Reading and Writing before starting Reception

[issy123]

Just wondering out of interest how many of your DS's or DD's could read and write before starting school? DS1 starts school in Sept and I have met lots of mums who tell me their children can already read and write. Not worried about DS1 think he will pick it up at school and my own view was that he will have years in education and did not want to start all this too soon.

Im sure it doesn't make any difference at all. I didn't learn to read until I started school. Dd has only learnt to read because the pre school attached to her school have been teaching them. I didn't teach her, i'd be too scared of getting it wrong.

Neither of my DCs could read or write before school. Nor could they tell the time or add up or any of those things...

They did absolutely fine.

My DDs were taught the beginnings of phonics at nursery (it was only for children who were interested and wanted to do it, wasn't pushy at all) and could sound out and write CVC words plus their name.

They were about average going in, really benefited from good phonics teaching at school and built up to reading and writing very quickly. All children benefit from good phonics teaching for when they come across new and unfamiliar words, even the very able ones, and as other posters have said it evens out.

They're both very able now they're 9 and 11 and have been for some time, but they weren't child prodigies - they just have good brains and have had very good teachers as well as support at home. It's like baking a cake, all the ingredients have to be right.

My dd could read fluently at 3 but didnt write until she started school at 4.1.
My ds could read [just some words] at 4 and could write his name.By 5 he could read just about anything.It just evened out and at 7 they were at the same stage as one another.

Neither of my dds could read before starting school. They started just after their 4th birthday.

I purposely did nothing formal with them before they started school because I thought that 4 was a bit young to go (I didn't start school until 5).

By the end of reception, dd1 could read very well (turquoise book band). DD2 is probably also reading as well but because she is no. 2 and even younger (Aug birthday) I don't really think much about it!

DD1 is starting in Sept too. She can write her own name and can recognise/ write most letters, but wouldn't be able to write a whole word unless you spelled it it out for her iyswim. So if she asks me how to write 'cat' and I tell her c-a-t she will write it very nicely but wouldn't have been able to do it without being told what the letters are. I wouldn't call this being able to write but I bet some competitive parents would!

Same with reading, she can tell me what the letters are but not the words. The other day DD1 'read' the entire Gruffalo to her little sister. I was impressed at her memory but don't think for one second she could actually read any of the words!

I could.read before starting school.and was always a 'free reader' in the school library. Not sure on my writing skills then. Fwiw, I read and write no better than the next person, so I wouldnt worry about it.

These things all even out in the long run.