Can an 8 year old read "too much"?

[Papa Deuce]

My one daughter is a voracious reader at 8 years old. Beside reading what she needs to for school, I would estimate that she reads an additional 600 - 1000 pages of books a week. Mostly this is Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew type stuff, but she also reads Narnia and a few other similar style books.

She does do things away from reading... she takes tennis lessons and has play dates... She also goes to the playground to play with kids... I take her swimming at the Y once or twice a week.

My only concern, really, is that as she gets older she reads even more every week it seems. BTW, it is not uncommon for her to head to her bedroom at 7PM and read until 9:30.... her bedtime.

Think that is too much reading for an 8 year old?

 

[SAHDad]

As long as she is doing other stuff, no, it's fine. Heck, absent laundry, cooking, childcare, etc, I could happily read six to eight hours a day, every day, without a problem.

 

[Certifiable WDW Nut]

Sounds like my oldest DD. I laugh that she was the only kid to have books taken away from her. In 4th and 5th grades, we had to make arrangements that when she arrived at school in the morning she had to give her free reading book to the teacher and the teacher would then give it back to her when it was the appropriate time for her to read. Otherwise, she would read through all her other lessons.

I would rather have this problem than the opposite, however.

To answer your question directly, I do not think a child can read too much, but I do believe the child can read at the wrong times. It sounds like you have a good handle on that, however, so I wouldn't worry. Just make sure she doesn't read at in appropriate times (like math class!).

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Take those books away now! You don't want them there girl folk getting any silly ideas in thise pretty little heads do you?

j/k I don't see a problem with her reading. What else would she do? Watch tv?

 

[bigbabyblues]

My DS8 is the same way; he would rather read than do just about anything else. He does play soccer, plays outside with the neighbor kids, takes piano lessons, and wants to play basketball this year. I was exactly the same way, and I still love to read.

 

[Robinrs]

I was the same way as a child. The way I spent my summers was by choosing one author and reading his entire portfolio! One summer I ready the DICTIONARY from beginning to end!!

I eventually got my degree in English Lit... it was my destiny!

 

[MrsPete]

When I was in 2nd grade my teacher told me that I was reading too much, and this was a bad thing because I was going to get ahead of the other students. She told me that I would no longer be allowed to check out my weekly book from the school's libray.

My mom, as you can imagine, didn't think much of this. She took me that very day to the public library and let me check out a whole bag of books, and she sent me to school the next day with a note explaining that every time I was denied the chance to get a book from the school library, this would happen again. The teacher gave up her silly plan that very week.

Can a kid read too much? No, I don't think so.

BUT I think a kid can spend so much time one activity (could also be sports, video games, whatever), and she can fail to become well-rounded because of it. As long as your daughter isn't reading to avoid doing something else -- to avoid chores, to avoid social situations, etc. -- I'd say that's fine. I would encourage her to do other things (perhaps more active things), but I wouldn't restrict reading.

 

[DisneyLover83]

I was an avid reader at that age also and I do not believe you can read to much. If anything all the recreation reading really expanded my vocabulary at a young age and helped a great deal with school work, etc. With that said if you are concerned about activities in her life being balanced only you as her parent can make that call.

 

[Scurvy]

I'd read almost all the time if I could. If she isn't reading instead of doing her schoolwork or chores, I wouldn't worry about it. Reading is a good thing!

You're lucky she stops reading when it is bedtime. I didn't when I was younger - I'd read under the covers with a flashlight or I'd close my door and put a blanket on the floor so the light wasn't visible outside the room, and I'd read until 4:00 in the morning.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I was the exact same way as a kid.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Count me as one of those kids whose parents told them they read too much. And my mom was an English teacher. My parents insisted I go outside and play once and a while, but it's not as much fun when you're an only child...and I didn't make friends easily. But, to a certain point, my parents were right.

Make sure your daughter has at least one really good friend. If she does, then don't worry about her. If she doesn, well, she's going to want a best friend soon. Push her out of the house and force her to go meet new people if necessary.

 

[FireDancer]

As long as she is getting plenty of physical activity I don't think it is a problem. If any kids reads all day and gets no physical activity they are probably not going to be very healthy.

Growing up we played outside more than we read inside, even in the winter. I would think a 1:1 ratio is probably best. For every hour of free time spent doing a sedentary activity like reading or playing video games there should be an hour of physical activity of some sort. It would go a long way towards curbing our childhood obesity epidemic.

 

[phorsenuf]

Why would you think it would be bad because she reads so much?

Is this the same daughter you think is overweight?

 

[harleyquinn]

Count me with the other posters. I was valedictorian, got my BA in English and am now a children's librarian.

It will probably eventually be a lot less reading. Once I had to start reading boring books for school, my reading slowed down a bit. If it wasn't for the new little being in my life, I'd still be reading more than anything except sleeping and working.

 

[LindaR]

If we ALL read more think of how much more intelligent we would all be! We would have so much information stored in our brains and perhaps we would not ask dumb questions, or made poor choices.....etc!

 

[Buckalew11]

I agree with everyone. DD has always been a big reader. She'd keep several books going at once. She'd be trying to make her bed while reading. It drove me crazy but now, at
15, she reads less because she has more to read for English class etc. I hope she'll always love to read.

She also played b-ball, tennis etc. so I wouldn't worry unless reading was all she was doing.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

When I was in second grade I had read all the Science Fiction (or SF-type) books in the Children's Section of the local Public Library. My mother, who was a teacher, talked to them and so I had permission to take Sciece Fiction books out from the adult section of the library.

You might want to get her tested for Mensa. They have good programs for gifted children.

 

[Micca]

I was the same way as a child. The way I spent my summers was by choosing one author and reading his entire portfolio! One summer I ready the DICTIONARY from beginning to end!!

I tried to read the dictionary too, but everytime I got to the end, I fell asleep...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[C.Ann]

I have always been an avid reader - having learned how to read long before I went to school.. But I always engaged in other activities as well - which is a key factor in whether or not one is reading "too much"..

It sounds like your DD is very well rounded and I wouldn't worry about it in the least.. There is so much knowledge that can be obtained from reading - not to mention you can be an "'arm chair traveler"; briefly live in a far off fantasy world; stumble upon a subject that you become so interested in you decide to take it up as a hobby or a career; and on and on..

I wouldn't be worried in the least.. Be happy!!

 

[Rora]

I was the exact same way as a kid.

As long as she's doing other things, reading is great!!

As a 3rd grade teacher, reading is so important and it's fantastic she loves it so much.

Don't worry too much, Dad, once she gets to high school and college, she won't be reading as much!