5 year old can't read.

[bumble79]

Hi all, posting here for traffic. I will discuss this with class teacher but they are in the process of assessing each child after lockdown.

Dd turned 5 at the end of July and has just started year 1. She couldn't really read before lockdown and although we did some school work at home she didn't progress with reading at home. We did however read to her regularly.

Can not being able to read in year 1 normal?

Also she is speech delayed (1-2 years behind), global developmental delay but has made huge progress with her physical skills particularly since lockdown and spending so much time outside.

She recognised her phonics, can write simple words etc. She also recognised basic words such as mum, dad, dog, mud, mad etc.

Anyone else's children been in this situation?

DS1 couldnt really read more than basic picture books until he was 6/7. No SEN (well nothing diagnosed anyway) he just didn't 'get it'. He's 16 now and rarely reads because it takes him so long he's forgotten how a book started by the time he's finished it.

I went to a hippy school and didn’t learn to read till I was 7. We spent our time baking bread and climbing trees. Didn’t hurt my learning longer term, I loved English and got a good degree in it from a great university. I suck at maths and that wouldn’t have been different if we’d started arithmetic early, I don’t think I’m wired to get numbers.

Have a chat with the school. But she’s so young. Loads of countries don’t start formal schooling till they’re well older than 5.

I taught a child in Yr 1 who was struggling with reading. By year 4 he was the same as the others. Talk to the teacher - and let your daughter be a child at her own pace - they are pushed too much to fit in rigid boxes these days.

Where is she at, can she recognise letters?

My DD started Yr1 on the Pink level (level 1) books.
She's now in Yr5 working her way through the whole Malory Towers series (on book 9). She wasn't reading Harry Potter when she was 6... But she reads a range of books.
She still hasn't completely mastered phonics though.... So school keep her on very simple books. She can't spell either. But she's learnt in her own way.

I couldn’t read until I was 7 (ended up with a law degree from a RG uni). DS couldn’t read until this year (he’s 8 and now flying through books). He had speech problems when younger -phonics didn’t work for him -sight reading was the way forward. I can remember reading clicking for me, suddenly thinking those shapes made up the words I said.

At 5 I really wouldn’t worry, some kids progress faster than others. Keep reading to him and follow the words with your finger, phonics does not work for a significant minority of kids.

I wouldn't expect reading aged 5. Recognising some letters, associating them with sounds and trying to make some shapes that look like letters with a pen and paper. That's about it.

My son really struggled with reading right up to the end of year 1 (also summer born). Somehow over those holidays he suddenly got it - a huge jump in progress rather than any linear progression. By the end of year 5 he was regarded as exceeding expectations for reading. Everyone’s different but sudden changes can happen! I found some mumsnet recommendations of books to try so worth googling if you want a change from school books too which he was very bored of not being able to read.

Ds is 5 and he was starting to get good at reading before lockdown and has now regressed

He is ok at sounding out words but he isn’t a fluent reader

Dd loved reading from a young age and was reading fluently by 5. So I think it depends on the child too

Thing is, it is unusual for a non SEN child who has had attempts made to teach to read, not to be able to read in year 1. However they haven't had a normal year R. They've missed the second 6 months, so I suspect there will be others in the same position.

It's great when people come up with stories about how their dc weren't taught until they were teens and then learnt easily or their dc suddenly started reading at 12yo having struggled, but that isn't the norm.

If there is an issue that leaving it in the hope it will just click may mean leaving it too late.
I would go and have a chat with the teacher, and explain your concerns. However from your description they can read a little and I'm thinking they might be within the normal levels for beginning year 1, especially one who has only had the first 6 months of year R. (not a teacher)
It may be with a little extra help to get her going that she is fine, so worth just having a quiet meeting at some point, or email if that is better.

Don't stress. There's no problem. Keep books and reading fun. They don't start formal learning till age 7 in some countries.

Has she had her eyes tested? DN has been really struggling, no other delays, speaks well, handwriting is a bit untidy and very large, turns out he is almost blind in one eye

Try not to panic. If you put things into context:

She’s young for her year group
She missed half of Reception
She has speech and other delays

Its not about whether it’s normal or not, but it IS understandable. With the right support she will get there at her own pace.

Ds also had delayed speech. Took a very, very, very long time to get his confidence up with reading - all of year one and year 2, of reading every single day, through all holidays also. He practised and practised and as he grew older her finally started to get it. He's now 7 and still is slow but he tries. Practise and practise really does help.

My dd is in year 1 and turned six in Aug. She cant read or write either. It's making me question the merits of me keeping her back a year now.

Give it time to see if they catch up. I had a son with SEN in mainstream, he is in a private SEN school now but even he could read and write by the end of year R 😭 so I'm hoping it's because dd in reality had very teaching so far

Honestly, given her start in reception I really really wouldn’t stress about this. The country I’m in at the moment readers don’t come home till Year 1 (Kindergarten) anyway. The best thing you can do to encourage her reading is fake being relaxed about it, and just cheerfully do her reading with her every night. She’ll pick up on your stress otherwise

Please try not to worry - they all even out in the end. In Scandi country’s - they don’t start formal education till much later

But you say she can read some words.... so just keep going, she'll get there!

You say she has global developmental delay and speech delay.
If so she should be on the school's SEN register and I would hope they will offer her some interventions to help with her weaker areas as she should be recognised for her SEN. Speak to the class teacher and the school SENCO and make sure she is getting the extra support she needs

Try the toe by toe book avail from Amazon I got it for my son who was a struggling reader. Over a term he jumped up two reading colours at school just by breaking it down in to manageable chunks - very easy to follow too

DS1 struggled to pick reading up. At 8 he got his dyslexia diagnosis. He'd already had tests for Irlens Syndrome which picked up visual stress and getting blue overlays and glasses helped the letters on the page stay straight so he could read them.
He also had a history of speech delay and was discharged at 6 from SALT.

I helped DS2's class with reading and even with a full yR, many didn't really click until part way through y1.

It might be something, it might be nothing. Young children have certainly had a major disruption in getting started with schooling.

My daughter couldn't read until year 2 and it was due to her eyesight.... once she wore glasses all was fine

She only had a few months of Reception - and was only 4 at the time! Surely most of the class will still not be reading? Sounds like she's doing great with phonics - I'd leave her to it and carry on reading to/with her. Her teacher will let you know if there are issues.

My girl just started reception she’s 4 1/2 can’t read yet hasn’t shown great interest and I’m not concerned. Her older brother absolutely loved being read to but didn’t begin to pick up on reading skills until nearly five. You can guess what I’m about to say he’s nine now and an accomplished and varied reader. I’ve taken my cues for my daughter from how my son developed, that is at his own pace but of course with great support from school.

My husband couldn't read a word or even recognise the alphabet at 5.

He is now an academic at one of the UK's top universities.