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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

How do we teach precious DS1 to read?

80 replies

BirdFromDaNorf · 23/07/2011 14:13

I know on some level I am being PFB about this but he was 4 in Feb 2011, and just isn't interested in learning letters or putting them together. He loves us reading books to him, and with him, and he joins in, but isn't interested in learning to read. He's writing his name, under duress and would rather do colouring. So many other people that we know in his class for reception can already do some basic reading, so any tips / advice gratefully received...

OP posts:

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iphonedrone · 23/07/2011 14:16

I doubt very much they can do 'reading'. Most likely they have memorised from sight some words that have been drilled into them. There is a huge difference between that and sounding/blending words independently.

He is still only a baby, DS is going into this next intake too and he won't be 4 until August...he loves to listen to stories and look through books himself, but has no concept of sounding letters or sight words.

Chill out...enjoy the summer hols

pinkhebe · 23/07/2011 14:18

If he can recognise his name, he's doing fine. Neither of mine have been able to read when they started, and ds1 has just got straight 5's at ks2 sats

Solo · 23/07/2011 14:18

Stop worrying! My Ds is an August born child and so turned 4 and went to school at under 4.5. He wasn't interested in actually reading books either, but loved listening to story books. His reading actually took off during year 1 and he morphed into a book worm!!! he reads a book a day or more nowadays and I can't keep up with him!

Your Ds will read when he's ready, you just need to encourage him, but not push him IMO/E :)

pinkhebe · 23/07/2011 14:19

and colouring is great for pencil control, and is the precursor to writing

feedthegoat · 23/07/2011 14:19

Ds was one of oldest in his year (0ctober birthday) and couldn't read at start of reception last year.

He wasn't interested in the slightest. To be honest, he was slow to take interest at start of reception too but teacher has worked at his pace as neither of us wanted to put him off.

He has made really good progress. I wouldn't worry about teaching him prior to school. I honestly think being able to deal with shoes, socks and PE kits will be more use to him than reading pre reception!

coccyx · 23/07/2011 14:21

STOP STOP fretting. never mind what others can or can not do. leave the reading until September, stressing you out, let school get him started and you can help when he brings letters, books home.
Keep it fun. maybe get foam letters for bath time etc.

allhailtheaubergine · 23/07/2011 14:22

Relax. He'll get there.

If you push it, you risk making it a joyless chore and that will do more damage in the long run. Let him discover it in his own time. My eldest turned 5 in May and is just starting to read. She is so proud of herself and it is joyous to watch her discover how it all works. She loves it now but at the age your son is now could 'read' (recognise) her own name and nothing else.

iphonedrone · 23/07/2011 14:22

DS's reception teacher couldn't care less if kids have been 'taught' to read at home or not, she does care if they can

-Get changed and unchanged for PE
-Go to the toilet and wash their hands independently
-Feed themselves
-Wipe their own noses
-Know which way up a book goes (I was amazed that some kids don't)

Playdohinthewashingmachine · 23/07/2011 14:22

He's going to start Reception in September, right?

Can he get changed for PE by himself? Do his coat, look after his own bag, manage his school dinner by himself? Because if so his teacher will be delighted.

There will be a lot of kids in his class who can't do "basic reading". Some of them won't have a love of books and reading, won't be used to having stories read to them. Some of them will need to learn that books contain a story and it starts at the front. Other will be able to recite the entire alphabet (using letter names, not sounds) or recognise all the capital letters, so the teacher has to start over.

Colouring is good for gaining pencil control. "Joining in" when you read is also learning. He is doing fine. Enjoy the summer holidays!

Playdohinthewashingmachine · 23/07/2011 14:24

So nice to see a thread where everyone agrees ...

Elibean · 23/07/2011 14:31

Awful how what others do/don't do starts to make us feel inadequate/superior the minute we set foot into school

Bird, your ds is fine - my dd2 is a few months older, and has only just started being at all interested in putting letters together. This is purely down to being a second child and watching her big sister enjoy books.

dd1 (now top reader in her Y2 class, easily a level 3, etc etc) was not remotely interested in learning to read until half way through Reception. She knew a few of her letter sounds at the beginning, and that was - honestly - it.

I have read with her class for three years now, and watched children who shot ahead slow down, children who struggled to start overtake all the others, and everything in between.

Your ds is totally, utterly normal and undoubtedly totally, utterly adorable.

IndigoBell · 23/07/2011 14:48

And it's really great that he likes colouring.

That bodes well for him liking writing later when he is older......

greycircles · 23/07/2011 14:49

My DS has just finished reception. He is reading really well now. When he started reception he knew no sounds and could not read at all. Relax!

HarperSeven · 23/07/2011 14:52

Have you tried any tv shows/dvds on letters/phonetics? This might interest him. It's great that he enjoys you reading with him. Show lots of praise and encouragement if he identifies letters or words correctly.

Magnetic letters are also great on the fridge - bright and colourful & kids can't help playing with them.

Greenshadow · 23/07/2011 15:11

Don't push him. You'll only put him off.

We've experienced both ends of pre-schoolers and reading.

DS1 recognised his letters incredibly early but didn't follow this up with reading until at school.
DS2 virtually taught himself to read well before starting school. (iphonedrome - yes he was reading not just memorising words).
DS3 had absolutely no interest, or ability. We didn't push it and once at school slowly started reading, but wasn't a natural.

Please don't worry about it - most children in his class won't be able to read.

ninani · 23/07/2011 15:46

As everyone said there are other things which the teacher will be interested in like:
-taking turns
-sharing fairly
-not snatching toys/objects
-following class rules, e.g. sit when the teacher reads and story and maybe discuss (if your son likes being read to him he will probably be able to discuss the stories and contribute to the story telling!!), say thank you/sorry etc.
-change for P.E. or put jacket on (many still can't do it at reception!)
-knowing how to hold a pencil (and coulouring is brilliant like others said it builds the muscles and prepares him for writing)
-being able to recognise his name so he can find his book bag/P.E. kit/jumper etc.

Original poster

BirdFromDaNorf · 23/07/2011 17:59

Sincerely, thank you all for replying. I feel so much better.

I was a bookworm as a child and didn't want to "push" him into being like me but then panicked that I'd not done enough with and for him! DH was worried too and was saying he's going to give him "lessons" over the hols but I didn't know if it was a good idea. Now I think we're going to keep going with the colouring - he tells me off if mine isn't as neat as his and practising just writing our names. He likes doing that...

Am sure I'll be back for more input at some point, but for now. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it :)

OP posts:

Flatstomachenomore · 23/07/2011 21:50

So long as he can recognise his own name he is doing fine. It's so hard not to worry but he's only small still and it's great that he enjoys listening to stories.

blackeyedsusan · 23/07/2011 22:00

he will read when he is ready. in the mean time read to him. point to the words as you go.(he will be learning left to right, top to bottom and start to see that there are seperate groups of letters rather than one long line) try to find books with his name in and see if he can recognise it when you come to it.

sing to him. say rhymes and generally mess aroung with words, changing the first letter of his name and listening to the different sounds.

play I spy.

mymumdom · 23/07/2011 22:08

Agree with everyone else.
None of my older three could read when they started reception and they are all in their top groups now.

namechange100 · 23/07/2011 22:09

Learning sight words are part of learning to read.

Get a pack of flash cards, pick three words and do them every other day and say them, get him to repeat - make up silly sentences with the words in - giving meaning helps memory storage and retrieval and makes it fun.

like ' mummy jumps UP and down' and get him to do it to.
'im goin TO tickle DS' make it daft run about
put cards down and say point to, give him card if right.

Add and extra card after a few days. Get hime to make up own silly sentences and be ok if they a little bit cheeky its like a guilty pleasure so for example if my DS uses 'poo/pant/wee' mock surprise and comedy eyebrows.
NB he does know he's not allowed to use these generally!

I didnt go past sight words and letters as you dont know what reading scheme or combo they may use and you may confuse him. If he gets reading from pleasure then thats great, positive association with books.

As for writing thats all my DS could do and got a good score for his writing in his end of reception report.

HTH

namechange100 · 23/07/2011 22:11

Print off some letters to colour in

maizieD · 23/07/2011 23:46

Please don't teach him sight words with flash cards. That is not reading, that is memorising odd words.

Don't do anythingif he's not interested. Neither of my two could read when they started school (but no-body was so conscious of it when they were young). My daughter has just collected her doctorate.

A few 'months' ahead now makes absolutely no difference in 10+ year's time.

The time to start worrying is if he reaches the end of Y1 and still can't read

Hormoneoverload · 24/07/2011 06:51

Dd1 has just finished reception. Although she knew all letter sounds and could match them to letters by three, she could only write her name in capitals by school and couldn't read a word. Now, she can pick up and read fluently pretty much anything and writes joined, well spelt and punctuated sentences. She wasn't ready or interested before school, but boy is she now. A lot of it in ks 1 is about readiness.

MovingAndScared · 24/07/2011 08:01

Another one whose DC wasn't interested at all before reception - knew a few letters and could write a few - end of reception writing quite well and knows all his sounds and can read simple books - he doesn't want to do don't make him - we did get a gold stars book - the preschool one - from the supermarket with letter which he quite liked so you could try that - and we like the alphablocks program and I think someone said starfall
But to be honest I would enjoy the summer

reading is one of those things there is a wide range of normal and you can be an early reader and still no excell at school/life (a difference of course but that is a whole new thread!) and vice versa!

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