How long is a piece of string? (or when did your child start reading and not just sounding out every word...?

[RockyAddict]

I know this is subjective but...

My DS2 is in Y1 and mid year birthday (he's nearly 6). He likes listening to stories and having snuggles which is, I know, fantastic.
But he really has no interest in reading himself. He's on level 1 ORT books from school. He sounds out words quite well, ie he recognises letter sounds, but he doesn't read the words.

He doesn't enjoy learning his sight words and can't be bothered with it all.

WWYD? Stress or stay calm?

my dd is in year1 and reads well but she likes reading and wants to do it (well she doesnt always want to read her school reading books).

she satrted to not sound out every word pretty soon after starting to learn to read in reception. her teacher encouraged them to whisper the word they were sounding out and then say the word out loud. Once they had the hang of that she then encouraged them to just sound out in their heads, you could see her thinking the letters.

try not to stress baout it it will probably just click for him one day and he will suddenly make a huge leap forward.

From experience - stay calm (not what I did :().

They get reading when they are ready - and no amount of stress will make them get it any quicker.

Try to keep it low key, and read to him a lot - and don't push it.

My DS1 was a slow starter - didn't really click with it until part way into year 2 - now at 9.5 he is a real bookworm.

Can he read regular 3 letter words correctly? Fluently?

Does he have some sight words?

Does he have a daily phonics lesson? Is it whole class or small group?

Is the teacher concerned?

DS "got" reading part way through Y1. We went from laboriously sounding out c - a -t (and then him having no clue what it was) to pretty fluent reading in a matter of a few weeks. He's since passed many of the "early readers" in reading ability (now Y2). Still not keen on reading himself, if he can get someone else to do it though!

Stay calm but ask the teacher. Not staying calm doesn't help anything.

Within my dds class, most children were reading quite well by the end of year 1 and three had become 'free readers'. E.g. had 'done' the reading scheme books. This is school with a below average ability intake.

My dd was one of these and she was done with sounding out by the end of the first term of reception. She understood the concept and could slowly sound out but it was a lot quicker for her just to say what the word actually was.

How about when you read with your son and he gets stuck on a word, you just tell him what it is. That will introduce a bit of fluency to the reading. I am sure that a year 1 child wouldn't want to sit down and 'learn' the sight words.

I am sure the phonics people won't agree with me but things need to be fun at home.

Towards the end of Year 1 was the first time DT1 picked up a book and read it because he wanted to and not because it was his school reading book or I had suggested it.

DT2 does the Argos catalogue count?

Well, DD couldn't read part way through Y1 - and still can't read part way through Y3.

So there may be cause for concern. You really need to give us more info....

Dd1 and ds both pretty good by end of yr1. Dd2 struggled much, much more. She just couldn't get it despite trying v v hard and got quite down about it all and kept comparing herself to the other two.

Then in second half of yr2 she just took off. She really got it and now at nine reads more than the other two put together and is a top speller as well.

I would absolutely say that what got her going were Dr Seuss books. They bounce along at a nice pace, are funny and give a real sense of satifaction that you're actually reading.

They're what got dd going anyway All those endless Biff, Chip and Floppy books left her (and me) stone cold. Blimey we got through a fair few of those I can tell you, but they just didn't inspire her one bit.

RockyAddict

I have an almost 6 year ds who's just 'got' the whole reading in the last week or two.
Progress has been painstaking, and he has shown little inclination to read at home, but he's finally becoming fluent, and not sounding out every single word.
He's had quite a lot of additional support in class, being part of a small phonics group in addition to the whole class sessions. So you may want to check with your ds's teacher, to see if he can be given some extra help, if you are very concerned.
I used to stress over mine's lack of interest, but it has been a whole lot easier since I relaxed a bit, and praised him for his efforts, even though it's like pulling teeth sometimes!

not until half way through yr2, and he got a 2a in his sats if that helps. He still doesn't enjoy reading (yr 3) though and finds it hard work, very different to my first son who is a real bookworm!

I would not stress this early. My 6yo spent reception and yr 1 languishing in the remedial reading groups, being taught c-a-t day after day and seeming not to get it, but now in yr 2 she's romping through a couple of chapter books a day and off the reading schemes altogether. Quite a dramatic change.

My 7 year od ds loved being read to, but wouldn't pick up a book to read on his own. I tried everything, nothing worked. In the end I made him. He had to buy his screen time with equivalent time spent with nose in book. He could choose the book, but they couldn't be annuals or comics. If he didn't do it, no problem, no telling off or anything, but he just didn't get his computer/Tv time. Friends said it was a nutty idea, but guess what? During one of those enforced reading times, he fell in love with the Humphrey books and couldn't put then down. It opened a door. He reads for himself now. After years of trying, it took 2 weeks! Wouldn't describe him as bookworm, but he has come to see reading as an enjoyable part of life. All i wanted, really.

Stay calm!!The great thing is that your child wants to spend time with you, listening to you read to him and is developing a love of stories.

I have a son in yr4, he can now read really well - although he never picks up a traditional fiction book. I thought he would never want to read on his own, I tried so many types of books. At the moment he loves Asterix and a Star Wars dictionary and at bedtime he is now asking if he can 'just finish reading this bit!' This is quite something and I bet we were in the exact same position as you in yr2. Boys often have better things to do than read!

We've also had lots of audio books and he never goes to sleep without an audio story.
Even though he can now read really well and is enjoyable to listen to he does not like books packed with type. It has been a long haul but I can see it paying off.

Stick with it and carry on reading to him in the years ahead and go with the books he enjoys.

Have you tried him with the Starfall readers at www.starfall.com? Sometimes the schools seem to use only whole word readers (rather than phonic ones) and in my opinion this can slow reading progress considerably. I think it helps children to not only receive good phonics tuition but also to get through lots of phonic readers so they practise their word attack and sound blending skills. I think introducing loads of sight words too early is just frustrating for young readers - better to focus on phonics.

DS refused his reading books in reception, the teacher said he was doing very well at school. In the summer I bribed him with chocolate buttons to read a bit, now in Y1 he reads average. I just make him read his school book (one per week) and for everything else he chooses to read he gets 10p - he has an average reading ability but he tells me reading is too hard - he just does not seem to enjoy it at all.

OP - Is your son my son? I recognise that description perfectly!

DS is in yr 2 now and is finally showing an interest in reading. It'll come, in time

Thanks for all your comments and advice. We read last night... well I read to him. And he spontaneously picked out 'like' from the text and then another few words that he has on his sight word list. So I bigged him up for that and asked if he wanted to read some, to which he replied 'no'. Oh well, whoever said that stressing achieves nothing is correct.

His school is totally 'on his case' in the sense that he does have one to one sessions 3 times a week, they are proactive and they are aware of my concerns. But last parents evening they said not to worry. So perhaps I should start listening to them. Afterall, I cannot fault the school in any way really.

Think my initial comment was a bit 'pmt fuelled' and 'end of emotional tether' type feeling. It's nice to get some 'there, there' from you guys.

I shall not give up on him, but just keep chipping away until it clicks. I'm sure it will.

School always tell you 'not to worry'.

If he is getting 1:1 3 times a week, school are clearly worried.