Are lots of pre-reception 4 year olds reading ?

[flowerpowersd]

My DD is 4, she starts reception in September.

I've been speaking to a few parents who said their child is so ready for reception.

One today told me that their child was ready because she was already reading.

My DD likes phonics and can recognise some words, is making the first attempts at blending sounds and ' reading '.

Should I aim for her to be reading by the time she starts reception ?

Is this quite common that children can read this soon and is this what parents mean when they say they're ready for reception?

Another mum told me her son was also reading and he was not even 4 yet at the time.

Should I invest in some very basic reading books and try to teach her so she can ' read ' when she starts reception ? Or can my DD also technically 'read '?

Or when people say they can read, they actually mean they can read books for their age independently?

She's been going to preschool nursery so far. She loves it and I'm not sure I would say she's ready or desperate to go to reception, although I could be wrong.

Some children will be able to read, some will have grasped the basics and some won't read until they're a bit older. All are with the realms of "normal". As long as you look at books together, read her stories and help her recognise stuff when she asks, she's all good.

Competitive parenting has been around for a loooong time. Don't get caught up in that shit, as all it does is cause you worry and stress.

I would take those comments with a hefty handful of salt.

No you don't need to do anything at the moment to teach your child to read, other than read to her, take an interest when she names letters when you're out and about, let her chat about phonics and so on.

Being ready for reception is more about being able to recognise your own shoes and coat and know how to put them on independently, being able to sit still for short periods, share, take turns and follow instructions most of the time, being able to get along with other children.

If your dd is going that - or nearly - she'll be good to go.

Some will be able to recognise words - rather than actually read them.
Ones they see a lot like Milk, Tesco, Bus Stop, Corn Flakes, Disney etc.
But they aren't really "reading".

A lot of teachers spend a lot of time with teachers unpicking what what meaning parents have taught so it can mean those children are at a disadvantage, despite their parents believing otherwise.

If you want to concentrate on something concentrate on life skills e.g recognising name, putting clothes on/off without help, buttons, zips, wiping nose, taking lids off pots, using cutlery correctly.

No, please don’t try and teach your child to read before reception, it is completely unnecessary. Some children start school reading but that should be because they’ve worked it out through normal reading activities, not because they have been pressured at a young age.

Personal independence skills are far more important for a reception starter.

Some children can definitely read before school. My DS was August-born so 4 years and 2 weeks when he started and he could read very well and had excellent comprehension. But he’s a real outlier. DD could decode a fair few words and had a decent grasp of phonic sounds, and also understood what she was reading. That’s more normal. Plenty of children don’t know any sounds or letters and that’s normal too.

A lot of kids that age can memorize their favourite books and that can be interpreted as reading. I don't think many can actually read beyond recognising the odd word.

Neither of mine could (except to recognise their names) and both were ‘free readers’ by the end of Y2. Not what I would focus on. I’d worry more about personal hygiene (bottom wiping and hand washing), clothing (buttons are a nightmare) and taking turns.

This is reading.

None of mine have been reading before school and by the first half term they’ve picked it up and are all well ahead of their reading age. There’s plenty of time for them to learn this stuff.

OP my DD couldn’t read anything before starting reception except her name. She’s doing really well.

As a former reception teacher I've come across very few children who could actually read before starting school in the past decade.

I have however come across hundreds of children who couldn't dress themselves, put their coat on, hold a pencil correctly, use the toilet independently or take turns all of which are much more important for school readiness than reading.

Hahaha always a laugh a minute on Mumsnet

No 4 year olds can't read. It takes practice time and patience. They need to learn to recognise all the letters.

Sure some 4 year olds can possibly read a book that has been read to them or that they have learned maybe recognise words like dog, and etc but no give them any random text and they won't be able to read it.

A lot of countries don't have kids start school until 6 and there is a reason why. Mine went from unable to read to being able to read novels and comics (captain underpants etc) in a year due to the way they learned and starting a lot later.

People lie or over exaggerate. It’s like when they say their baby sleeps through the night at 6 weeks old. Lies.

School will start from the basics of phonics with everyone.

Focus on making sure she can get changed, go to the toilet, eat with cutlery etc. Read with her lots and help her recognise her name.

Seriously no they can’t. And a decent preschool shouldn’t have been encouraging any more than a bit of child led phonics recognition.

There'll be a huge range.
Dd1 had never even done phonics and was reading by Christmas of reception, dd2 was fluent before she started coz she did reading every night and spelling tests when her big sis was doing them.
No way it's essential - zipping up coats, lining up nicely, taking turns, following instructions all more important. If they can great - keep encouraging a love of stories and reading.
Dd2 is also an Oct baby so was nearly 5 starting school

Some 4 year olds can absolutely read . But it’s not the majority and it’s not necessary to be ready for reception.

A few can, most won't. I could read at 2 self taught and hyperlexic but also an autistic. One of mine could too, the rest learnt at a much more normal pace. And couldn't read when they went into reception.

DD2 was getting the hang of phonics and blending, added to recognising common words, when she started school.

DD1 on the other hand.... finished Reception still on Level 1 books.

@Tandora yes I agree it is reading but rather reading by recognising the shape of the words rather than phonics.
What I meant was some people might say "my child can read" because they can read the words "Corn Flakes" but if you point to a label that says "Rice Crispies" - for example a cereal they never eat - they wouldn't be able to read that.
My daughter was like this.
Very good at "reading" logos and shop names 😂

Neither of my children could read or write before starting school beyond recognising their own names and both are well on track with literacy for their respective ages now. DD's has a friend who's mum claimed her child was reading Harry Potter independently in P2 (age 5/6 for those unfamiliar with the Scottish system).

I actually disagree, if the child seen any of these words in a different context, for example, 'Milk' on a packets of biscuits or 'Tesco' written in a magazine I doubt they would 'read' them. They just recognise the branding/situation. Of course some may actually read them clearly but I would say my 4 year old falls into what I have explained.

OP, I hope your child enjoys their bug Adventure in Reception, mine is just finishing and it's gone so fast!

Not necessary. None of the kids in my sons reception year this year could read as far as I know. Our nursery did some very gentle phonics, no blending. Ds is reading band orange read write inc books now and doing great towards the end of his first year.

More important is to support fine motor skills for pencil holding, through whatever works for them, and their particular interests. Schools know how to teach reading, and it's harder to undo bad habits!

For what it's worth, my ds absolutely was not ready for school. Lacked confidence, food issues, sensory challenges. Academics is not the full picture. Focus on what needs the most work to help her be more well rounded.