How old were you children when they learnt to read?

[pairsinparis]

My DS is 4, he starts reception in September this year. He has n Pinterest in trying to read yet. He enjoys stories, the library, and being read to. We do picture books and smaller chapter books. Should I be doing more to encourage him to read independently?

DS*

In a lot of countries children don’t start formal education until they’re 7, when they’re a lot more ready.

I’m not in favour of pushing it with such young children - unless they’re obviously very keen there’s a danger of putting them off. What is much more important IMO is to talk to them and read to them (at their own level) so as to instil the idea that books and reading are a good and very enjoyable thing.

DS is 2.5. He showed an early interest in reading so his nursery worked with him & he has started to read the really basic 2-3 word a page books using phonics.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

In a lot of countries children don’t start formal education until they’re 7, when they’re a lot more ready.

I’m not in favour of pushing it with such young children - unless they’re obviously very keen there’s a danger of putting them off. What is much more important IMO is to talk to them and read to them (at their own level) so as to instil the idea that books and reading are a good and very enjoyable thing.

In all those countries it is parents, usually mums, who are expected to get their child to a certain level; or they go to kindergarten. That is why kids progress so fast from 7. They don’t stay at home and play like British kids do before school.

Youngest 2 oldest 8. The one who learned at 8 is the avid reader as an adult.

@ancientgran same here. My eldest learned early because he wanted to know things, navigate the TV menu, search things on his computer. I don't think he's ever read a novel, though was read to.

My younger one was about 8, nearly 9, and he's the one that reads for pleasure now, in his mid teens.

One started with early reading skills while they were still one. (Identifying print has meaning, as they jabbed my finger on the black squiggles that made mum say quack in a silly voice as opposed to the duck picture) liked me to write names and could tell the difference between mummy and daddy but not granny or grandad say. Was reading simple level one books by 3.5 ISH. Was more of a whole word reader and did not find phonics as easy. (Was outstripped at sounding out and blending by her dyslexic friend for example)

The other learned letter sounds really early, knew more letters than words but then spent another two years forgetting and learning before they could do anything with them. (I've blend them together to make words) (Same parent, similar input but different results )

We did early reading skills from the beginning, following print from left to right, top to bottom. Lots of rhythm and rhyme, singing and playing with words and sounds.

They read when they are developmentally ready. It's just one of a whole range of skills. Mine read early/early-ish for age (like me and their dad especially) but did loads of other things really really late. (Like me and their dad)

Enjoying books (reading for pleasure) is the most important thing. Responding to where their skills are now. No point trying to get them to do something they are not ready for, it will only put them off. Reading to them is great. I did it but did not enjoy it. I hate reading aloud.

Yours might have a different profile and be really good at something else. It does not matter. You've got the kid you've got. You just have to help them do the best with who they are.

It's one of those things parents get stressed about, like potty training. I think because the differences in or around reception year can be huge from not knowing any sounds to reading stage 10 plus books depending when it clicks for them. There is still a difference later but not as noticeable and a lot of the early starters plateau at one level for a while (mine rushed up to level ten then needed a lot of time (months) at that level on lots of the comprehension type skills and inference as books get more complicated) and a lot of the later starters catch up or overtake, or make steady progress and don't need to consolidate for several months ..etc)

Skills that are appreciated by reception teachers are being able to share, listen, do what they are told, toilet independently, dress independently, fasten a coat and their shoes. If they can do those things it makes teaching them to read easier.

I don’t know, maybe through the course of school nursery (pre-Reception year). They could do the odd word before that but it was probably just a memory thing.

Leave him til he's at school. You may well teach him a different way then he'd have to relearn at school anyway. Ds1 is 6 ad reads amazingly well (oy started once he went to school, summer born too so was young). Ds2 is in Reception ages 5, and is coming along very well.

In all those countries it is parents, usually mums, who are expected to get their child to a certain level; or they go to kindergarten. That is why kids progress so fast from 7. They don’t stay at home and play like British kids do before school

I'm in one of those countries. While its true most children go to kindergarten/nursery before they start school they aren't teaching them to read, and there's no expectation that they will have any reading skills when they start school. The first year of school for my DD at 6 years old they spent learning the alphabet thoroughly (each week was a different letter, and then moved on to learning syllables). A couple of children in her class could read before they started, the rest couldn't.

I wouldn't worry about it OP, the school will teach him, just carry on reading to him and let him try if he wants to.

My daughter learnt to read in the local language at 7 years old. I taught her to read in English at home, starting around 6 years old but it didn't click for her until she was 8 when she went from reading simple short sentences to reading books almost overnight. I have a 4 year old too and I've been trying with him as he is interested but I can tell he's not ready, he forgets what he's learnt very quickly.

1. First year of school. They start from scratch and now my daughter is in year one and a very capable reader.

DS1 was reading at 2 (I swear to god) and reading Harry Potter by the time he started school. I thought I had excellent genes.

DC 2 and 3 proved me wrong they were both well into reception before they could read more than very simple words. My youngest only started reading chapter books last year and he’s 10.

Over here, country outside UK, they don't learn to read until they're 6 and they learn so quickly. They get introduced to letter a bit earlier, but 6 is when they start formal reading education.

DD 3 and half and became a vociferous reader
DS 5+ and was never very interested
DGS 3 and half and not particularly interested in reading

OP, just to note that there is some selection bias on this thread. Please don't feel worried if your child wasn't reading at 3/2/ 7 months. Most children seem to start reception knowing some letter sounds but only a minority can blend or read digraphs.

What might be helpful is making sure you understand how phonics is taught, it may be very different from how you learned to read.

Going against the grain, but I believe that for some children early reading is a real boon well beyond the early years.

Both my DC started basic letter/sound/phonics recognition at 2 (they found it very easy) and were on reading scheme books at 3. This was a mix of phonics and use of old Ladybrid books which taught by look and say method. By the time they went to school they were close to the end of the Ladybrid scheme and fluent readers. They could read a page of fairly dense type out loud to a parent in a confident and fluent manner, which in itself showed understanding and could answer questions about it.

The thing that interested me was their fluency. They could read at a decent speed and with intonation and I think it was the read and say approach, alongside phonics which did that. I know phonics is the thing these days and I know that for children who struggle to learn to read, it’s vital, but I think that for lots of children who actually learn to read fairly easily, a mixed approach can work and pay more dividends than purely phonics.

Of course many children who didn’t start reading until school are now just as good at reading as my adult children. However, I think that well into secondary school, the fluency which was fostered early-on made a huge difference.

For me though, the big thing with reading once you start is you do it every day -365 days a year. It’s. It just a term time activity and not to be seen as a chore or homework that you get time off. It’s the consistency of doing it, so it’s a lifestyle thing rather than a chore which is key.

WombatChocolate couldn't agree more
Books and reading have always been part of play in our house, it's just something we've done since birth and so was never a big deal

Two were four and the youngest three and a half. We had a lot of Letterland stuff. The school used to give them the year or two older books to read.

[quote Buzzinwithbez]@ancientgran same here. My eldest learned early because he wanted to know things, navigate the TV menu, search things on his computer. I don't think he's ever read a novel, though was read to.

My younger one was about 8, nearly 9, and he's the one that reads for pleasure now, in his mid teens.[/quote]
I've heard the same from several families. I wonder what it is, maybe the late readers value it more whereas the early readers take it for granted or something.

It is very marked with mine and it sounds like yours are the same.

@WombatChocolate

Going against the grain, but I believe that for some children early reading is a real boon well beyond the early years.

Both my DC started basic letter/sound/phonics recognition at 2 (they found it very easy) and were on reading scheme books at 3. This was a mix of phonics and use of old Ladybrid books which taught by look and say method. By the time they went to school they were close to the end of the Ladybrid scheme and fluent readers. They could read a page of fairly dense type out loud to a parent in a confident and fluent manner, which in itself showed understanding and could answer questions about it.

The thing that interested me was their fluency. They could read at a decent speed and with intonation and I think it was the read and say approach, alongside phonics which did that. I know phonics is the thing these days and I know that for children who struggle to learn to read, it’s vital, but I think that for lots of children who actually learn to read fairly easily, a mixed approach can work and pay more dividends than purely phonics.

Of course many children who didn’t start reading until school are now just as good at reading as my adult children. However, I think that well into secondary school, the fluency which was fostered early-on made a huge difference.

For me though, the big thing with reading once you start is you do it every day -365 days a year. It’s. It just a term time activity and not to be seen as a chore or homework that you get time off. It’s the consistency of doing it, so it’s a lifestyle thing rather than a chore which is key.

One tip I was given to help a child with reading fluency was put the subtitles on TV. If you can read it is hard to ignore them and because they are hearing the words at a certain speed it seems to help them with fluency.

It worked like a charm, not sure if that was luck or coincidence but it is simple to do and might help others.

Ds was 6. He was never interested. Ever.

Even as a tiny toddler he would push books away, refuse to even be read to. Had no interest in even holding a pencil to draw. He started reception and they tried to push him. He went even further in his refusal. Long story short, we ended up home educating.

I started slowly and at his pace teaching him the things he was interested in only (space and cars).

Suddenly, just after he was 6 it clicked and he enjoyed phonics. He went from not being able to read a single word to reading Road Dahl books fluently and one a day in 4 months.

He’s now 19, got A* in English language and English lit at GCSE and reads and writes for fun.

My dd was the same, but when she started reception she flew. School suited her. She went from not recognising the alphabet because she just wouldn’t engage to reading and writing by fluently by the christmas of reception, she’s in year 3 now and working a full year ahead.

They all get there. Ds turned my hair grey, I thought dd would finish me off and be the same as him until she marched out of reception on the first day and said “mummy, I want to learn now!”

At 4 he knew basic phonics and could blend cvc words. His kindergarten did all the phonics but reception did them all again. He was a free reader in year 3.
Read to him and read with him every day, do some fun phonics games and otherwise leave it to school.
Read to him is you reading age appropriate stories. Read with him is very simple picture books with a word or two on the page for him to look at.

@ancientgran my older reader just didn't get phonics. He only knew he was reading when he was fluent (if that makes sense). Earlier than that, he obviously could recognise many words but didn't know he was correct or how he was correct. We noticed he could make a correct 'guess' at a word with a shape, but couldn't decipher a short word like cat.
He must have retrofitted some phonics knowledge by now, to be able to read unfamiliar words.

We never pushed him because it was clear that while he wasn't learning to read the traditional way, his brain was busy doing other things that could be more important to him. He developed an excellent memory to compensate for the lack of reading.

They learn at different ages - mine learned at 3 and 6! Same parents and younger one had more 1:1 attention because eldest was at school by then.