 9 (Years 3 and 4)

This is when many children who can decode still read slowly, so a whole book feels like a mountain. The Department for Education's reading framework notes that pupils with a reading age of 8 to 9 are likely to need help with fluency, ideally daily practice in small groups at school (DfE reading framework, 2023). At home that can be as simple as you reading a sentence with expression and them reading it back, or reading the same short, funny passage a few times until it flows. Short chapters, lots of pictures and books written for older readers at an easier level all help.

Ages 9 to 11 (Years 5 and 6)

Older children care about what reading says about them. Offer books about their real interests, graphic novels, and non-fiction that makes them the expert. Reading with friends, swapping recommendations and finding a book that matches a series they love all help. Keep a bedtime chapter going if they'll let you; many will, even if they wouldn't admit it at school.

Apps for struggling readers: what to look for

Screens aren't the enemy of reading. A National Literacy Trust study of reading trends found that reading digitally plays a particularly important role for less-engaged readers, including boys (National Literacy Trust, 2026). The question is which app, and how it is used. A good reading app for a struggling or reluctant reader should:

  • Set the text at your child's level, and let you change it.
  • Read aloud, ideally highlighting each word, so a hard word never stops the story.
  • Give your child real choices, so the story feels like theirs.
  • Have no adverts, and keep anything paid behind a grown-up.
  • Finish: a story with an ending, not an endless feed.
  • Lead back to books, not replace them.

If the app uses AI, read our guide Are AI story apps safe for kids? before you sign up.

When to ask for a closer look

Reluctance is common and usually responds to the steps above. Talk to the class teacher if you notice:

  • avoiding reading aloud, or guessing words from the first letter or the pictures;
  • headaches, rubbing eyes, losing their place or holding the book very close;
  • spelling that is much weaker than their spoken vocabulary;
  • falling further behind despite regular, relaxed practice.

Rule out the simple things first. Children under 16 get free NHS sight tests at an optician (NHS), and it's worth checking hearing if they mishear sounds. If you think it could be dyslexia, the NHS advises starting with the school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO); a GP can't diagnose it (NHS).

Questions parents ask

Why does my child hate reading?

Usually for one of three reasons: reading is still hard work for them, they haven't found books that match their interests, or reading has come to feel like a test. Work out which it is first. A child who can read well but won't needs choice and fun; a child who finds decoding or fluency hard needs practice at the right level and a word with their teacher.

My son hates reading. Is it a boy thing?

Not in any fixed way, but the National Literacy Trust found boys' enjoyment of reading fell especially steeply in 2025, and in 2026 the dip in enjoyment among 5 to 8-year-olds was driven by boys. Choice helps every child: comics, funny books, non-fiction about their passions and books linked to a favourite film or series all count.

What are the best apps for struggling readers?

Look for an app that sets text at your child's reading level, reads aloud while highlighting the words, lets your child make choices, has no adverts and keeps purchases behind a grown-up. Use it alongside books and reading together, not instead of them. Litsee is one option for ages 5 to 11: children choose what happens next and can write their own ideas into the story.

Should I make my child read every day?

Little and often helps, but forcing it tends to backfire with a reluctant reader. Ten relaxed minutes they chose, including you reading to them, is worth more than a battle over the school book. Keep reading aloud to them even when they can read on their own.

Do audiobooks, comics and graphic novels count as reading?

Yes. The National Literacy Trust found 58.6% of children who read comics enjoy reading, against 33.1% of those who don't, and over half of audiobook listeners said listening increased their interest in reading. These are links, not proof that one causes the other, but they are good reasons to welcome both.

When should I worry that it's more than reluctance?

Talk to the class teacher if your child avoids reading aloud, guesses at words, complains of headaches or blurry print, or is falling further behind despite practice. Children under 16 get free NHS sight tests. For possible dyslexia, the NHS advises starting with the school's SENCO.

Sources

  1. Children and young people's reading in 2025 National Literacy Trust, June 2025
  2. Children and young people's reading in 2026 National Literacy Trust, June 2026
  3. Trends in children and young people's reading in print and digital formats National Literacy Trust, March 2026
  4. Children and young people's engagement with comics in 2023 National Literacy Trust, March 2024
  5. Children, young people and audiobooks before and during lockdown National Literacy Trust, July 2020
  6. What if my child doesn't like reading? BookTrust, undated
  7. Children are 40% more likely to enjoy reading if their parents or carers do BookTrust, undated
  8. Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning (guidance report) Education Endowment Foundation, December 2018
  9. The reading framework Department for Education, July 2023
  10. Summer Reading Challenge The Reading Agency, 2026
  11. Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers NHS, reviewed July 2023
  12. Dyslexia NHS, reviewed March 2026

How this page was made

Written by the Litsee team, with AI help for drafting, and checked line by line against the sources listed on this page. It has not yet been reviewed by an independent teacher or literacy specialist; when it has, their name will appear here.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email info@litsee.com and we will fix it. Last reviewed: .

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