DD2 is really struggling with learning to read, is there anything I can do to help?

[ThreeDaughtersLoveSandwiches]

DD2 is in YR and very much still on the pink level. I try and get her to read at least four days a week and we go through the high frequency words in her reading diary but she is just not getting it!

Tonight she managed to read about 4 pages and whinged and whined the whole time saying she didn't like it (though I think that was more to do with the fact her friend was playing outside and I made her come in). I read stories to her every night before bed which she loves but is not really concentrating when reading herself.

She knows some words now by sight but still has to sound out quite a lot of them, even if she has literally read the word 2 seconds before.

She is not 5 until the end of August so is she just not really ready for it to click or is there something else that I can do?

TIA

Learnandsay, I have seen many children get off to that flying start only to come crashing down later. Some won't of course and for some very bright kids that's enough for them. But taking a class of 30 with a range of abilities, you will almost certainly have more of them reading fluently by the end of Y1 by using a SP approach. And in this case, as the OPs daughter is struggling, I'd say its exactly what she needs.

Good luck with it, threedaughters!

She's only wee.

I think you should back off - make reading & books at home fun. Definitely don't bring her inside, from playing out, to 'do her reading homework'. You risk putting her off for a very long time like this.

Yes - lots of MNers children are child-genius - which is partly due to it being MN and partly due to people being much more vocal about things when they are positive All the 'not so fab readers' or 'average readers' aren't going to be posted about as much are they?

She will get there - but not by being put under enormous pressure to perform.

Hi, my Dd 4 will be starting reception in September. She is the same as your Dd enjoys being read to (every waking hour!!) but not too keen on reading herself even though she has been bringing home books with words for the past 5 months. I believe she will be the same when she goes into her new class, I'll just continue to do as I am now...encourage her to look read her book but if she isn't all that fussed I know she will be when she is ready.

Thank you MaryKatharine. All of the replies have made me feel a lot less panicky about this.

The main reasons she was brought in from playing were that is was about 7 and one of the teaching assistants mentioned that she has been complaining of feeling tired today plus they kept opening the front door and then shouting at the dog for getting out

I normally only get her to read a few pages at a time and stop when there is any sign of being upset. She loves playing games especially things like Orchard toys, so I will look at making it more fun and less like "work".

DD is very able at reading, it's just her thing tbh (reception) however the last few months I have been listening to her read books she could have read say 6 months ago for the very reason marykatherine says, to make sure she understands it.

But the most important thing is I want to install a love of reading which can come at whatever level they are reading at (hopefully).

I would also consider doing her reading in the morning when she is less tired.

'still has to sound out quite a lot of them, even if she has literally read the word 2 seconds before'
'though gets b and d mixed up nearly all of the time'

www.dyslexia.com/library/information.htm
Sound very like the experiences our friends' daughter had before she was diagnosed as dyslexic.

Our child is the same age (Aug) and reading year 1 books so there is a range and you have to be stick to your instincts - is there progression that you are happy with, does she need extra help/ assessment...

Maybe we need to be discussing baby steps right now and the benefits of reading a little bit later. I think now the OP just needs to know how to get her daughter up and running.

DD went through a phase of mixing up b and d I think it's quite common, I would not think it an issue at this stage.

It sounds like she is doing great

There had been progression this year, when she started school she could only recognise her name, but not a huge amount recently.

DD1 has been tested as having mild dyslexia but her birthday is in December and hadn't even brought a book home by this stage so I can't compare them. She wasn't tested until she was in Y4 as she changed schools and her old teacher brushed it off when I asked.

A friend of mine has a DS in year 1 who is struggling and they think he could be dyslexic but the teacher has said they probably wouldn't test until Y2 as at this stage it could just be because he is a summer born child.

To be fair, just recognising her name to being able to blend is a fair bit of progression.

There are kids in my reception class who still cannot blend yet who the teacher is not worried about.

If your DD1 has mild dyslexia then it is something to bare in mind but not to worry about yet.

You can always ask for a chat with her teacher and see what she says.

I did get told today that DD2 is fantastic by one of the teaching assistants so she must be doing something right in school

To be honest dyslexia hadn't even entered my head but it is in the family (DD1, me, my brother and my mum thinks mu dad as well) so is something I will bare in mind later on..

She did seem to be doing brilliantly but seems to be going backwards a bit at the moment. For example she used to know Dad by sight and now has to sound it out.

Little bumps like forgetting the sight of the word dad might only be to do with how often she sees the word. But whether or not a mum actually worries about her daughter forgetting what various words look like may have more to do with whether she (ie mum) believes in phonics or reading by recognising whole words. If your daughter is naturally switching to sounding words out then go with it. There's nothing wrong with doing that.

She does write little notes to me quite a lot and recognises Mum straight away so maybe like you said she doesn't see Dad very often.

For a child who was having to be literally pulled off my leg for the first 3 weeks she is doing very well. She goes into school now with a smile on her face and has a couple of very good friends so I will just go with the flow where her reading is concerned.

Thank you to all who have replied, I feel a lot better.

she is still so young, I have a daughter in reception and another due to start in september. your daughter is nearer my youngest in age than my oldest even though she is the same year as my oldest.

like others have said just try to keep it fun, lots of practice but little bursts and often and make sure you continue it over the summer holidays and by september she might suddenly be ready to really take to it.

that is brilliant she is so happy at school though - that is really what reception is about, getting settled and more independent ready for when they then go into year 1.