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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Could your DC read and write before they started school?

44 replies

topsi · 22/01/2011 17:38

My DS is due to start school in September, he can recognise his name and can recognise the first letter when he sees it in another word. He can copy his name if he is in the mood and can punch the letters in from his first name on the computer but in the wrong order.
I know he has another 8-9 months of developmet before he starts in September. I know his nursery (Montessori) is doing work with him on letters and sounds and my Mum is also doing some work with him. Home life is very hectic and I must admit I don't do as much as I would like.
Will the other kids be able to read and write at this age??

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OffToNarnia · 22/01/2011 17:41

If he is starting in reception he sounds absolutely fine. Sounds to me that you are doing plenty. Don't get stressed at this early stage of his schooling or you will quickly go nuts!

BeenBeta · 22/01/2011 17:42

No they couldnt and you shouldnt worry about it. Just read to them and get them looking at the pictures along with you.

bibbitybobbityhat · 22/01/2011 17:44

No. I don't suppose many in their classes of 30 could, either.

usualsuspect · 22/01/2011 17:44

gabid · 22/01/2011 17:46

No, no, no.

FreudianSlippers · 22/01/2011 17:46

Don't worry about it.

Much more important that they can put on and take off their coats, take themselves to the toilet, share etc. They're going to school to learn this stuff, equip them with the skills to enjoy school and learning.

hmmSleep · 22/01/2011 17:48

My ds is also due to start in September, he's an august birthday so will have only just turned 4, he can't even draw a circle never mind write his name . My Dd is in reception at the moment, she'll be 5 next week, when she started in September she could write her name, say the alphabet but not much else, she can now recognise all the letters and read very simple words. Other children in her class can read and write more, others less. It really seems to vary and I wouldn't worry.

DilysPrice · 22/01/2011 17:49

Some will be able to do one or the other, a very few will be able to do a bit of both, most will be able to scrawl their name on a birthday card and recognise a few letters.
Your DS is fine.

orangepoo · 22/01/2011 17:54

No.

DS could recognise his name, that's it. He started reception in September and is doing well - his teacher is pleased with him.

It is more important that he has the skills to be able to learn things and the skills that will enable him to read and write.

eg writing - fine motor skills needed - building duplo/lego etc. Also strength and control in fingers.

eg listening and carrying out what the teacher has said - more a question of attitude than academia.

They learn the sounds in reception and no prior knowledge whatsoever is needed. The nursery I sent my DS to did not "teach" him anything and this was deliberate. They worked on the skills needed to learn to read and write, not the reading and writing.

brokeoven · 22/01/2011 17:56

Big fat NO, defo NO.

brokeoven · 22/01/2011 17:58

they NEED to be able to:

Wipe their own bums after the loo

Dress themselves

Use a knife and fork

Say please & thankyou.

That is it.

Anonymousbird · 22/01/2011 18:01

Basically, no they won't.

Your DS is absolutely fine, worry ye not topsi.

brokeoven's list is more where it is at.

I have a friend who drilled all her pre school children with reading and writing like a maniac, they got to school, able to read and write to an impressive level for 4yo's, but then they all had a very very tedious Reception year....

brokeoven · 22/01/2011 18:06

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/01/2011 18:11

DS started at 4.5 and couldn't hold a pencil let alone write his name. He really wasn't interested and we decided to leave it to the teacher as she was the professional. He couldn't read either. Within a few weeks he was writing sentences and reading. Really, don't worry. There are so many other enjoyable things to do with him.

DD will start in September and I've got no intention of getting her to try to read or write before she goes either.

FWIW I could read at 3 and you honestly wouldn't be able to tell if you met me

PoppetUK · 22/01/2011 18:21

DS went to school knowing his alphabet and a few other basics. He's coasted his first few months which is fine by me. I have decided not to teach too much more than what he is doing in school but just make sure the stuff that they briefly cover he knows well. For example in the past couple of weeks he's been learning "ai" "ee" "or" and "oi". I've just spent 10 mins with him sounding out and writing words. That's all that was asked of for his homework and I think it cements it in for him.

I really don't think it matters too much what they can do academically. If they seem able to learn something easily then I'd casually cover it but I certainly wouldn't stress.

Poppet

ninani · 22/01/2011 18:27

I know of 5 1/2 year olds at reception who don't know the sounds yet. Sometimes we see 1 child being able to read and think that all the rest must be doing so, so ours is behind. You have done very well and give a big hug and say well done to your son :)

MigratingCoconuts · 22/01/2011 18:27

can I add 'play with imagination' and 'have fun' to brokehoven's list...otherwise, that's about it for us too!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 22/01/2011 18:30

I'd maybe add "be able to choose their dinner" to the list, but even that's not an absolute.

lifeinlimbo · 22/01/2011 18:32

agree with brokeoven and orangepoo.
if he likes drawing that will help develop control and precision for writing.

PatTheHammer · 22/01/2011 18:38

I started school at 5 reading chapter books and was intensely bored for my whole reception year.
For this reason I didn't push DD with reading although she was itching to learn. We just looked at lots of books together so she developed lots of interests and knew how a story works. She learnt all the sounds off a Jolly Phonics poster I got her, she could write her name and all letters except s, again this was self taught.
She is in reception now and loving it, devouring the books really quickly as she picked up the skills well. She loves doing the sounds as we didn't do the actions and sounds at home so they are all novel to her. Some children are better writers than her and some can barely manage their name so its a bit of a mixed bag. They all start at such different levels and I think its nice to work on other interests before they start formal schooling.

However, she taught herself to tell the time very early and has always had a thing for numbers which nursery extended with her. Now she is a bit bored with the numeracy they do but the school have responded well and done lots of problem solving with her. I think this is easier for them to deal with than a child who can fluently read and write.

Brokeoven's list is more essential. Self-dressing was the skill we worked on most before school. That and opening cereal bars without making a fuss!

Clary · 22/01/2011 21:46

No. Please don't worry.

Can he put his coat on? do his shoes? open his lunchbox? Go to the loo and wipe his bum? Get dressed in 5 mins?

These are all much more important and reading and writing will come.

exexpat · 22/01/2011 21:56

What brokeoven and everyone else said - practical things are much more important before reception. IME, when they are ready to learn the basics of reading and writing, they pick them up really fast - but things like getting dressed and undressed and learning to get on with other children and follow instructions take a lot more practice.

Listening and talking are also crucial - see BBC story here.

I think this is why countries that don't start teaching formal academic things until 6 or 7 actually do better than the UK at literacy by the age of 9 or 10 - children spend a lot of time in kindergarten listening to stories, playing verbal and social games and building on all the skills they will need when they start school proper. Trying to drill children in the alphabet and phonics when they are not ready is just likely to put them off, I feel.

exexpat · 22/01/2011 22:01

Also all the stuff they do at Montessori is perfect preparation for reception - lots of fine motor skill work, lots of encouraging independence and self-care, lots of learning basic maths through manipulating blocks etc. I would stop worrying and let him enjoy it.

Saracen · 22/01/2011 22:05

My older dd could - but only because she didn't start school till she was almost ten! She began learning to read and write at 6.5.

Her younger sister is 4.5 and would be in Reception if she were at school. She shows no signs of readiness for reading or writing yet.

Malaleuca · 22/01/2011 22:15

I've been an early years teacher for decades and my experience has been that it is extremely rare to have a child start reception already reading. Some learn incredibly fast, once they do start,

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