End of yr 2 and cannot read Cvc words

[FelixCited]

My brothers child is in an international school overseas
and is aged 6.5yrs and just finishing yr 2,
teacher claims he is at the expected reading age, no worries about him etc.
However he cannot read simple Cvc words like pet, rug, pen etc
They are taught 'whole words' flashcard' style.
He cannot write a sentence nevermind a story!
IMO he does seem really behind.
Am I worrying unnecessarily?

Oh blimey my DD can read those and she is in reception and no genius.

But, I think I learned that way (we certainly had a lot of flashcards and a pushy mum) and I learned to read fine. The phonics DD does certainly seems to work well for her though.

Depends which country? I have friends in Austria and their child (age 7) is just learning CVC words

Sorry, forgot to say they also have a DD who is 10 and reading/writing at what would be a year 6 level if not beyond

My sister's child probably can't read the same and she is the same age, but she is in Sweden and hasn't been taught to. It depends completely on the country and expectations. She can't write anything either, other than copying. I'm not worried, am sure in a year's time or so she'll be out reading and out writing my YR son .

I know that it is common in many countries to delay teaching reading until aged 7ish and that children in those systems do just as well, often better, than early educated UK children.

What I find a little surprising is that children?s' natural curiosity doesn't lead them to read a little bit by that age even without formal teaching. My DD2 is only 3 years old but she is fascinated to watch her Y1 sister learning to read and as a result she knows all her letters and has begun to blend CVC. My three year old is no genius and is just being a naturally inquisitive (and competitive!) sibling. I think it is that which makes me surprised that a 7 year old would not blend CVC.

Well he won't be able to if he hasn't been taught phonics and to blend. Clearly not working for him is it? There are kids who can learn using whole word methods, but doesn't seem like he is one of them. I'd advise his parents to get him on a good phonic method and undo the damage school is causing. My DS in recep is a very imaginative boy, but. Not a natural reader at all, but after a year of phonics he can now do all his Cvc blends very comfortably. My yr4 DS (also not a natural reader...) has had massive struggles learning to read, but once I got him onto the phonics at 6 he was finally able to start learning. He's not flying by any means, but he at least has a way in to reading now.

Lots of schools in lots of countries, even Anglophone ones, won't be teaching reading in a gung-ho way to a 6.5 year old. I imagine he is in a calendar year class and one of the oldest ones - there will be DCs born throughout 2006 in his class, so some will only be 5.7. There is nothing to worry about.

Thanks for you advice and input everyone