To wonder how people make it to adulthood without knowing

[Staffy1]

That a Christmas tree decoration is called a "bauble", not "ball ball"? Or how they make it through junior school without knowing the difference between "his" and "he's"? What happens in schools these days and don't people ever read anything?

I don't know about Sweden, but certainly in Germany and in Russia (which are the countries I do know a bit about), not only do many children learn to read from their parents, but also, some kindergartens will teach reading.

I agree that merely acquiring the ability to read prior to age 7 isn't especially helpful for anything, btw. But I think people are conflating exposure to books and stories (which is important), and gaining literacy skills (which is a different issue).

@Gwenhwyfar

"Perhaps they read with parents before they start formsl school at 7? "

No, they don't. Official advice, for Swedes at least, is that they shouldn't.
There's really no need to start reading young. It's not what makes the difference.

I find this a bit odd. DD1 could read at 3. She was desperate to learn, and would say ‘what does that say?’ about 30 times a day. So I researched how to teach her. She’s 7 now and still an avid reader (currently reading The Railway Children). Should I have said ‘no sorry I can’t teach you, there’s no need, you’re too young’?

"I don't know about Sweden, but certainly in Germany and in Russia (which are the countries I do know a bit about), not only do many children learn to read from their parents, but also, some kindergartens will teach reading."

It's the Scandinavian countries that are generally known for not starting formal learning, including reading, until 7.

"I find this a bit odd. DD1 could read at 3. She was desperate to learn, and would say ‘what does that say?’ about 30 times a day. So I researched how to teach her. She’s 7 now and still an avid reader (currently reading The Railway Children). Should I have said ‘no sorry I can’t teach you, there’s no need, you’re too young’?"

No, who says you should have said that? All I'm saying is that some people in the Swedish system ARE told that. You're presumably not in a Swedish school.
A poster was trying to argue that early reading was key. It's obviously not is my point.

No I’m not in the Swedish system, but if I lived in Sweden would I be expected to say ‘no, you can learn to read when you’re 7’? Just find it interesting, that’s all.
FWIW, she has an excellent vocabulary, her spelling is fantastic and she has a great grasp of grammar for her age which I put down to her love of reading.

It wasn’t a dig at you @Gwenhwyfar. I’m just interested in the whole ‘they’re not encouraged to learn to read until they’re 7’ thing.

@Gwenhwyfar

"I don't know about Sweden, but certainly in Germany and in Russia (which are the countries I do know a bit about), not only do many children learn to read from their parents, but also, some kindergartens will teach reading."

It's the Scandinavian countries that are generally known for not starting formal learning, including reading, until 7.

But Germany and Russia also don't start formal learning until 7. I think that's quite well known? Perhaps I only think that because I am more familiar with them that the Scandinavian countries.

Anyway, I take your point that children in Sweden may not be taught to read, deliberately, until age 7. But we still need to distinguish between being exposed to books and stories, and literacy.

Or, sorry, I think maybe Germany is six? But what I'm getting at is that, surely, however you do or don't teach a child to decode written letters on the page, most countries expose very small children to books, and it's contact with books/stories that seems to be a good predictor of later literacy.

How strange.. I've never ever heard anyone say 'ball ball' rather than bauble same with his and he's, never heard that being an issue.

Isn't it 6 in Germany and Russia? I grew up with basically same system and thought it's 6 like mine.
We were taught basics in kindergarden. Many learned from larents just by being curious.

By basics I mean proper basics. Letters, some words etc.

@MistletoeandGin

It wasn’t a dig at you *@Gwenhwyfar*. I’m just interested in the whole ‘they’re not encouraged to learn to read until they’re 7’ thing.

Might not be everyone, but it has been the experience of some people I know.

I'm sure early contact with books is good, looking at baby books, etc. but I don't see why someone couldn't pick it up later on. Is there any real proof?
The whole thing of children brought up in houses with lots of books doing better has been proven, but not because they read more - just having the books in the house is enough, probably to do with having parents who read.

Not all learning is from reading either. All those threads about pronunciation show that you can read a lot, but still not know how to pronounce something unless you've heard it in your circle.

@dramallama7

How strange.. I've never ever heard anyone say 'ball ball' rather than bauble same with his and he's, never heard that being an issue.

Neither have I. I think I’d know if someone said ball ball. I’d laugh for a start.

My children go to school in Italy where officially you have to go to school in the year you turn six - and this is when you are taught to read. Most children go to (free) kindergarten before that which is based on play, developing motor skills and being read to. My eldest son taught himself to read at 4. My younger children learnt at school at six but soon caught up.

@MistletoeandGin I agree. My son is 4 and in preschool and he has been interested in letters since before he was three- stopping me at street signs on the way to the park to tell me what the letters were, asking which word in his book matched what I was saying, pointing out words in shop windows etc. It has been pretty impossible not to teach him to read. Also a lot of the kids’ TV has reading in it.

Spag- bowl

That one is not the worst because there is a weird kind of logic behind it.

@Janegrey333

That one is not the worst because there is a weird kind of logic behind it.

Yes, and spag bol is slang anyway isn't it?

I used to think stool softener to make bar stools comfier to sit on

Ashamed to say i was about 22-23 before I figured it out. As my mum would say “you’ve got a university education but you lack all common sense” 😂

stool softener

They don't say it like that anymore, do they?

"There's really no need to start reading young. It's not what makes the difference."

See, I disagree with this. I started reading at 4 (because I wanted to, not because anyone forced me). I was always in the top set for everything, more or less BECAUSE I could read. All the other people in the top sets were the same. We could already read, so we could be left to do independent work.

Then, once you're in that top set, it never changes. I was in the top set for everything until the end of secondary school, and it was the same children who were in there with me.

Call children smart, and they'll live up to that. Call them dumb, and it's the same. I don't believe I have any more natural aptitude that anyone else, but being able to read early gave me a huge advantage. For those who couldn't read already, the first two years were spent learning to do so. For those of us who already could, we were already reading alone, doing maths problems alone and so on.

As an aside, I pronounce 'bauble' like 'bobble'. That long 'au' sound really doesn't exist in my accent or if it does, it's much shorter than in the SE English accent. Like 'lawn', I would say 'lon'.

A friend of mine says valentiMes and lamoania (pneumonia) but she has problems with hearing so I assume this is how she "heard' the words pronounced as a child and they have just stuck as habit.

@HereBeFuckery

"I make silly mistakes, it's hard because it's hurtful to be corrected and shown up."

Why is it hurtful to be corrected? Would you not be more hurt that someone noticed you making a mistake and cared so little about you that they didn't correct you? There is no part of being corrected that is the same as being 'shown up'.
If you'd decided to lob a bread roll at me across the table at Windsor Castle, that might show you up. Not being corrected.

that's easy for you to say, but i think the one who feels hurt and shown up is most likely to know how it feels. how about trying to take that on board rather than airily dismissing it as inaccurate. isn't that like gaslighting. we can all learn something, even those of you who have polished perfect SpaG; maybe trying to imaginatively put yourself in another's shoes, and then realising how they pinch, becoming more respectful for what they manage to do, and less judgmental of their supposed errors.

A new one on as seen on social media. 'Ano'.

I know. FGS.

@pessimistiquerealistique

stool softener

They don't say it like that anymore, do they?

No. Now it's simply called Quorn😂