good magazines or journals for a 10-11year to read

[southbucks3]

When they are using Rogers profanesaurus for their creative writing tasks you only have yourself to blame

[Rob Clark]

Speaking from personal experience, I think the fact he is willing to read something is more important than what he reads. At that age I read mostly Asterix books and superhero comics, to the despair of my father who was forever trying to thrust a Graham Greene or John Buchan novel at me

After an English degree and 20 years as a writer he was just – just - about willing to concede my pre-teen reading hadn't done me any harm (and I'm still not a huge fan of Greene…).

That said, The Week and Private Eye are excellent suggestions too. As is Viz, with Amber's caveat that it might require parental guidance

[southbucks3]

Ah, but super hero comics of old has super words, like dastardly and fiendishly, whereas from memory I don't think my ds1's much loved footy comics had many words at all, just lots of pictures promoting the latest kits to buy.

[Peridot]

Hi again oshosh,
I should say that my year 7 and year 10 children now read First News in its entirety in a few minutes and are fairly dismissive of it, so I probably should cancel the subscription (though I like its bite-sized news items and clear explanations of current affairs myself!). But it was ideal when they were in year 4-6 so do have a look at it if you have the chance. Many primary schools have subscriptions for First News for year 6.

[Amber]

I would also like to say that just getting into the habit of reading does not in itself make one virtuous or necessarily bring huge academic advantages. One day when I have time I think I might do a comparative study of children who enjoy other hobbies and attain a high standard in them with those who read a lot, to see whether it is all it's cracked up to be. I think the way children in our country are drilled in phonics from the moment they start to talk and made to plod through deeply uninteresting 'pre-reading' and early reading materials probably makes many of them think they will never voluntarily pick up anything more challenging than The Daily Mail once they have a choice. Who is to say that is not an intelligent choice if all you have ever been offered is dressed up in kiddiespeak?

I know several people who always have their nose in a book but seem not to have any independent thought processes or engagement with the world; as well as some who never read but are clearly high achievers and despite their lack of a reading habit seem to live full and active lives. I get fed up of reading being paraded as some kind of moral virtue so that kids who prefer to do maths or dismantle computers or mix things together somehow feel they ought to be reading instead.

Sorry, rant over. (And not aimed at you, OP, just a general observation). As you were.

[scary mum]

I would also like to say that just getting into the habit of reading does not in itself make one virtuous or necessarily bring huge academic advantages. One day when I have time I think I might do a comparative study of children who enjoy other hobbies and attain a high standard in them with those who read a lot, to see whether it is all it's cracked up to be. I think the way children in our country are drilled in phonics from the moment they start to talk and made to plod through deeply uninteresting 'pre-reading' and early reading materials probably makes many of them think they will never voluntarily pick up anything more challenging than The Daily Mail once they have a choice. Who is to say that is not an intelligent choice if all you have ever been offered is dressed up in kiddiespeak?

I know several people who always have their nose in a book but seem not to have any independent thought processes or engagement with the world; as well as some who never read but are clearly high achievers and despite their lack of a reading habit seem to live full and active lives. I get fed up of reading being paraded as some kind of moral virtue so that kids who prefer to do maths or dismantle computers or mix things together somehow feel they ought to be reading instead.

Sorry, rant over. (And not aimed at you, OP, just a general observation). As you were.

I think you have a good point Amber (one which I hadn't really thought of until I heard your views on it - all three of mine love reading & so I have always thought of it as a Good Thing). I think a lot of it probably comes from the fact that 11 plus exams have always been quite vocabulary based, therefore lots of reading=good vocab=11plus success.

The fact that my most avid reader did not pass the 11 plus rather disagrees with that theory

[Amber]

Personally I am a huge fan of good talk - oracy is massively underrated in our education system and our lives generally, and the focus on 'literacy' which seems to have usurped that old subject 'English' in the primary curriculum has contributed to its demise. So we have 4 year olds in schools (a stupid idea in itself, but that is another thread) who can't actually talk, learning phonics to help with their developing 'literacy'. Which is farcical.

Turn on decent talk radio, get some stories on tape or whatever it is called these days, turn off the TV and talk!

[southbucks3]

Personally I am a huge fan of good talk - oracy is massively underrated in our education system and our lives generally, and the focus on 'literacy' which seems to have usurped that old subject 'English' in the primary curriculum has contributed to its demise. So we have 4 year olds in schools (a stupid idea in itself, but that is another thread) who can't actually talk, learning phonics to help with their developing 'literacy'. Which is farcical.

Turn on decent talk radio, get some stories on tape or whatever it is called these days, turn off the TV and talk!

Please don't make me talk to them, just sharing living space with three boys is bad enough!

[Amber]

Please don't make me talk to them, just sharing living space with three boys is bad enough!

In this scenario: Turn on decent talk radio, or in fact any type of radio or audio device; attach headphones to self and other end to audio device, pump up volume. Do not under any circumstances sing or dance - the look you are aiming for is cool and detached, not sad uncoordinated wally.

This is pretty much OH's strategy, and it seems fairly effective at screening out dealings with entire family. He does sometimes transgress the last bit though.

[southbucks3]

Would that be directly after he has let the 10 and 9 year old listen to Fear on Four..The Monster With Five Fingers, just before bedtime? Because that is what my normally sensible dh did exactly the other night, then swapped station to planet rock, and off he went in his own little world. I had to watch an hour long programme about walrus to calm their imagination down again.

Should you wish to listen to this tale, it is on bbc iplayer, and you will probably never lock a desk drawer again . (I was told every minute detail by ds3)