Teaching your child to read before school

[prufrockrocks]

Is anyone trying to teach their toddler to read before he/she starts school? I know a bit or two about phonics and am trying to teach DS some sounds and letter shapes, but I'm not sure how much is going in, or if I really should even be trying (he's just turned 2). Is it worth it? Should I just leave it to the school and help out later if need be? Does anyone have any products/websites etc they would recommend for teaching young children phonics?

Just share lots of books with them, always read to them always show them the pictures let them see you reading books, take them to the library
Just encourage and embrace a love of reading absolutely no need what's so ever to teach them to read

My mum was a primary school teacher (but this was back in the day so advice might have changed). She said despite the fact she was educated and taught children to read every day, she struggled to get me and my sisters to read before school. She focused on the 'pre-reading skills'. Knowing how to turn pages, that books and writing go from left to right in our culture, being able to spot small details like the mice in the 'that's not my...' series, instilling a love of books and doing lots of reading and talking at home so we had good vocabularies.

All i know is we were always at the very top of the class/ age group in reading skills and we are still great readers today.

So now I have my little one that's what I'm focusing on. Basically if they like having stories read to them and enjoy books at this stage then it will work out.

Do not teach your toddler to read, it’s completely unnecessary. Read lots of books to him and with him, have all sorts of books available for him to look at. That is all that is needed at that age.

My dc could recognise words before they started nursery school, like Tesco or Asda...

Schools would rather you concentrate on other stuff tbh - the majority won't be reading at all and they will have their own way of teaching. I'd be concentrating on the 'softer' stuff like colours, shapes, recognising their name. And depending on when they're starting, stuff like how to use cutlery, when to say please and thank you, potty training, hand washing etc.

Finally handwriting needs good fine motor skills. Start now with rolling a ball, shape sorting, jigsaw type games. It's not just c-a-t and pick up a pencil to write it, there are so many advantages you can set your child up for without 'teaching' them phonics.

The best way to help your child is to share stories with them and encourage them to love books. Read books together and talk about them. You don't need to teach a two year old to read.

Why?

I could understand it is he was shouting an interest but it sounds like he isn't. One of my dc learnt to read in the first term of reception, then we moved and she spent the next two terms being bored out of her brain in her new school while everyone else learned. And it was no advantage in the end.

What's your motive? Learning to read isn't a race! Let the poor mite enjoy looking at books and leave the phonics until school. It's an abstract concept and he's only two!

This.

I have twin grandsons. One turned out to be able to read when he started school, nobody had taught him although his mother and I were both teachers and we thought he was memorising familiar books. The other learned to read at school. They are doing their A levels now and are equal in ability.

As others have said it is not a race. As a Reception teacher I saw some children take to reading very quickly and then level out while others took a little longer. There is no advantage in pushing it early - an enjoyment of books and stories is the best foundation.

Focus on the life skills they need for school. Getting dressed. Sitting nicely on a chair. Holding a pen and making marks. Turn taking etc.

Honestly why would you?

It's not going to give them an educational advantage to be a precocious reader. Fostering a positive relationship with books is an entirely different thing and I think that's very worthwhile.

Focus on the joy of books, the discovery, how they work, what can they see in the pictures etc. That'll remove half the obstacles about learning to read when it's time to.

Wiping their bum.

I could read at 2. My DM was a teacher, and, when I had a long period of illness as a toddler, she taught me to read so I wouldn't be bored. I've always thought it gave me a significant advantage in life. Even now, I know I read faster than most people and that's useful a lot of the time!

One of my DDs could read at 3. She wasn't held back at primary school, although I did ask about how she would be taught when we looked at schools and was assured that work would be differentiated right from the start. She was assessed at the start of school and given appropriate reading books.

If your child is showing an interest, I would go for it, but I certainly wouldn't push it if they are not. The last thing you want is to put them off before they get going. Getting them interested in books is probably more important than reading.

Dd1 could read fluently before school (simple chapter books) but it was her not me, we just read books and signs. Dd2, same upbringing took years to learn, turns out she's dyslexic.

It's a pointless thing to do.

Especially if you teach them via a different method to the school they go to. If anything this just causes problems.

Focus on self care and independence. That's much more age appropriate and necessary in Reception. Kids who can't put on their own clothes or go to the toilet by themselves are more of an issue.

Just turned 2 sounds very early unless they are showing a clear interest and ability.
I'd stop until the academic year before they start in Reception, and only start then if they are showing interest.

I taught all 3 of mine to read before they started school and as adults they all 3 still read books. I started with phonic sounds, then blends then words. I used the Lady it'd Tom and Kate books that go over key words and based on repetition. By the time my dd started school she had a reading age of 8 years and 6 months and was reading Heidi. Both DS's had reading ages of about 7 years 6 months. I did a lot of basic Maths with them too and handwriting starting with tracing.

I wouldn't do any phonics in a formal way at 2.

I would do lots of singing, clapping/ rhythm activities, and reciting rhymes. I'd read books of children's verse as well as prose.

I'd do lots of chatting, using a wide vocabulary and being careful about grammar. I'd provide all sorts of opportunities for your child to write, draw, paint, and express themselves visually.

Two of my DCs learned to read by themselves at 3 with no exposure to formal phonics at all. It was hard to find interesting books for them with age appropriate themes at 4/ 5 / 6 when they could technically tackle Ramona books, etc, which are suitable for children of 8 or so from a thematic pov.

If you really want to provide an enriching experience for your child, would you consider Suzuki violin?

Getting dressed independently, doing buttons and wiping themselves are much better skills to teach at that age.

Hi OP, I'm no early years expert but my oldest is about to turn 6, in Year 1.

He's already verbally expressing sadness that there is less time for play at school than before (he calls it "choosing time"). At 5 years old, for the school to fit in all that they need to into the day, the children have to be quiet and attentive in lessons for maths, literacy, phonics, science, all through the day.

My DS is doing really well with his attainment but he is starting to miss the freedom of 'just being a kid who can play'. At 5 years old! I think it's too early for that. I'm sad for him.

Pre-school, I played a lot with my kids, had the option of reading together during the day and reading stories at bedtime. I gave them a lot of 'choosing time' for them to follow their own imaginations too, and play their own games, and sometimes even to just be bored...

In your shoes I would not decide to actively teach a tiny toddler to read. I would just let them be a child, and play, and explore. They will have decades and decades of being a grown up - childhood is such a short window, let them enjoy it. School comes soon enough.

Depends on whether he was interested.

All mine were reading fluently before they went to school. With dd1 she was naturally interested in words, letters and stories. Dd2 loved reading and would have done it all day (and still does sometimes) and ds learnt out of necessity because he had bad glue ear, so learnt from subtitles from the factual documentaries he loved. As he was into WWII and history this did have a rather strange reading vocabulary. The first word he wrote was "Concorde".

It didn't make them wonderfully brilliant at school. They were early readers, and that was it.
However when some of their friends were finding reading boring and not wanting to do it because their interest level was far beyond their reading ability, they never had that problem.

Don’t bother. You’ll probably get it wrong in the nicest possible way. Just let the school do it how they like.

Focus on your kid being nice, sharing, listening, playing with others, sitting, using cutlery, fully potty trained and getting dressed etc

Phonics teaching is so prescribed and dependent on the government approved programme each school has chosen.

As others have said, why would you do this, no advantage at all. Enjoy stories, build vocab and interest. Have fun with lots of other learning opportunities.

Be ready to read - have a look at the old document phase 1 (only) letters and sounds, some great pre reading skills developed through play. Really helps children to read. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190599/Letters_and_Sounds_-_DFES-00281-2007.pdf

@CaptainMyCaptain how could I have forgotten that!! In my defence both mine are teens 😆

"decoding" is only part of reading, and some children who are advanced at it can be nowhere near the same level in the other parts.

Concentrate on understanding the story, on wondering what happens next, on enjoying the language - rhymes, scansion, alliteration.

How many nursery rhymes does your son know? Do you do action songs? Can he tell the difference between a march, a waltz, a lullaby? (not to explain the difference, obviously - just be aware of how each one feels)

I think 2 is too young to learn phonetics and thus reading. I do think pre K age 4 or 5 can be taught to read. I taught my daughter now 24 to read utilizing a book “teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons” and it’s still available on Amazon for 18$. She loves to read. My son picked up a book and started reading at 5 on his own. He doesn’t read books like she does but scrolls his phone. It’s phonetic based in manageable bits and if your child is interested …why not try?