to wonder if he will be too advanced when his class starts learning French?

[GoingLoopyLou]

DS is 4 and has been having French lessons for the last six months through La Jolie Ronde, once a week for half an hour. He loves it and is doing really well.

He starts primary school in September and his school don't start teaching French until he is in Year 3.

I'm just a bit concerned that they will be being taught to say Bonjour and count to ten in French etc and he will have done that 4 years previously. Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do?

I was actually quite shocked by how many children don't even know the letters of the alphabet or how to count before they go into school. Both my sons learned those things very early on and for DS1 (5) reading just followed and he was reading fluently well before age 4. DS2 is only two but he can already recognise and point out certain words in his books. Why would you stop a child who is interested in learning these things? Books make so much information about so many interesting subjects available to them to learn in their own time. I don't think they should be pressured but if they are interested then why not? 'so they are all being taught at the same level in school' is not a good enough reason IMO.

Sue52 thank you that's really good to hear.

Thanks to everyone who has said such positive things about him learning a language, I wish I was more confident in another language and hope that this will boost his confidence with that if nothing else.

just didn't think it was that witty Rhinestone

My dd is totally bilingual. She learnt to read at school - aged 6 to 7. Obviously she could read a bit before then, but I never pushed it. I bet you she reads just as well after one year in Primary as her UK peers. Plus she can read in French too.

Good luck OP.

Thanks Mare.

I don't imagine you find many things very witty Mare. Never mind - you're obviously not on my wavelength.

I'll take your biscuit and have it with une tasse de tee au lait.

Enjoy!

I am serious just obvioulsy very naieve about what children can or cannot do educationally. I don't work in education and do not have a lot of friends with children. Am pregnant with 1st one. Of the few friends I do have with children and the children of my cousins etc, all could read before going to school and I honestly did not know that wasn't the norm. I clearly made some wrong assumptions but I am surprised by the reality.

My point was in reaction to all 4 year olds being able to read btw. What is the rush? Why force your dcs into formal learning so early. I read reports that this is why the UK has a higher rate of dyslexia than other countries....trying to force brains that aren't ready yet.

If there's one or two activities they enjoy,Mare, then that's fine.I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about parents,not the OP again,who send their preschoolers to classes,often multiple,not for the child's enjoyment but because they want to be able to boast that their child is learning Japanese,Art sculpting and crochet,which leaves the poor kid with very little free time to be what they are, a child.

Well you'll just have to pay for him to have advanced lessons by then won't you?

Anyway..they say that Mandarin is the language of the moment. French is so 1873.

I have to say....did think it was very funny. Although Rhinestone you may not be thinking of the best interests of your cat, what will all the other cats say? He may get bullied, have you thought about that?

Is that true portofino? Can forcing a child to read really cause dyslexia?

My problem with starting child with formal lessons too young eg. french is by the time they are older, they will be fed up with it.

bubbley I am really curious to know how it comes about that your children can recognise words from 2 and read at 3 - none of my DCs have shown any interest in anything academic, until they started school. I have forced them to learn a few phonics and numbers, but they are incredibly reluctant.

I have read to all of them every night from a very early age, and always have books out during the day - just interested in how you do it?

What do you mean by "read" though? The Times vs "the cat is on the mat"?

What about comprehension?

I'll never forget the first word my PFB ever read.

He was about 2yrs old and he pointed to a lorry and shouted 'ARGOS!'

Ok so it was more the logo and style of writing he recognised...but still

Oh yes worral I had forgotten that mine could read McDonalds, John Lewis, Toysrus etc from a VERY early age!

My kids are growing up with three languages. I speak to them in my mother tongue, my wife speaks to them in hers and their school operates in another. Does not cause them any problems and would feel very strange to have it any other way. They would be too far ahead in language for lessons so the school agrees to teach them an alternate language.

If anyone thinks I am showing off, I can tell you it is exactly the same for most mixed-nationality families living in a third country. I just think we are lucky to give them a head start in knowing different languages, which is an excellent skill to have.

chocolate my 3 year old DD can read some words and write a little....I never did anything other than read and draw with her....her older sister had flashcards and all the crap that PFBs often get....she never wrote her name till'' she was 5! She's doing well now she's almost 7 but no interest in academic things at all...DD2 asks all the time if I will write with her...and tries to read to me....I think it's just individuals.

GoingLoopyLou, I had a similar situation as a child although I was a bit older than your DS. I learned French at Primary school from the age of 7. When I joined secondary school I was expected to start learning the language from scratch along with my classmates, all but one of whom had never studied it. This was of course understandable but a real PITA.

The school was a "hothouse" one but they were unwilling to do anything about the situation despite my pleas. The result was that I spent the next 3 years bored out of my mind, doing my English or Latin homework on the sly in the class instead. By the time I got to the 4th Year and the lessons had progressed to the more complex sentence structures and verbs which I hadn't learned it was too late - I'd switched off and wasn't interested. I only just scraped a C in that O Level and TBH given the little amount of work I did I'm lucky to have got that.

So, although I haven't stopped to read the po-faced remarks which indicate that in their opinion you're getting above yourself, ignore the critics. If you think that your son is at risk of something similar I'd suggest that you do something to counteract it and build on the language he already has, be that at school or otherwise.

MrMan
I don't think you are showing off, but I have no idea why you have posted. Your situation is urrelevant and bears no resemblance to the OPs.

Bilingual children do not have problems learning to read or learning subsequent foreign langauages (unless SEN play a role, obviously).

The OP has a monlingual child who is learning a foreign language for an hour a week.

Ds could decode lots of logos at the age of 2 . He knew all the letters of the alphabet when he was 3, and learned to use a computer mouse and keyboard the same year (1999).

He still couldn't read independently until he was about 6. This was in spite of loving stories and being read to every single day from 9 months old.

I don't think there'll be a problem. Going to a half hour class once a week for a few years, even if you start from birth, is unlikely to produce any measurable mastery of a language.

Mr Man's post is on the contrary very relevant. The OP is concerned about her DS being too advanced in French in a few years time when he starts learning it at school. It is not an issue for bilingual kids and so is unlikely to be one for a small boy who did half an hour a week for a few years. Aren't we all here to share experience and opinion...