URGENT: Illiterate Kindergartener! Where to get free storybooks for kids (0-5)?!

[SnappyCat26]

Hi all,

My DD (Bella - aged 5) has started Reception this year, and the teacher has asked to speak to me about why she can't read or write... at all...

Granted, I've had Bella quite young and am currently living on UC - would be grateful if anyone could recommend storybooks suitable for infants & primary school-aged children, as well as places to get physical books (and book packs) for free.

Do you recommend Bookstart (as a friend told me to try it out)?

Bella is neurodivergent (diagnosed with autism and ADHD) - it has been a struggle sometimes, but I've gotten used to it & learned how to cope. She is also illiterate (my fault entirely), but I want to help teach her how to read.

Also, would be grateful if you could recommend free bookpacks with diverse characters in (racial diversity as she is Mixed-race, neurodivergent, ADHD, autistic characters, same-sex parents etc.).

Trying to obtain all the bookpacks from infancy to Reception to catch up on my mistakes... 😬

My DC are teens but when they went to reception there was no expectation that they would already be able to read or write. Some kids could, others couldnt. DD (August born) could read, recognise and write a few words - her name, mummy, daddy etc, DS (October born) couldnt read but could recognise his name.

We read and looked at books together from.thr library and also got books from.charity shops. Do they get books to bring home in reception? I can't remember what age that starts but I think my kids did, because they needed a "book bag" when they started

US kindergarteners are two years older than UK Reception-aged children though - a child being unable to read or write aged 6-7 is a bit different to one being unable to do that aged 4.

Nothing to panic about at all - and it's not you, it's fine. My brother was quite prodigious and read at 3, my sister didn't read until 6, and honestly she was the one more in the normal range. My kids started school when they had not long been 4 - we'd read to them but hadn't taught them to read. It took them a year or so to read, kids aren't expected to be able to read when they start school, it just happens that some can.

Go to your local library and fill in forms for both of you to join. Then let your DD choose some books to borrow. They are all free and you can keep them for a couple of weeks. Check how many books you are allowed at one time.

Sit somewhere quiet together and look at a book. Show her how to hold a book and turn the pages. You can start with picture books or ones with a few words. Show her how the front of a book has a title and a picture that shows what the book is about. As you go through the book, page by page, ask her about the pictures. What can she see? What are the characters doing? It doesn't matter if she makes up a completely different story to the one written down.

She will be learning letters at school, by sound ah, bi, ci, di rather than the alphabet (ay, be, see, dee). Tell her that the different symbols mean different sounds. Show her what her name looks like written down. She will learn individual letters before she strings them together to make words.

Talk to her school and find out what methods they use and the best way to help her. Plenty of countries don't start trying to teach children to read until they're 6 or 7 so she can easily catch up if she's behind some of her classmates . Try to show her books are fun and interesting. Read bedtime stories to her

I work in secondary school in literacy and I although it's ok she can't read, I cannot express to you how important it is to give her access to books. Most importantly to read to her every day. It's absolutely vital. We can tell who the kids are who have been read to and have had access to a variety of books and who haven't mainly due to a difference in vocabulary and comprehension. The library every week is your friend here. Also keep her off phones and tablets as much as possible. I deal with so many kids who can't sit and concentrate on a book for more than 30 seconds. It's so depressing.

One year. US Kindergartners are 5 turning 6. Though I think it’s easier to defer there if they would rather their child start later.

Yep. I was reading before reception, read anything and everything I could get my hands on.

found school boring and would just read books during lessons instead. Was in constant trouble for reading “too much”, both at home and at school.

my brother who didn’t learn to read until late in primary school, and didn’t love it the way I did, had much better focus in lessons and ended up with better grades than me.

Honestly, the most startling part of this is an ADHD diagnosis by age 5. I’ve never worked anywhere that the ADHD team would even see a child under 6. Sadly, lack of exposure to books is really common. Absolutely agree that the place to start is the local library. Most librarians would be delighted to get a query like this. And for now, concentrate on books being something fun she can share with her mum.

I have been taking mine to the local library since before they could walk and talk. Rhyme time, reading books, borrowing them.

Picking up books in the charity shop to read at home. Both kids really ahead in reading and phonics at school.

If you’re typing this from a phone you can get stories on YouTube read by other people and showing the pictures/words.

Don’t you read stories at bedtime? Why would you not have thought of this as a basic skill for your child?

Exactly

She’s not illiterate at 5 years old for heavens sake!

As others said get some library books and read with her.

The library is the best place to start, as others have said. Borrow a few books each week and read to her everyday.

what exactly did the teacher say? You say she can’t read a simple sentence. What about a simple word like ‘mat’? Does she know any of her letter sounds?

I’d be a bit concerned there may be an underlying issue but that isn’t unusual in neurodiverse children at this point. Have the school said anything about additional support for her reading?

Where in Manchester diagnoses ADHD at five years old?

The library, does the school have one you could borrow books from.
I’d start with the alphabet, try and make it fun for her.. Singing, drawing, tracing over the letters, playing eye spy while out and about.

Not sure this is a true post because uc is a British benefit yet kindergarten is used as a term. They learn to read in school, they are expected to be able to read on arrival. Libraries are free

Really off post and it just doesn’t read as genuine.

If we are talking about language it’s part of the reason I just love the English language. You just can’t fake it.

I'm so confused! Haven't you had parents evening? The teacher would've spoken to you about this if she's been in school since September and it's too early for home visits? The school will be providing books for hoke reading and just use a library

That’s the thing with 5 year olds, they’re all illiterate.
That’s why they’re going into Reception class.

So, calm down!

My son learnt to read using an app called Teach your monster to read. Highly recommend.

Do you have no books in your house at all ? Have you never read to her?

Just go to a library and start reading to her every single night