I'm angry with the school that my son can't read

[Teamumizumi]

my DS is 5 and has just finished reception. Reading has always been a struggle and he has "progressed" to level 1. I've been trying to get him to read appropriate level reading books over the summer and have now given up. He can only read basic words like "and" " to" "for" "at"..... I'mwondering what the school has been doing for 2 years -he started in their kindergarten so he has been "reading" for 2years. What he does is get the teacher/us to say the word out loud, then he memorises it. Now that he has read a couple of books cold i have discovered he cannot read at all. WHAT DO I DO???????

YABU for purely blaming school, they're only there for 6 hours a day, and that's only during term time.

Ds1 started in nursery at our school at 3.2. He didn't start bringing reading books home until the last term of reception, he was 5.7 by then.

Starting year 1 he was reading books that other in his class had read during their first term in reception - they were a year ahead of him at that point. During year 1 his reading has progressed massively and he's about to start year 2 with a reading age of 8.

We have always read to him before bed, and incorporated reading into every day life but despite this ds took much longer to get into his reading, for that something to click, than it did for some of his friends.

Op - you have to take responsibility for your son's eduction. School cannot teach him everything.

By all means have a word with his new teacher in September, but part of that having a word must involve you finding out how you can best support him at home.

Possibly the OP has taken the earier advice to get off MN and teach her DS to read....

btw, the local libraries are running the reading challenge where kids get prizes for reading books through the summer. its has been a complete god send for me with my highly resistant DD!!

I have been reading to him every day and he reads to me 4times a week. I've been concerned since January and have suspected that he's just been memorising and regirgitating the words.i've spoken to his teacher and she says he's fine.however after having a 3week break he now cannot read anything. I only say that i've given up because i don't want him to see how frustrated i am and put him off.

op have a it could be because of underlying issues or it could be because he is 5. At this age it just means he isn't doing it yet. Have you always read to him nightly? if so keep doing it maybe get some books he is interested maybe non fiction or favorite characters ben 10 etc in then pick out an odd word using the s.i.p.t.a.n phonics and sound it out for him but don't worry yet with massive over the top praising if it gets it right or gives it a good try get him wanting to try. Agree with others it is not the schools fault

Some kids -especially boys according to ds' school - are just not developmentally ready to read until they are 6.

I knew ds was not blending all the way through P1 (Reception) - he was just learning the books off by heart - but the school said not to worry. At the beginning of P2 (Y1) they give him 6 weeks intensive 1:1 sessions with the depute head, before discussing and agreeing with us that it would be best for his confidence to drop him to the middle group.

He finally "got" reading towards the end of P2, when he would have been 6 and 3/4.

He stayed in the middle group until the end of P4, even though for a year he was sort of "between" for nearly a year, before moving back up to the top group.

He is now 11 (nearly 12), about to start secondary school, a confident reader who was amongst the strongest readers in the top group in his last year at primary school, but, even more importantly free reads for enjoyment :) He is currently reading "The Hunger Games".

Raise your concerns with the school, ask them what you can do to help in the process (like LadySybill says, it is a 50:50 partnership) and stop angsting The best bit of advice we were given by the school was to make reading fun and not pressure him. They said to find something that interested him and he'll realise that reading can be useful. In his case, it was the sports pages, so that he could see if his football team had won, Doctor Who magazines and Captain Underpants books

My daughter couldn't independently read by the time she was 5 - which would have been the end of P1. For the first 18 months of primary school they brought home reading books that they "knew" already, we did picture walks etc. She's in the top reading group at the minute (just finished P3) as far as I am aware independent reading isn't taught at that age by the school.

None of my children could read at 5

Has he been reading whole words to you or is he sounding out the letter sounds. DS has just finished reception and he still needs to sound out quite a few works. I would go back to the sounding out letters stage i.e. c-a-t.

Bear Necessities is a young child friendly book to give a good foundation in reading.
www.soundfoundationsbooks.co.uk/

Okay, so clearly he is NOT reading if he is now showing he hasn't a clue. My DS didn't either and I recognise exactly what you say about memorising.

So - you need an appointment with the school and to ask about how they can help him and also what you can do. Ask them if they have any concerns about him, my son's difficulties were hard to pin down because the developmental issues he had were not diagnosed until he was 7. However, the school had concerns before his diagnosis....his reading was just one of those things.

Be calm though because he WILL learn to read, the school just might have to find a different way of teaching him though.

They weren't even taught to read until year 1

I wouldn't be worried in the slightest if a 5 year old couldn't read.

We have been reading him stories for 30-40minutes per day since he was a toddler. I have been reading his school books with him for a year. I am on mumsnet now because he is in bed FFS. I have spoken to his teacher who only has 16 in her class and she says he 's fine. IT HAS NOT TAKEN ME 2YEARS TO NOTICE!!!!!

They wouldn't teach him to read in nursery anyway.

Calm down op!

You asked if you were being unreasonable.

People have responded to that question.

Hes 5 not 15.

honestly, op...you are going to expect a flaming in AIBU. Its what its for

Don't worry.. go over to primary. There will be plenty of people who can support you there.

not every 5 year old can read. In fact, I think it is quite unusual to find the ones who can read well at this age. Have you got the Biff and Chip books? Start with those and he'll probably progress at an amazing speed. In some countries, they don't even try to teach children to read until they are 7.

Agree with others who've said "he's only 5"
He is only 5.

My DS isn't reading yet. I posted in Primary Education about it a while ago and got some brilliant advice.
Someone suggested Reading Eggs, which we are doing during the holidays-it's slow going as DS has a very, very short attention span, and spends his time bellowing and randomly jumping off the sofa.

Bluemoon, I feel a bit by your "As a teacher, we can tell those parents that read to their children every night before bed, and make reading part of everyday life"

DS' teacher keeps heavily hinting that I don't read at home. He used that exact expression at assembly once as well.

DS has hundreds of books, I read to him at night (when he sits long enough) I use any opportunity to show him phonics (vending machine at swimming today- he had to find his own number and letter for his treat)

Just as parents shouldn't be blaming teachers, teachers shouldn't be blaming parents either.

Yes lets all teach our own children to read, no need to send them to school really.

This thread is insane.

He's 5.