Reading in your head

[Rosebud05]

5 year old dd says that it's easier for her to read in her head than out loud. This surprised me, as she doesn't stop talking otherwise, but I made her track what she was reading with her finger then asked her questions about it, and she answered verbatim, so she clearly is reading accurately.

I sort of think that she should be reading out loud to me for quite some time yet. Should I strongly encourage her to read out loud some of the time at least, so that I can check her expression etc? How old are they before they stop reading to others?

My dd 5 does this. She is going through a phase of refusing to read. I so wanted to do the library book challenge but total no no from her.

She realised she could read in her head several months ago, it seemed to scare her till I told her it was an excellent thing to do.

I know she is reading things because of her verbal output can only come from having read stuff.
So whilst I have no practical advice, you're not alone.
I distinctly remember having to read aloud at school in year 5 still and HATING it. Bear in mind I had read the entire library long before then.

Maybe do your own mini book club with her?
As long as you talk about the stories, you'll know she is getting it right.

My daughter and I went through this. The school did say it was fine for them to read in their own so long as you still listen to them too, and do comprehension/expression. I did find that if she read too much on her own her comprehension and expression would slip.

My daughter is 7 just finished year 2 and she reads lots on her own, plus I make sure she still reads aloud to me - just a few paragraphs or a poem. Also, I still read to her, so that makes it "fair"!

Thanks, that's useful. I will ensure that she continues to read out loud to me for a while longer.

Reading aloud uses very different skills than reading in your head does, hence that is why DD1 - about to go into year 7 - still reads aloud to either me or DH on a regular basis. It is also very good practice for drama/public speaking, of which DD does regularly.

My DD is 6 and prefers to read to herself.

I usually ask her to read to me, if not I spot check her on words or get her to read part to me.

Yes, in a word. Best to do both. It's quicker to read in your head, but you can also skip hard words, and you can read without expression etc. I guess you don't want it to become a chore, but if you step back and just get her to do shorter bits for a while this might break the pattern.