Can your 4 year old read?

[Dinoswearunderpants]

My DS started school in September and I've got communications saying at age 4, he should be to read simple books.

We read to him every night before bed and have recently started reading a simple book where we breakdown the words and try to get him to read along.

Invariably he's tired so just before bed isn't the best time to try and get him to read but straight after school I want hm to have some downtime.

Just curious if my DS is behind or not?

The only way I could see this making sense is if they have picked the books to exactly match the level that they have reached in class.

E.g. if they had taught the children the phonetic sounds/practiced blending for S,A,T,P,M,I,N,D

And then gave books that only included that - it wouldn't be that unreasonable.

Otherwise it is asking too much.

My experience of having a child that age, and teaching plenty more, is that unless they have been taught, 99% of children that age won't start to read on their own. So any expectation that the child would be reading before actively being taught to do so is misguided. Equally the expectation that most parents will independantly teach their children to read is not realistic in the UK.

try them on words like "blorg" or "kether"

In my experience, (infant/nursery teacher in the dark ages when kids started school the term after they were 5) this early in the year with a young 4. No. Even the five year olds took a while to get segmenting and blending sounds. (Sounding out d-o-g and being able to hear dog) (Mainly girls in a small class with lots of high quality teacher input from job-share teachers)

He should be ready sometime this academic year and will be reading by July. That's fine.

Yes, mine can read very simple books. But only because he’s already had a year of pre-school. I wouldn’t be bothered if he hadn’t and couldn’t yet.

He’s also got the advantage of having a slightly older brother, and of learning to read in Welsh which is phonetic and so a lot easier than English.

My DC1 could read at this age, so I was a bit worried when DC2 couldn't. It was fine though, she picked it up with no problems during reception.

The expectation here when dd started primary was that she could recognise her name and some other more practical things like dress herself and put her coat on. None of them have books from school with words in until after the first half term. Dd can read quite a few three letter words though.

Mine could, but her teachers in reception told us it was unusual. And that was at a selective private school, so I really wouldn’t worry about it. No idea why the school is putting this pressure on you and your child. Also, it’s worth bearing in mind that children catch up. Yes my daughter read early, but now they are all in year 3, lots of the kids who couldn’t read when they started school can read as well as her.

He should read more than one book a day with his parents at bedtime. My son is 2 and we do at least 5 books between 530 nursery pick up and 830 bedtime. No tv after nursery,
I would cuddle up and read with him as soon as he gets home. And at the weekends earlier.
introduce him to a sight word or two a day and you can play games like stick it on post it’s around the house and write it on his bath with a wipable pen.

Ps im confused how being read a story by mum isn’t ‘downtime’ couldn’t you read to him while he sits and has a snack? Or do you mean he wants total alone time?

Your 2 year old isnt reading, its very different reading to them to getting a knackered 4 year old to sound out words after school. They're coming to the end of their first half term and are often shattered so an 8.30 bedtime would be a disaster!

None of my boys could properly read (without having to sound out every.single.simple.word 😠) until they were about 7 / Year 3. They were all classed as slightly behind up till then and then they just kind of caught up overnight. They went to a Private School with an entrance exam at Senior level which I got them all extra tuition for, and they all did great at school and Uni, so I really don't think they were held back by not being able to read fluently before 7.

Incidentally, I was not a particularly voracious reader with them either. I focussed more on fun learning through play. The mums that read religiously with their kids from 2 definitely had children who were more advanced at age 4. They got all the speaking parts in plays and assemblies, etc., but by the time they all left school at 18 they were all about equal and not quite the child prodigies they had been seen to be at 4.

Our grandchild could. Very fluent at 5 but he is quite unusual.

Who is sending you the communications and what do they say exactly?

Some children can read simple words by 4 years old, but this is not the norm. Most children start learning phonics once they are in Reception, which will then progress to reading. Your child isn't behind, by any stretch of the imagination!

I've been a reception teacher off and on for almost 20 years. I can only think of 3 children who were already reading by the time they started school.

1: My older sister - a self-taught reader with a bemused but encouraging set of parents. Diagnosed Autistic but pretty high functioning.
2: A boy who was also self-taught. Also Autistic, and that was his special interest.
3: A bright September born girl, whose mum was a primary school teacher.

Of, say 400 Reception aged children, that's 3. 3. Don't worry.