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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

DD in Y1 very resistent to learning to read

12 replies

cardy · 26/10/2006 11:56

Since dd (5) started school last year she hasn't been very keen on reading, both at school and at home. Getting her started is a struggle in itself but when she does read if she gets stuck or gets one or two words wrong, she just gives up or has a tantrum. So far we haven't made a big deal or forced the issue.

However last night we went to parents evening and and her teacher said she is concerned about her reading and progress with reading (everything else is OK, however it will effect her writing if she doesn't start to progress). The teacher said that she thinks it's a confidence issue. She won't attempt new words and thinks 'it's too difficult' so won't try.

She gave some suggestions e.g. star chart, rewards, using repitition etc.

We really want to help her without putting on too much pressure, but it's the resistance to even open a book that is difficult.

Has anybody expereinced this? Any tips?

OP posts:

beckybraAAARGHstraps · 26/10/2006 12:00

We certainly had this last year in reception with ds. But I don't have any helpful suggestions as he just sort of did it by himself over the holidays. We didn't do anything with him. We carried on reading TO him, and he started reading signs in shops and that sort of thing, and then I found out a couple of weeks ago that he has jumped up two levels and now when we read the books he brings home I'm just astonished (and a bit ashamed that I didn't realise .

I mhope it works out for your dd.

sandyballs · 26/10/2006 12:01

Hi Cardy - my DD is also 5 and in year 1 and also a reluctant reader. Very difficult to get her to read at home although she does try occasionally at school, but she finds it difficult and would rather not do it. Even very small words she struggles with. At our parents evening the teacher didn't seem concerned at all, she just said to lay off any pressure and eventually it would click and she'd be fine, which I'm tempted to agree with, they are still very young.

MarsLady · 26/10/2006 12:01

DD2 refused to attempt reading for ages. We've always read them lots of stories and have books all over the place, but for some reason she wouldn't read or try to read (all of mine have been early readers).

So.... I backed off and left her to it. I continued to read lots of stories to her and to talk to her about books. It was always painful when her school reading books came home, but I took a deep breath and continued to remain calm about it.

So... my advice... it will come. If it's a confidence issue you could try praising her for other things around the reading that she enjoys and getting her to talk to you about the stories that you read together praising her for remembering details. You could try star charts and I'd give her books that are easy for her to read. Compliment her through those and gently introduce new books. I hth. Not sure what else to suggest really, but it worked for us and now DD2 Y4 is a very proficient reader.

willowcatkin · 26/10/2006 12:10

If it is a confidence issue maybe it would be worth going right back to basics and checking she knows all her sounds, plus working on blending skills. 'I spy' is a good game for getting them to hear sounds (it doesn't always have to begin with a letter), and also 'phonic speak' i.e. look there is a d-o-g, or 'can you run and touch the t-r-ee' etc so she is hearing it modelled all round her but not actually reading.

Single word flap books are great too as they get a 'reward' (turning over the flap to see the picture) for reading the word. We also do 'sound' flashcards from ELC every night - the competition element helps ds and dd. Once she can blend Jelly and Bean do some wonderful books starting with only one word per page which can help build up confidence.

I agree they are very young, but the best time to learn phonics is by age 5 - research shows it is much harder to learn them at a later stage - and phonics are the building blocks to reading.

Original poster

cardy · 26/10/2006 12:16

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I agree I don't want to force her and put her off books altogether - she does love being read too> Last year we didn't push it and although weren't surprised when the teacher said it was her weak point we were a bit surprised about 'bad' she thought dd was!

It's reassuring to hear that seem to catch-up at some stage. She is actually the youngest in her year - with an August birthday (only just 5) so still very young. I have to say the school reading books are very dull!

I guess I just want her to be interested in books and not put-off forever.

OP posts:

TwigTwoolett · 26/10/2006 12:17

have you tried taking the focus off 'reading a book' and playing games

leave silly little notes places for her to find .. maybe a treasure trail (draw pics too to begin with)

start putting post-it notes on different things roudn the house

have you got any of the wordy games .. silly sentences is daft and fun?

I think maybe you need to get her reading without her realising she's doing it

Oh I've just bought a collection of Red Nose Readers from the book people for £10 .. they are fabulous .. funny little books that start from one or two words a page to big rhymes .. DS is clamouring for them .. and that is huge (he also has been a none-reader)

I also talked to DS about it 'clicking' .. you have to keep going and there's some magical kind of click when it all just gets easier ... the day it clicked for him he turned round with a huge grin and went 'its clicked mummy hasn't it?'

are the doing synthetic phonics .. do you know the actions to the letters .. check out jollyphonics website for further materials

hth

TwigTwoolett · 26/10/2006 12:18

would like to say DS is 5 coming up to 6 with a feb birthday and it clicked a couple of weeks ago

I wouldn't be overly concerned tbh

throckenholt · 26/10/2006 12:19

my DS1 is also in year 1 and a reluctant reader - just the same confidence issue.

The teacher said to try and make it fun, with no pressure, and the idea is if they see a word often enough they will learn to recognise it.

Try making a game of it - so pick out all the T in this page, or lets see how many ands we can find.

And pick out letters and words around you - really anything to build her self confidence without pushing things.

Don't try and make her read directly.

TwigTwoolett · 26/10/2006 12:19

red nose readers .. very much recommend them if your child likes jokes

throckenholt · 26/10/2006 12:22

if she is only just 5 then she is very much on a par with my DS (mid July baby). His teacher was not overly concerned and said he was progressing well.

So - I would ignore your teacher and just carry on as you are - but trying to introduce reading in all sorts of ways without being obvious.

Original poster

cardy · 26/10/2006 16:38

Thanks, feel a little less concerned now. She seems more keen to write so we are doing lots of that. We have got lots of word games and she loves making wording with magnestic letters etc...

I think I we'll only do her readling books when she is up for it otherwise we'll stick to games, words on post-its etc..

It was a bit disappointing to spend the whole of our 20 minute slot with the teacher talking about what she isn't so good at - when I asked about other areas of work all she said she was that she was doing fine...like a child I would have liked to have heard a little bit of praise for her.

OP posts:

boomie · 07/11/2006 13:22

Hi, my DD is 5 and is in Year 1 (her birthday in Aug and youngest in class). Her teacher asked to speak to me yesterday as she is concerned about her reading (or lack of it). She said she really struggles in class and DD will now spend a bit of time each week with a special support teacher. I have known for a while that her reading is not brilliant but comes as a bit of a shock when you're told by her teacher.

The sad thing is, is that DD is so keen. She loves to try and read and is so interested at the start. Obviously when she can't read she gets upset. I aksed the teacher what else I can do to help and she said "nothing really" - really helpful.

So, will just keep trying and like someone said hopefully one day it will just "click".

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