I know this sounds odd but I'm worried that DS is reading too well!

[DoubleDoubleTwigletTrouble]

DS (Reception) has always been good at reading for his age and could read simple decodeable words fairly easily and knew a few letter blends such as sh and th. But he seems to have suddenly learned to read almost in a fortnight. He can easily read an ORT stage 4 book (a sentence like "I went to the park and I liked playing on the swings, they went very high") and I'm wondering how he's done this so quickly! Obviously the old OR style books follow a certain style and you can guess words to a certain extent but it's not just ORT he can do this with. I may be worrying over nothing (after all, the goal is for them to read and he can) but I'm concerned that he's just got the 'look' of a word and isn't reading it phonetically. I guess I'm worried that he's missed out on some basics? If he came across a word he didn't know then he would try to work it out phonetically so he can do it - he just doesn't seem to need to.

His teacher said not to worry and that kids learn to read in all sorts of different ways but it just seems really odd that he's gone from c-a-t to advanced reading in just 2 weeks or so....

[insanityscratching]

My ds had hyperlexia too, complicated by the fact he didn't talk but could obviously read and had learnt from the subtitles on TV. I only discovered he could read age two when he used his magnetic letters to reproduce Oracle (the tv text service) from memory. By the time he started school he was using single words interspersed with jargon but could read aloud, anything offered, fluently. He'd also mastered writing with perfect spelling and punctuation that, when he chose to, he'd communicate that way.He finally mastered normal speech around age seven but even now at seventeen he prefers to communicate with notes, texts and emails.

[wandymum]

I agree that for some children 'reading' just seems to click. My DS has just started reception and can happily read Roald Dahl Horrid Henry and pretty much anything that grabs his attention. He has a phenomenal memory so if he has come across a word once he knows it.

I'm not worried that he doesn't usually 'decode' phonetically because he does this when he sees a word for the first time and can happily read nonsense words too.

It is definitely true that he can read more than he can understand - he can really read anything TV manual, grown up books he's pinched off our shelves, newspapers etc... - but he understands all the children's books he reads and is very eloquent as well so again I'm not worried.

It did give me a shock when we realised just how fluently he could read though!

[Rudolphstolemycarrots]

I really wouldn't worry. Both my kids have picked it up well too and it does make life a bit easier for thyem

[mrz]

I have a little boy in my Y1 class who is a natural reader it's an absolute joy listening to him read

[thisthreadwilloutme]

I bet you loved that!

I tend to think that dd just has a natural ability for reading and loves to read. Not manuals though, so no dismantling here thank goodness.

[mrz]

they did enable said son to dismantle almost every piece of machinery/technology in the house at one stage ...unfortunately ot to reassemble them

[thisthreadwilloutme]

Mrz your son sounds fab - I bet those engineer manuals were riveting for you and your dh . I'm happy with dd being pushed at the moment but worry that it can be a hindrance to be too far ahead IYSWIM. Just happy to trust her teachers at the moment, she's happy and loves learning so I'm happy.

[mrz]

I should probably point out my son is high functioning autistic (and he does understand what he's reading and reads for pleasure)

[thisthreadwilloutme]

Oh, definitely not hyperlexia here, she totally understands what she is reading and remembers it for ages. My brother made her read a sad headline in the guardian because he didn't believe she hadn't memorised every book in the house and she looked thoughtful, refused to read the article and can still remember 6 months later that it was about a sad boy who lived in the richest city in the world.

[thisthreadwilloutme]

I'm in a similar position my dd started reception in Sep and is now reading ORT level 9! She is bringing home ng spellings now, off to google hyperlexia. mrz I'd love you to be my dd's teacher you sound fab.

[BooksandaCuppa]

Absolutely. Even in a reasonably affluent area there are parents who don't have the 'time' to read with their dcs/who think their dcs' extra-curricular activities are more important (in case they might become an Olympian)/who think it's the school's job to teach their child to read/who think gadgets are more relevant than books etc etc etc.

And that's without mentioning the parents (of all walks of life) who cannot read or write themselves to any decent level.

[pointythings]

The whole personal lending library thing isn't uncommon among good teachers - DD2's teacher did this last year when she was in Yr4 and lent her some amazing books from her personal collection. They still meet at playtime and discuss their latest fiction discoveries.

[yellowsubmarine53]

I read with the Y3s in our school and lots of them just don't have anyone at home who speaks enough English to be able to help them. I'm sure that some of the hesitance to listen to reading is about confidence as well.

[mrz]

There are many reasons why some children don't read with parents at home. some parents lead chaotic lives, working all hours to feed and clothe their family and find it difficult to find the time, some can't help because they lack basic skills, some just don't care and a few parents who just feel it is the school's job to teach their child and nothing to do with them

[learnandsay]

I don't know how many parents want their children to do badly. But there's a difference between wanting your children to do well, or at least to be OK generally, and being capable of doing anything to influence their development for the better.

[simpson]

I read with yr1, 2 and 4 in my DC school and sadly there are quite a few kids (in KS1 - as once in KS2 the child fills out their reading journal themselves) that do not get any support at home and are really struggling to grasp the basics which reading with an adult at home 2 or3 times a week would really help...

I was a bit and as I just took it for granted that parents want their DC to do well and support them at home....

[learnandsay]

Right, simpson, I agree. But if mrz is talking about the child that I think she's talking about it could completely change the life that she's going to have.

[simpson]

DS's yr2 teacher brought in books that her children had out grown for DS to borrow (I was sooo grateful and compiled a list of books to push him on with his reading as I did not have a clue and we were floundering with ORT).

It makes such a difference when a teacher goes that little bit extra

[mrz]

I'm not at all unusual

[learnandsay]

Reading a book on the loo?! That's funny and probably dangerous too!

mrz, are you spending your own money on reading books for this child? If so, that's a bit above and beyond the call of duty isn't it? If you are I take my hat off to you. Somebody was saying something about a child from a dysfunctional family once. It was very distressing. Was that you? And is this her? If it is I hope that she goes to a great secondary school and then to university and gets away from the hole she's in at the moment. (God, how awful life is sometimes.)

[Lougle]

mrz, you are the sort of teacher every school needs.

[mrz]

It's now developed into an informal book borrowing service involving about half of KS1.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

double my DS1 has really taken off with reading since starting school. They are only about 2/3rds of the way through learning the 44 phonetic sounds at school and when he comes across a word he doesn't know he will use context and some sounding to try and work it out.

This morning I found him on the toilet reading a book to himself - I was like this

[mrz]

She tells me which books she wants to read next and I try to get them when I go shopping so she can borrow them from me.

[learnandsay]

Sorry, I don't understand the bit about the shopping lists. Great work by the way, if you've got children from non reading families reading. I love that.