Feel a bit worried about DD aged 5 and her reading...

[AwfulMaureen]

I HATE that I feel worried as she's only 5 but she's in year one now and turns 6 in March...plus the school is a pushy one and I often feel like they think I don't do enough.

I read to her when I can...probably about three times a week...and she reads to me about three times a week too. We found out she needed glasses last term and that had held her back with learning all of her phonics but she's doing better now she has reading glasses.

She's only on Oxford Reading Tree Red stage 2...that's a bit behind isn't it? She sounds most words out still apart from things like "The" which she recognizes and just says...is it ok? Will she catch up a bit soon now she has glasses? She likes reading and books but I am worried she might notice if the others are far ahead of her and lose confidence.

I'm sure I've said this before on here but I was really slow to start reading. Was definitely towards the bottom of the class at it and on a lower book box colour than most of the class until I was in year 2 aged 7. The only way I can put it is that I just suddenly got it.

Later got 2 A*s at GCSE English, an A at A level English, an English degree, an MA and am now an English teacher so it will happen don't worry.

My DS is exactly the same age and in his class there are all kinds of reading levels. He is in Y1, which is the lower stream for their yeargroup (Y1/2 is the higher stream). He is currently reading green books, but his development was far from gradual. His reception teacher was quite worried about him up until about last Christmas when he suddenly "got" blending and started reading superbly.

Something similar, but less worrying, happened in Y1 as well - this time with writing. He just suddenly gets whatever they are practising (who knows what is going on in a Y1 class) and never looks back, but until that moment no amount of support makes much change. Maybe your DS is like somedizzy and my DS?

We try to make him read to us every night, but it is more like 5 times a week. (Come on, his current book is 24 pages!) We read to him every night.

Is there anything your DD is very interested in? DS loves football and checks the football fixtures and results with Daddy. He also loves looking at (I would not say really reading) his football magazines and McDonalds colouring / books .

I'm sure she will make good progress now that she can see what she's doing!

My DS1 wears glasses and they transformed his behaviour - we felt awful that we hadn't noticed sooner. :(

I would have a chat with the school though, and see what they are doing to support her - because it is likely that she will be behind the majority of her class. They might have some ideas of different things you could do at home, not necessarily spending more time on it, but working on different aspects.

She will catch up, don't worry :)

Could you get into the habit of reading everyday, and having her read to you everyday? This will accelerate progress.

Glasses might really help - the same thing happened with my DD1.

Have you got Reading Recovery program in your school? Apparently it is quite good.

DS couldn't/ wouldn't read read fluently at all until after Christmas in Yr2 (he's a May birthday). Every word was painful, but he enjoyed me reading to him (still does!) and could talk about the books and stories.

I was tearing my hair out, made no better by the fact that I teach and I know it can take longer for some children to get it. Anyway, he is now in Yr 4 and we have just had his recent assessment sent home. He is reading at a level of a good Yr6.

Ask school what they think about the progress being made and what system they are using to teach reading. They can them suggest ways to help. Keep reading and talking about books, it all helps.