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Primary education

Worried about DS2's reading

6 replies

largeoneplease · 03/09/2008 21:35

DS1 is a really strong reader, knew all his letters by his 2nd birthday and was reading fluently long before the end of reception year. Not bragging, just that this is the only "benchmark" I have, so I'm not sure if DS2 is really struggling, or just not as good as his brother.

DS2 has just started y1. I practise his keywords with him every morning (have done since he was first given them 1 term into reception and kept this up all through the hols) He also "reads" from a book to either DH or I every eve, although this is a real struggle. We read to him every day too.

Despite repeating these key words over and over he just doesn't seem to get them. e.g he can sound out h a s and get it right, but he can't just read it, and he must have seen it hundreds of times now. He does now know all his letters, which he didn't until half was through reception, so I can't say he's making no progress, but it seems very slow to me.

He is one of the youngest in his class and otherwise is thriving. A very talkative boy, with a good vocbulary and huge interest (and understanding) in nature and the way things work etc. Is it time for me to be asking the school to get him extra help?

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AvenaLife · 03/09/2008 21:39

I taught ds to say the letters phonetically, then squeeze them together and say them without the spaces between the letters rather than identifying each word individually. He found my way very easy.

Your little one is still very small. Let him settle into school first and take it from there.

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cornsilk · 03/09/2008 21:41

Does he know the sounds that all the letters make?

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largeoneplease · 03/09/2008 21:54

Corsilk - Yes he knows all the sounds, rather than the names iyswim

Avena- You think it because he's still young? He's already done 2 full years at the school, 1 in nursery and one in reception. He will be 6 this school year. I (and school) have been doing the phonetics thing and he can sound short words, but can't say the whole word, without sounding first. My DS1 found this easy too, which is why I'm finding it frustration with DS2.

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AvenaLife · 03/09/2008 22:01

They are all different though, you can't compare them or what they can do. For longer words chop them in half, they are easier to read this way.

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largeoneplease · 03/09/2008 22:12

Yes they are all different and I do worry that I compare my 2, which I know I mustn't, but the idea of chopping words in half ATM is laughable (I have tried), as it can take ages to get him to read a sentence of 4-5 3 letter words.

I'd just like an idea of what is normal/average, as I will have an opportunity for a 121 chat with his new teacher shortly and want to go prepared.

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AvenaLife · 03/09/2008 22:14

I'm not saying what ds was like because he's never been average. ds is just ds.

Have a chat with the teacher.

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