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Original poster

Could the average Reception age child read this passage?

227 replies

Avocadoes · 03/02/2011 12:52

"I want to go to Lily's party. I will go on the bus, then I will walk. There will be cake and lots of fun. Do you want to come too?"

My DD is nearly 4 and a half and her reading has just been assessed (by school) using the passage above.

I am just interested in whether most Reception kids would be able to read all the words in that passage and do so without halting to figure out each individual word.

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ruddynorah · 03/02/2011 14:58

Dd is 5 in may. She could read it but would take a while over 'walk'. The rest she'd be fine with.

Elk · 03/02/2011 15:01

dd1 would not have been able to read it, now year 3 and not reading problems.
dd2, 5 and in reception would read it easily but her reading skills are not those of the average reception child (she was reading chapter books when she started reception). I will be interested to see how she reacts when they all catch her up.

evolucy7 · 03/02/2011 15:02

Malaleuca....if the selection of HF words was not a random selection, it would no longer be a very short passage.
Reception Year children are taught to read at school as well as learning letters & sounds, but children don't only learn in school. There seems to be a fairly even spread on here of children who can/cannot read this. I would assume that this forms part of many types of assessment on reading levels. If a child was able to read this easily, most parents may wish that the school knew this, perhaps through such an assessment and gave suitably challenging books.

ThaliaKeith · 03/02/2011 16:05

Just got DD to have a try and she read it fluently (ie not needing to sound out) except for cake which she stumbled over a bit.

vegasmum · 03/02/2011 16:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

maizieD · 03/02/2011 16:14

Are you a teacher, evolucy7?

Original poster
Avocadoes · 03/02/2011 16:18

When people say their children are reading it fluently, does that mean they can read each word but still take a while (e.g. "I..... want...... to") or are they reading it as a coherent sentence ("I want to...")?

OP posts:
BaroqueAroundTheClock · 03/02/2011 16:20

No - neither of my DS's would have been able to read that passage at this stage in the school year in Reception.

DS2 would probably have been able to (just) by t the end of reception - - but DS1 wouldn't have had a clue even then

BaroqueAroundTheClock · 03/02/2011 16:23

In Reception HF were given out (as the child progressed to being ready for them) throughout the year in small doses.

They had "bookmarks" with the words to learn on - 20 bookmarks in total.

irrc when DS1 was in Reception they didn't even start handing out the bookmarks to any (or maybe only one or 2?) children before Christmas.

ThreIsNoSpoon · 03/02/2011 16:29

Just got DS (5.5) to read it and he could except for Lily's.

We have never had HF words - should we have?

SummerRain · 03/02/2011 17:03

I wrote it out for ds1 but he couldn't read my writing Blush

purpleturtle · 03/02/2011 17:04

Grin - I just asked DS2 if he could read any of it. He glanced towards the laptop and said "No." Then continued to ignore me.

Just checking he wasn't like Coldtits' DS.

ChasingSquirrels · 03/02/2011 17:07

my just 5yo couldn't - the only words he can read without sounding out are "the" and his name and mum.

the only words in the passage he could read WITH sounding out are

to
Lily (friend of his)
will
the
lot (but probably not lots)
fun

preghead · 03/02/2011 17:08

No I reckon my y1 age 6 only just able now

rabbitstew · 03/02/2011 17:12

I would say reading fluently is reading clearly, without hesitation and with enough expression to show you understand the meaning of what you are saying.

blackeyedsusan · 03/02/2011 19:06

Yes, fluently and with the right expression for the question.

however reading is her "thing" and there are many things that you would expect the average child to do that she can't.

I have had to endure years of is she not potty trained yet, and can she walk talk yet which were all late so please excuse one moment of proud mummying.

agree with wannabe about they all have something they are good at.

Hulababy · 03/02/2011 19:16

The avergae child, ime, - no.

Some children will be able to read it fluently.
Some wil be able to sound out most words.
Some will identify the high frequency words.
Some won't be able to read a single word.

DanJARMouse · 03/02/2011 19:19

DD1 started reception at 4.1 and yes, could have read it but she was and still is an exceptional reader.

DD2 started school at 4.10 and still couldnt read that now, and she was 5 in October.

Flowergarden1 · 03/02/2011 19:22

DS is five in May and managed the passage quite fluently, except for 'walk'.

MoldyWarp · 03/02/2011 19:27

my son 4.11 read it but sounding out a lot
we think he is a fab reader compared to my others and he did not find it easy

5goingon13 · 03/02/2011 19:43

Have just asked ds he's 5.1 and in reception, it's a No from us Grin

PatTheHammer · 03/02/2011 19:50

DD is 4.8 and could read all except 'Lily's' without prompting. But quite slowly.

She is quite a good reader in her class, so in answer to your question, no, 'most' reception children would not be able to read it. Some of her friends are just starting the books with only a few words as they have struggled to pick up the sounds.

StrawberryMess · 03/02/2011 20:36

DS1 is 5.2. Could read all except walk and struggled with there. Very slowly though, with lots of sounding out.

wearymum200 · 03/02/2011 21:08

DS, nearly 5 yes. Average, judging by his class, probably not. As above, all normal!

princessglitter · 03/02/2011 21:22

dd could read that easily - but she is not the average reception child, as she reads with year 1.