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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask about your DC who were slow starters with reading?

26 replies

MrsOverTheRoad · 22/08/2017 12:08

My DD's 9 and for so long, she's struggled to read, but over the past 6 months she's suddenly grown her wings.

I am SO relieved!

She was slow to learn her alphabet and hated phonics...it didn't seem to help her.

We moved abroad two years ago and as kids start school later here, she wasn't so behind but last year, she was behind AGAIN and I was getting worried.

Books are so important to me and I had almost accepted that she found it too much of a chore..but bang! She's suddenly very fluent indeed.

9 seems quite late to "bloom" to me. Is it normal? My older DD read easily and early so it was quite a surprise when DD2 found it so tricky.

All that I can think has changed is that we managed to get on top of her sleeping issues (she wouldn't sleep alone and often stayed awake late and so was tired)

So could it be that simple? More sleep? Or is it just that she needed to mature a bit?

OP posts:
AnnetteCurtains · 22/08/2017 12:12

Don't question it
Well done her ! 😀

MrsJayy · 22/08/2017 12:21

Dd2 has a LD she was premature she struggled with letters and phonics and reading she was about 9 she loved stories and i let her choose books even if they were below age and audio Cds whatgot her was David Walliams books when she was 11 she loved them and got her reading. Well done your Dd for getting there

MrsJayy · 22/08/2017 12:22

I also wouldn't question it all children really are different and you never get siblings the same I don't think anyway.

Original poster
MrsOverTheRoad · 22/08/2017 12:41

MrsJayy yes....and I got DD comics. Reading them really helped I think.

OP posts:
ThisMorningWentBadly · 22/08/2017 12:45

Dc are 10 and 8 they've both really got it this summer. They will now both spend hours reading books. hoorah!

tickingthebox · 22/08/2017 12:45

my DS had similar and was dyslexic.... might be worth getting her checked.

Original poster
MrsOverTheRoad · 22/08/2017 12:46

ticking she was checked...she had none of the signs. She just seemed slow at it.

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsOverTheRoad · 22/08/2017 12:46

Morning isn't it great!? I'm so happy DD can now read and enjoy loads of stories!

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 22/08/2017 12:47

Yeah reading should be for pleasure even if it is a comic they get enough stress at school with reading and levels blah blah that something to read to enjoy at home is imo the key to kids enjoying books. Dd is an adult and she loved tapes and then cds of stories tbh she still prefers listening to audible than picking up a book

Slowcookerheaven · 22/08/2017 12:49

DS. REALLY slow reader. remedial help at school. Still not great age 11.

He clicked with the Harry Potter books and took off like s rocket.

I

Slowcookerheaven · 22/08/2017 12:49

Farting phone.

I am so proud of him. It was a real effort.

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 22/08/2017 12:51

My ds was like this, but he had dyslexia.

He's just about to start a second MA.

It comes right in the end.

deadringer · 22/08/2017 12:52

Better late than never as they say. My son was about 10 when his reading took off. He is dyslexic and was never interested in reading at all, it was torture trying to make him do his homework, his readers in particular. When he was 8 or 9 I read the first couple of harry Potter books to him then he read the rest himself. He is a total bookworm now. My dd was desperate to be able to read when she was 3, I got her a few early readers and she picked it up really quickly. Once into her teens she stopped reading for pleasure and as an adult she never picks up a book at all.

Want2bSupermum · 22/08/2017 12:52

We have young DC but with the 3 of them it's shocking how different their paths have been. Our approach to reading has been to encourage it in any form. We read the back of cereal boxes, small print on tickets, the back of receipts etc as well as books and the newspaper. My eldest did best with pictures and I let her tell me all about what she thought was going on. She just turned six and struggled with writing so she records her stories on an old dictaphone.

MrsJayy · 22/08/2017 12:54

It is like a lightbulb when it suddenly click with a book I could have kissed David walliams for writing those daft a bit rude funny books dd adored them even bought his last 1 even though she said she was waaayy to old for her😊

Original poster
MrsOverTheRoad · 22/08/2017 14:08

Mrs Jayy I feel like that about Dennis the Menace! Good old Dennis! :D

OP posts:
Poshtottykins · 22/08/2017 14:32

DS was 10 before it clicked now 15 and on way to 8+ a gcses

wigglybeezer · 22/08/2017 14:50

Yes my DS2 was in a reading group on his own below the lowest group until he was 9/10, he has just achieved Higher English at A band one ( like an A*), in fact he got 5 Highers all at A

ilovewelshrarebit123 · 22/08/2017 14:55

My DD was 10 yesterday, she's a good reader and can read both Welsh and English.

She did struggle up until last year, but it's finally clicked. She's not really interested in reading books though, I'm trying to encourage her as I love reading and I'd love her to get the reading bug to.

KurriKurri · 22/08/2017 15:02

My DS was very slow (dyslexia) he listened to loads of audio tapes of stories and I got him the books so he could read along, then he discovered the horrible histories - and they are quite comicy cartoony in format (small chunks of text and pictures) he's a history fiend and loved them. He also got hooked on those sort of horror things for kids (I've forgotten the name of them - but there's loads in the series) The first non picture novel he read was Harry Potter when he was about 14 and he really took off from there. As an adult now he is an avid reader - never without a book in his bag, he's read all the great classics, loves Russian literature(being dyslexic he says long Russian names are no problem, because all names are a bit complicated for him to read so Russian ones no different)

I'm so pleased your DD is enjoying her reading, I wouldn't worry about being 'normal' she has got there no- she'll soon make up for lost time Smile

TheWorldIsMyCakePop · 22/08/2017 15:02

DD really struggled including failing Yr1 phonics screening test but suddenly clicked in Year 2and turned into a prolific reader. She's reading the likes of Harry P from 9 onwards, but she has been diagnosed as dyslexic regardless aged 10 1/2.

The most important thing is to share stories. We still read every single night - me to her (she has to rub my back) and her to me while I check accuracy over her shoulder (recommended by school) and she reads a lot for pleasure at other times too.

pudcat · 22/08/2017 15:07

I once taught a child who could not read very well and hated trying to write until I started to read the Moomin stories and he was so enthralled he took off like a rocket and never looked back.

Sashkin · 22/08/2017 15:09

DH apparently didn't read until he was 7 - he's educated to masters-level and can skim academic books far faster than me now.

He does have some aspects of mild dyslexia (writes words by writing the first and last letter and then filling in the middle, awful handwriting) but he's a very fast accurate typist (100+ wpm) so who knows... his mum was dyslexic so maybe she just passed on weird handwriting habits.

KurriKurri · 22/08/2017 15:10

Goosebumps are the ones I was trying to remember.

StarlightExpress5 · 22/08/2017 15:11

Dd1 really struggled and is now studying Law, I believe children develop at differing rates, please try not to worry.