When did your children read independently at night

[seeyouinanotherlifewhenwearebothcats]

DS is 7. He is a keen reader and I read his school reading book with him each day and listen to him read a chapter of his own book in bed every other night (I alternate doing a chapter with DD). On nights he isn’t reading his chapter book to me, he reads a library book at his reading level independently. But he is keen to read on at his chapter book himself and start a new book series. I’m delighted he wants to read and want to encourage it. But my question is, when your children started reading independently, how could you be sure they were understanding? Like he obviously comes across new vocabulary that I need to help him with. Any tips welcome.

S1 was reading independently as soon as he could decode independently - I'd done the same myself and didn't consider I'd had much problem with understanding. I mean, obviously there's lack of contextual knowledge but I don't think that matters that much. (Lots of children's books tend to explain things as they go along - I'm thinking of the toffee-pulling in My Naughty Little Sister, for example)

Give him a dictionary and show him how to use it 😀

Could you get him to tell you about the story next day?

I’m a little confused - just give him a dictionary, and tell him to ask you if there’s anything he’s confused by. The best way to learn is by reading and just experiencing new vocabulary- context provides a lot of information. I can’t imagine not reading independently at 7. Let him go wild.

About 6. A dictionary with pix is a game changer.

6 years old both of mine

Doesn't matter if there are a few things he doesn't understand. As long as he gets the gist and wants to keep going! The more he reads the more he will learn. You are trying to build a love of reading - not for him to perfectly understand everything he is reading.

Tell him to always ask if there is a word he is unsure of (pronunciation or meaning) and still get him to read a few pages to you at least every other night. I also agree with the PP on asking him to tell you about what he's read.

My DCs read to themselves as soon as they were able whenever they fancied it, but at 7yo both were also still reading to me for around 10 minutes most nights. They are 9 & 11yo now, and I still read to them a few times a week - it's a good opportunity to share a book that is either currently above their ability to access alone or has more challenging themes that can then be discussed as the story progresses. It is still a very popular part of their pre-bed routine, so I doubt that will stop for a while yet.

Surely the important bit it is that he wants to read. It doesn’t matter if he understands every single bit, it’s not a test. If you’ve managed to foster a love of reading in your child just embrace it.

Mine got on with it herself at about 9. She will pad in with her finger on a word that she doesn’t understand and we talk about it. She’s 11 now and still does this. Loves reading.

6 ish

Definitely by 6 or 7. When my eldest was 7 he didn't even want me to read to him at all as he preferred to read alone sat next to me or in bed.
I was a very enthusiastic reader as a child, and I can remember coming across words I didn't understand. Sometimes I asked my mum what they meant, other times I didn't bother but I still understood the story.

It is recommended to read with children through most of Primary years, both listening to them and reading to them.

My 8 year old still reads with me. She’s very confident with it, I think we’re just in the habit of reading a page each, have done so for years. She reads independently in the car sometimes but not really at home 🤷🏼‍♀️

Great that your son is doing this, OP! Long may it last.

I remember doing similar, but I’d try and figure out what the word meant in the context of the story. Have been surprised to learn throughout my life what these words actually meant - I’d given them a whole new meaning in my head 😂

Aw thanks everyone, great idea on the dictionary! Absolutely I’m delighted he is enthusiastic about reading and want to embrace it ☺️

DS 10 won't read on his own but is currently being assessed for dyslexia so it could be he is worried he won't understand, so we still read to him every singlen nght.. My older children were reading independently much sooner though. Probably 7 or 8.

I figure reading on their own, even if they don't fully understand, is better than not reading. DD read to herself from about 7. DS was a super early reader,.so did it from about 4 and has a dictionary. He would often come out his room several times to ask word meanings, which was when we gave him the dictionary.

If he's carrying on a book you have read together, that's ideal because you can ask him what happened before you read the next bit together.

Children aren't stupid. Let him read on his own! It's just another thing for parents to worry about, being expected to read with them throughout primary years. Lovely to read with them sometimes and if you both enjoy it, but going to bed with a book is one of life's greatest pleasures. We learn to understand words through context. Just provide a dictionary and be available if they ask what a word means. I remember going to bed with a picture book from being quite small, and my children did the same. Lifelong habit for all of us, hopefully.

Probably closer to 9/10. Though my eldest needed glasses, so couldn’t really see well and reading was a struggle for her until about 10.

My 8 year old doesn’t read at night. He does maths and checks himself with a calculator.😂 He’s not really a reading person.

If he wants to read, let him read. It doesn’t matter if he understands it, if he’s enjoying it.

My 7 year old reads his school reading book to me 3 times a week. He then has a different book that he reads to himself in bed. My 10 year old hasn’t read to me in years, but they do still read to a teacher once a week at school.

I stick a cluster of post it flags in the back cover and encourage children to stick one under the line with an unknown word if there is none one around to ask. It isn’t relates to expect someone to break off from a book they are enjoying to look up every word.

when you say they read a chapter with you, do you mean they read it aloud? Sounds as though they are ready to read in their head.

When I was 7 I read so much that my parents couldn't possibly have listened to all of it. My DCs are still too little to read, but I just wanted to say that even when you're right there they can not understand stuff and you wouldn't even know. For example, I have read DS1 (aged 4) Dick King-Smith's Sophie stories all the way through at least four times and the last time he said 'what does determined mean?' (Sophie is frequently described as 'small, but determined'). The same goes for many of his picture books; he'll have happily listened to them hundreds of times, and then it'll suddenly occur to him that there's a word or plot point he hasn't understood, and then he'll ask. The other day he asked me what a thimble was because the King in 'The Cat and the King' plays hunt the thimble, but he evidently didn't know or care what one was when we read Peter Pan.

I think no need for tech or dictionary. Context helps massively. Interestingly my 16yo uses kobo which has a function to define words and gets them wrong a fair amount - eg asperity. So we’ve told her just to ask us instead. Meanwhile 12yo son only reads gaming books solo and we still read stories nightly to him. My friend reads at breakfast to her 14yo and 12yo kids

My dc were reading by themselves as soon as they could hold a book (although of course they weren't actually reading at first). I still read with them and to them up until they started secondary school.

Although I will admit I still read my youngest a bedtime story. He's in year 7 and neither of us want to stop so I will do it for as long as he wants.

From 4 for mine.

6 and 7 for my kids.
They often ask Alexa what a word means if no one is nearby to ask. They spell it out to Alexa if they are unsure of the pronunciation.