If your child can read before they go to school, what do they do while everyone else is being taught?

[hunkermunker]

And are books for able readers more interesting than they were when I went to school? I remember reading about flotsam and jetsam on a beach. Ooh.

No idea whether DS1 will be able to read before he goes to school, but he's definitely got an interest in it (and in numbers), can count and recognise words (usually logos) and knows all the capital letters (from watching mucho Countdown when DS2 was teeny ).

I'm aware this is a bit braggy, btw and Not The Done Thing on MN. But I Don't Care.

Hi Hunker and Greensleeves particularly - in a way I envy you as at least since your ability level was like your children's you have had experiences that may be similar (but hopefully not!) and you will have that empathy. I was very bright all through school, youngest in the class but way ahead of the others mostly (not picked on and usually fairly challenged by teachers with high expectations). Ds has been 'diagnosed' as delayed (Global Developmental Delay) and will start reception in a week. He's big for his age (4.5 yrs) but is more like a 3 year old in language, play and interests. He was still in nappies until a month ago . That gives me a whole set of worries but a big problem is that I can't relate to being like that.. and coming to terms with him not being like me in school has been hard. I suppose we all have to hope for Super Human reception teachers who value each child for their unique qualities.

I thought recpetion was just the same as nursery years, it wont matter if he can read or not. Ds has been able to read for a while and he is hardly a mini genius

Teatime my dd has mod GDD and weirdly she has picked up basic reading fine

Hunker, I was worried about DD1 last year, as she could read, write and do basic maths.
But she also sees a SALt and her speech wasn't too clear. And she was/is v shy, prob due to het speech.

I have to say that the school have been fab; she reads at her own pace, as do most of the children. her speech has come on greatly and her shyness has decreased a fair bit.

There were times when she htarted when she wouldn't have the confidence to go and join in at playtime, and would just stand by the teavher. They decided to get her to chooses a friend to play with each breaktime, so that she didn't hve to go and join in with a group, and she was fine within a few days.

I have aklso made sure that she knows she can invite friends round each week, as I feel that makes it easier for her at school.

It depends on the school. My twins couldn't read at nearly 5 when they started although they knew their letters. Their sister could read at 3 but they all had books appropriate to them. The twins have reading homework every night and the parent signs a book to say it's read and they read individually at school every day. It's worked well. I thought their reading teaching in the 1990s was better than their siblings' teaching in the 1980s.