AIBU to be worried my 7 year old still can't really read?

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My son is 7 in a few weeks and is one of the very eldest in his class so will be joining year 2.
For a little perspective he attends a very small independent school that don't focus too much on literacy / reading / writing from what I've seen however when I voiced my concerns I was told he lacks concentration and interest in reading.
He refused blankly to do reading with us at home so we ordered him his own collection of books that he didn't associate with school and have practised as much as we could.
Teacher then recommended a tutor which has helped slightly ( one hour per Sunday ) however after using her for 6 months and with us reading with him at least 5 times a week, along with him having a story from us every single bedtime he just doesn't seem to be grasping it.
Not only is he completely not interested, he seems to really struggle with remembering a word he's only just read on the page before, still segmenting and blending pretty basic words.
He is on blue level at school which when compared to mainstream schools ( ours don't discuss levels at all ) he's working at about a year below.
Is there anything else I could be doing to help?

I don't understand what you mean 'there were no schools available' - aren't the local authority duty bound to provide a school place?

Some people will flame me for this I'm sure, but some of the phonics songs and videos on YouTube are very helpful. My 4 year old loves them and his reading is quite far above average.

To be fair to the school if they make it clear that they have a more relaxed approach up until year 2 then I don't think you can complain at them for having a relaxed approach up until year 2.

But surely when you sent him to this school you knew they wouldn't teach him to read, so why are you worried that he can't?

Oh and a visual processing disorder won't show up in a normal sight test, you need a behavioural optometrist.
Just as you audio processing disorder is not picked up by standard hearing tests,

And an hour of tutoring is REALLY long for a 7 yo

At 7, ds was pretty much where yours is now, particularly the lack of concentration and being able to remember what he'd just read. He had no interest whatsoever. Then somehow, and I don't know how, except we continued to read to/with him every night before bed as we always had, he just decided he was interested and now read himself every night before bed by himself. I'd investigate the dyslexia angle, but wouldn't be too worried yet. Just keep sharing books and stories with him and don't pressure him to read himself yet? It was what seemed to work with ds (I think!)

Don't worry about it OP. IME of English schools, everyone seems obsessed with jumping hoops of literacy as early as possible, to the detriment of creative thinking, or a fluency in math.

If his school isn't focussed on reading, then it's no surprise he hasn't grasped it yet. It does not mean he won't be a fluent reader in a year or two, or able to string two words together in the future. It also does not mean he's below average intelligence.

If they step up the literacy teaching this year as you say, he'll grasp it in no time.

Fwiw, it's more important that he had fluency with numbers and concepts in math, such as spacial relations, pattern awareness, measurements and shapes, than reading in these early years.

It's better for his creative brain that he's not bogged down with literacy hoops / levels to jump.
Keep reading stories to him and ask him to imagine how the story might turn out.

I think the uk system of intense pressure to learn reading at an early age is uniquely bad. It sets in stone a self fulfilling prophecy about how a child perceives himself to be academically. I've heard children as young as five say they're "rubbish at something because they're only at level X" whereas in fact they're doing very well in difficult, competitive, pressurised, and judgemental circumstances NOT conducive to learning.

Many countries don't even think about teaching reading formally until a child is seven, and they have a lot more engineers and creative thinkers than the uk.

Keep reading to him, ask him to predict how a story might end, and keep pointing out shapes, size, volume, weight, speed, acceleration, patterns, and include math in play in day to day life, and he'll be more than ok.

I'm confused about how he can enjoy writing but be unable to read? How does he know what to write or what he has written?

It sounds like too much fuss has been made about reading and he is switching off from it full stop.

I'd try to rule out poor or non-existent teaching before you go down the route of worrying that there's an underlying issue.

Are the books they are sending home phonics-based ones or ones that require children to use other strategies such as guessing? If they are phonics based are they well matched to the sounds he knows?

What I have noticed is that children tend not to want to do things they find difficult, so that may be some of it. Have you tried going 'off-piste' and getting more interesting picture type books from your local library (if you still have one)? Reading scheme books can be mind-numbingly dull, and many children prefer non-fiction books too. Try and make it as fun as you can, word games can be good (try early learning centre for ideas, I'm not sure what's around at the moment) and add it into every day life e.g. What does that sign say? when you go past a 'stop' sign or 'bus stop'
However It also could be an early sign of dyslexia or similar - adult students with dyslexia have told me they always hated reading as children as they found it so hard, however that doesn't fit so much with enjoying writing. Perhaps you could try a few more months of consistent practice at home, using exciting books and solid techniques, with the extra emphasis that sounds like it may be coming at school, and then think about assessment for dyslexia if that doesn't help?

It's not unreasonable to consider underlying issues at this age, to be fair.

Something else that you might like to look up is syndrome, since you've mentioned that he seems to forget words he's just read.

This may or may not be the same as what Seekingsugar's child has, but it's worth considering, even if it's then ruled out.

Sorry - link went to shit there!! irlen.com/what-is-irlen-syndrome/

I think it's very difficult if you're concerned and the school isn't. Your child is getting mixed messages.

If you're really worried I'd take the child out of that school and look at alternative environments - ones that give a greater priority to developing literary at Key Stage 2 and supporting those who for one reason or another aren't currently very advanced when it comes to reading.

You said that he enjoys writing, can you read what he has written? How is his spelling? Letter formation? Generally speaking, children learn to read before they learn to write, using phonics to support both skills. I have to say, it's quite wrong of the school, which you are presumably paying hefty fees, to suggest he has a tutor to do something that they are responsible for!
As a teacher, when a parent says their child doesn't like reading with them, I always say it's my job to teach them to read, it's your job to share great books with them. Take him to a good bookshop and let him choose a couple of books. Share them with him, read your own books in front of him, anything to develop an enjoyment of books as opposed to making him learn to repeat words on a page. And cancel the tutor!!!

I would be very concerned and would be looking around at other schools. My df children were in a very small independent school. Their family finances suddenly changed and they had to move the kids into a state school. All three were at least one year behind expected levels, one of the kids was two years behind. They have come on leaps and bounds since changing schools.

If your dc really doesn't enjoy reading, try comic books or graphic novels (obviously the ones aimed at children!). These seem much less daunting than books.

An hour a week tutoring is not even vaguely the same as the level of teaching of reading he'd have got in a more mainstream school. Of course he can't read! It doesn't happen by magic.

See how he gets on during yr2.

Well you and I both know that, Pengggwn. But the OP may not and these threads usually end up with people suggesting a litany of potential issues. The OP could end chucking away hundreds more pounds on unnecessary assessments.

Not that you can state with 100% certainty that poor or non-existant teaching is the entire issue. Poor teaching and underlying issues are not mutually exclusive.

Is it a Steiner school?

From my experience boys are often slower to read especially at this age - the eyerolling and lolling about of a friends two when trying to do reading at home comes to mind. They have a lot to process and the reading doesn't come overnight - they will be building relevant skills through play at school and the best thing you can do is get him excited about books by making them as rude and naughty as possible (Underpants, farts and poos generally keep them entertained for hours) stick to pictorial storytelling and maybe even vocal storytelling where he can contribute so he understands how to develop a story, which bits come where and how to hold people. There may be an underlying issue with sight BUT as someone else has said if they are not focussed on reading per se at school by trying to teach him now you are actually working against the school and confusing him more. Maybe ask what you can do with him to help and work on that

I have the same worries op except my dd is in mainstream and about to go in to p3.
She is currently being assessed for add or adhd and has intervention at the school but she isn't progressing at any rate.

She simply has no interest in learning to read,write or numbers but she is sharp in other ways, so I've taken to reward based learning and everyday I intend to sit with her on my phone(which I've never let her use before)to do reading and numbers via payed apps, she still isn't keen but it is fun based learning and I dangle incentives to do it.

I believe one day she might just take an interest and off she will go but even if she isn't ever really I imagine she will be fine and not illiterate by adulthood.

Oh and get him another eye test - can't hurt. Be clear with optician that there are some reading issues so may need to not use letter recognition (they have other methods)

An hour tutoring a week is not necessary going to accomplish much if it is poor quality tutoring. Sorry, but a lot of tutors are completely unqualified and do not have a clue what they are doing.

OP, you say that the tutor you are using was recommended by the teacher. If the private school you are sending your child to is crunchy-granola hippy school (sorry for being a bit blunt, but you know what I mean), I would be surprised if they recommended a teacher who is going to teach synthetic phonics systematically. More likely, the teacher is using a whole-language-based approach, in which case you are wasting your money.

The fact that your son progressed normally while he was at a mainstream school and has stalled since he started at this alternative private school suggests to me that he is perfectly normal and is simply suffering from Ain't Been Taught syndrome. And that the tutor is doing more of the same whole-language stuff that the school is probably doing. In which case, both the private school fees and the tutoring fees are a waste of your money, sadly.

It sounds like you had very limited school place choices due to relocating to an area where there is probably a lot of pressure on school places. Someone said upthread "I don't understand what you mean 'there were no schools available' - aren't the local authority duty bound to provide a school place?" but what has probably happened is that the OP was offered only schools places at very undesirable schools that were located a long way from her residence. I can understand why she decided to stick her kid into this private school and just hope for the best. I'm sorry she has been ripped off in this way.

OP, is there no possibility of relocating to another area? Or finding out what the situation is re school places--is there a chance that a school place might come up in a state school that is doable for you? If so, and if my work situation was flexible, I would seriously consider homeschooling for a bit (with some tutoring help) until a school place comes up. If you want a tutor who will actually help your son, try Phonics International or the Reading Reform Foundation UK (they have a forum where you can ask questions). Mrz on here may also have some good recommendations.

Oh and get him another eye test - can't hurt. Be clear with optician that there are some reading issues so may need to not use letter recognition (they have other methods

I would say in all likelihood the explanation is the most obvious one: he can't read very well as he hasn't been taught to read. Just like I would be very bad at making a lot on a potter's wheel as no one has shown me how to use one.l, rather than it being my eyesight or hitherto undiagnosed dyspraxia. He isn't going to learn to read by some magic process.

Mabey get him comics or kids magazines that have short simple sentences and pictures that he can relate to. That got me into reading when I was younger, and had dyslexia and I was on the slow side. Read anything! It does not have to be long novels, you want to develop a love of reading, so get him stuff that interests him. Try reading it with him, My son is 5.7 years, though can sound out words, find blending difficult. Though he is starting to recognise familiar words when he reads. Its just not clicked, and it has to be a lightbulb moment in the child where it just falls together (ds teacher told me that). What i also do, is get him to read a few words, sound them out, or just try and guess what the whole word is. I also read slowly pointing out word for word as I read, and sometimes get him to repeat after me. Some children get it so quickly, some slower. There is a boy in ds class already reading novels and his mum makes no bones about how wonderful at reading he is, making me feel like crap because ds has not got it yet.

REading is a skill like any other that can take time to develop, like swimming, riding a bike. Why are we in such a hurry I don't know.