Are lots of pre-reception 4 year olds reading ?

I can relate to this - I was an early and fast reader and sometimes in a work context I pretend it's taken me longer to read something than it really has because otherwise I know people will think I didn't read it properly!

Well good to know I did something right. When I had DS I couldn't drive so I would read to him on the bus to keep him occupied, also in bed in the morning and at bed time. I am guesing about 3 x 20 minutes most days. I can stil recite " monkey puzzle", " peepo" and snail and the whale now 17 years later.

My DD couldn't read when she started reception, we had done some phonics sounds with her and read to her a lot, looked at books and words together but basically didn't want to interfere with what school would do! She now has to go and do her phonics with a group of older children as she's gone past what her reception friends are doing (can basically read independently now).

Of course! Unfortunately we have children from lots of different settings. We do transition visits and parent info evenings on phonics in the summer before they join, but if they have been diligently teaching their child capital letters or look and say or just the wrong sounds from age 2.5, it’s hard to undo. I blame children’s toddler toys which are usually really unhelpful. It’s amazing how many “educational” toys are completely at odds with the curriculum. You would think they would pay a teacher to help them develop them! Even flash cards labelled as phonics have things like O is for owl, which mean children find it harder to learn “o” as in h-o-t.

It really varies so please don’t worry.

I could read before I started school. I remember my friends dad nastily disputing this possibility (like some PP) and throwing a newspaper at me saying “read that then” so I picked it up and started reading it out loud.

He soon STFU!!

My DS is a veritable literary genius with a Masters in English from Cambridge, and he couldn’t read before he started school.

My advice is not to engage with any competitive parenting and just make sure you find as much time to read together as you can. Make it fun.

Teacher here. No those parents who have said their children can read already before reception are very much in the minority/ rare. Quite frankly shocked you know so many! Schools often don’t like children to be taught too much phonics before the start school as often then have to correct what has been taught wrongly. Just think back to your childhood- I bet you couldn’t read before reception and haven’t been effected by it.,children in Norway or it might be Finland don’t even start school until seven years old. Your child is totally normal.

I couldn't do phonics at all. It hurt me.

Then COVID and I had to learn via YouTube so I could teach DS as there was no teacher!

I have to say that experience and helping in reception, I'd say that if you can get your child to sit and listen to you read it's possibly more valuable than them being able to do the phonics/read before school. It has greater impact for multiple subjects..

The biggest issue I have is getting the kids to sit still and focus for ten minutes - not the phonics themselves.

Well mine can barely hold a pen so I think you’re good!

I know some reception teachers who hate when kids come in knowing how to write. They need to re teach it all. Don’t worry, she’ll learn at the right pace for her.

This - if you were to watch my 3 year old (tomorrow!) DD at bedtime you’d think she could read - in fact we’ve read the same 3 books every night before bed and she knows them completely so it looks like it’s reading but it really isn’t.

*other books are available but she’s just so very attached to the hungry caterpillar now 😂

Our DD was very much like this, the book "You Choose" ended up "going on holiday" before I finally lost my marbles

Also.

Dont be the parent who sends their child to school in laces, when the child can't tie them.

That's really annoying.

(It's far more useful to the teacher to either consider this when buying shoes or teaching your kids this rather than reading).

I learnt to read from memory when I was younger. Later got diagnosed with dyslexia, however I don't believe I'm dyslexic, I just never learnt the rules of reading. I love to read, and can read very quickly, however DD bought a book home last week with some made up words. I couldn't read it.

I have no idea how schools teach to read, therefore I will be taking my cues from them in September and extend what they teach into the home.

Never know, I may learn to read properly too🤣

Very few can read when they start reception.
They need to be able to get dressed and undressed independently (for pe), find their own coat, shoes etc... and make themselves understood when they need the loo.
I'd concentrate on gross and fine motor skills, and communication all through play and everyday activities.

Yes they did. Most went to nextdoor nursery. Affluent area.

Half the class can do phonics and blend but I wouldn't call it reading as such yet. 3 I would say can read.

The other half are a mixed bag - some can recognise the phonics and blend if in the mood but most of the time they are reluctant to do that much. (These are usually behaviour related or being the youngest) Theres a couple who are struggling with any but not many.

There is a strong link between which parents take it seriously (and can return books when they should) and those who are reading better, with only a couple of exceptions.

Our school actually instructed parents not to teach old style so no Ay, Bee Cee because that's not how they're taught anymore and it's harder to undo the damage than to teach from scratch.
They do have a phonics meeting for parents but only after the children start reception so Normally around the 3rd week of September.
DD is my 5th at the same school, eldest two followed the 'biff chip and kipper' books, younger two the 'read, write inc' program so although they all did phonics, the techniques have changed over the years, some kids pick it up really fast others at their own pace.

Reception staff here - lots of good advice on here. I would say the most important thing for a young child to have is good quality of attention. An ability to share, and and a degree of independence also good.

I have known 3 children who have come into reception able to read and comprehend chapter books. All three were hyperlexic and autistic.

I doubt they mean proper reading but DD does join three letter words and sound them out. Things like c-a-t cat, p-o-t pot, she goes to a nursery attached to the primary, they pride themselves on the children transitioning really easily into reception so although they don't aim to have the children reading before reception some will pick up the basics.
DD watches her older sister reading and is in a rush to do the same but lots of others know their basic phonics sounds just as well.
I think most importantly you should create a live for books in them so although they may not be reading, they enjoy sitting with books, reading will happen in their own time.
You also need to help her handle cutlery, dress and undress, put on her shoes, sort of be able to fasten her coat, these things all really help them in reception more than being able to read.

This really surprises me, I am fairly sure both of mine were reading Oxford Reading Tree Kipper & co by the end of reception. DS was by no means one of the fastest. Are we still suffering the fall out of COVID ? Did they not go to nursery ?

This is so true. I used to help with listening to children read in class when mine were in infants’ school many years ago. I remember there being 3 or 4 children in the yr1 class I helped in, who were reading HP books. Only one of them (who later became a vet, as it happens!) was able to read with real expression and understanding. The others could say most of the words, but it was obvious that there was no comprehension of what they were reading. I always felt that it was for the benefit of the pushy parents to be able to say their children were ‘reading’ HP books.

We had a lot of competitive parenting in Preschool and Primary. It gets easier in High School as you don't have your see the utter fools the other parents as often.

I have t read the full thread but I'm sure all of the usual things have already been said about preparing for school like making sure they can use cutlery, put their coat on and wipe their bum.

I'd also start to play some board games aimed at their age, if you don't already. Pinterest is a good resource for finding Maths based games hit 4 year olds. Helping them to concentrate and start to appreciate numbers will give them just as good start.

My DS was totally uninterested in anything to do with writing or even mark making so we played games and walked and talked about numbers on doors and car reg plates and collected leaves and tried to spit which tree they came from. All of this seemed to give him just as good a start as the DC who could write their name or do some reading.

And himestly if he's been able to read and write when he started school I think he would have been bored quite quickly

Mine can, her nursery started phonics early and she was trying to read words so I just taught her. It’s just practice really for most kids, some are exceptional in some way but for most it’s just bog standard time and effort.

I was taught before school in the 80’s as well, I don’t think it’s a big deal really it’s not like you can tell when they are 30. However I can still read a decent sized book in a few hours, which I think is helpful in some ways.

We do have a problem though with DD being able to read text but struggling with comprehension. But, my comprehension was pretty good so I assume at some point I became more adept at scanning instead of reading individual words and my comprehension caught up.

Looking at my own DD I can definitely see her comprehension improved as she gained fluency. Theres a lot of mental effort involved in being a new reader, she’s very much focussed on decoding the odd word so her attention is on that rather than the story.

I think most kids can be taught to read before 5 tbh, I doubt it’s that unusual.

"Peaked early" often means "subsequent schooling and education failed them, was unable to teach to their level so let them drift back down to average level whilst challenging and teaching the kids who were behind more so that they caught up".

Children peaking early and other children catching up is a sign of a failure to educate children who are ready for more challenge.

My four year old is interested in words and sounds. She can copy simple words and read her name, mum, dad etc. Her brother was totally disinterested at the same age. I went a bit potty with flash cards and phonics sounds. He did not engage. He can read fluently now age 7. It does not matter. Don't allow yourself to fall down the black hole of comparing children.

I really don’t think it matters. My DD knew how to write her name and that was it, probably not even the letters she was writing. She was a free reader by Christmas of year 1. Her friend has a very pushy mum came in writing and being pushed into reading, she isn’t reading or writing as well as DD now and often writes in capitals as mum taught her wrong!

Very few can and unless it taught phonics I was advised not to teach reading before school...I kinda wish I understood phonics...dd and her friends seemed to pick it up....dh, me and a whole room of parents attempting to learn it at the school teaching parents season...my decision after that session was not to attempt phonics...once I stopped teaching dd phonics she flew it...I think I was holding her back... Just make sure your dc is toilet trained..

"I hated it when parents or nursery staff with limited training had taught their child just a bit of phonics, because often it meant bad habits that we had to reteach. "

@mummyuptheriver wouldn't it be better just for parents to know how/which sorts of phonics to teach?