<p>I think you should introduce them to a book and if they don’t like it let them do what they want to do</p>
<p>i think yes. I hated the idea of reading back in class 1/class 2, and I used to strongly dislike it whenever I used to be forced to read. I actually remember being bribed with chocolate to read once.
But in class 3, i started really liking Enid blyton, and so it started. I just loved reading in middle school, and to some extent high school and i think i learned so much from reading different books that i wouldnt have otherwise, and I am really grateful to my mom for forcing me to read back when i was 5.
I’m sorry but to put it bluntly, that is so stupid. If you can’t guide your kid in the right direction and stop him/her from doing sth wrong (and try your best to make him/her like things ‘good’ for him/her), why become a parent at all then?</p>
<p>Well some books you really shouldn’t push on a child
Like some classics</p>
<p>Why make a 9 year old read Catcher in the Rye if he or she isn’t going to identify with Holden Caulfield’s issues because he or she has not experienced them yet.</p>
<p>Nobody should be forced to read this thread.</p>
<p>Oh. well i interpreted your (open ended) question as whether young kids should be forced to read in general or not.</p>
<p>I think everyone SHOULD read, but you shouldn’t force someone to read a particular book. Now, that’s not to say that I don’t get annoyed when people end up reading fluff or trashy novels, but it’s (usually) better than reading a complicated book and not understanding it, or not reading at all.</p>
<p>^yeah, sighing dreamily while thinking about Edward Cullen’s depthless warm molten gold eyes (and they turn gold right after he’s drank blood btw) is so much better for those potential-socialite girls right? 
(jk!)</p>
<p>Did my skin burst into flames? I had to look down to check.
What a perceptive girl bella swan is. ;)</p>
<p>I didn’t say I’ll stop him from going in the right direction.</p>
<p>I said when it comes to passion and hobbies to let him do whatever he wants that is sensible.</p>
<p>Like if he wants to be a basketball star I won’t turn his dreams down. But I will tell him to do good in school and get a backup. </p>
<p>I think you should force them to read to the point where they can decide what they want to read.</p>
<p>@Perfectpixie.</p>
<p>That is the result of a mom who has never desired to write, suddenly writes a book with no writing experience whatsoever</p>
<p>Reading is one of those things like learning. It’s very hard to be interested in biology (or in any subject, including reading) without knowing a substantial amount about it first. The question, however, is how do you learn this amount, get this experience with the subject, if you are not interested at first (which is how it almost always is). Well, hopefully compulsory education will accomplish this. But it doesn’t always. For example, freshman year biology did not inspire me to learn more biology. </p>
<p>I never really liked reading at first either. I think it was because the stories I could read at first (with my poor reading skills) were rather uninteresting compared to the ones I could make up (which I told other kids) and the imaginary games which I played. So there was no positive feedback to keep me reading when I learned how. It was only when I luckily stumbled upon books which I liked (which took some influence - indirectly, for example, by having a period of quiet reading time set aside in class each day) that I started reading more proactively. </p>
<p>For a long time my reading skills lagged behind the stories I wanted to be able to read, though, which was frustrating. </p>
<p>I do think maybe it’s a good idea to force kids to read to some extent. Not a particular book, of course, but give them a wide selection to choose from.</p>
<p>It’s highly counterproductive. Just speaking from personal experience</p>
<p>America is far enough behind in education already. Thanks for your suggestion, though.</p>