Can your child starting reception in Sept read/write?

[puddymuddles]

Just that really. DD was 4 in April and isn't interested and I haven't pushed it especially as I have a 2 year old and a newborn and haven't got time! She is happy and healthy and her speech is really good, she loves playing fantasy games and making up stories.

I was not bothered until now but have spoken to a few parents and their DCs can all read or at least recognize all letters and sounds of letters together. Or are they all exaggerating?

I think the most important thing is DD is happy and kind and enjoys school but don't want her to be the only one who is behind. or am I being silly?

My Sept born DD can recognise and write her very easy first name as her nursery used name cards for them from about 2. She knows her single letter sounds and letter names. She can read numbers beyond 20, but I don't know how far she can go accurately as she struggles with the difference between things like fourteen and forty, I think due to some glue-ear hearing loss. When she thinks about it, she can read cvc words, but is more than happy just to guess and make a story up, rather than try to read. She can write most letters, with a few mirror images and a haphazard mixture of upper and lower case that looks like a ransom note and her letter formation isn't right at all. She will attempt "phonically plausible" spellings of some words. Her pen grip is awful and is the only thing I've ever really tried to work on, but with no success.

I have deliberately not taught her to read, so what she can do has mostly been nursery/generally picking stuff up. Even what she can do may well hinder more than help as she has got the '-uh' on letter sounds and the problems with letter formation. I probably didn't try to teach her to read/write from sheer laziness, but I pretend that I didn't want to teach her the wrong way and any more stuff to unlearn. Her personality also means that she isn't particularly cooperative with me, but will cooperate in nursery/school.

Her special skill is cutting out (again learnt at nursery), her playroom often looks like a confetti bomb has hit it.

If she had been born a couple of weeks earlier and gone to school at just 4, she wouldn't have been able to write anything or attempt to blend a cvc word. The extra year has made a massive difference and I suspect will make a big difference to the pace she picks things up with in reception.

But worried now though to be honest after reading some of the comments on here about parents teaching them the 'wrong' way. We have used synthetic phonics, a set of Chip and Kipper books from a friend and more recently, just lots of stories she chose herself from the Usborne first readers in the library. Is that the 'wrong' way?!

Don't worry, synthetic phonics is the right way!

I found the whole don't teach them before school thing a bit of an artificial divide with DS anyway. Once he was in school, we were being told to encourage any attempts at reading and writing and offered a range of ideas to support that, mostly off the same websites that others had been doing with their more interested toddlers.

I don't thing it is really possible to avoid them picking stuff up and that may well be from out of date sources such as grandparents. Teachers must be used to getting a wide variety of children into reception and have methods of sorting out any incorrectly learnt early phonics.

That too pico - DD picked up a load of muh, cuh, duh type phonics from her CM. Luckily she'd already learned to read using the correct ones she'd picked up from big brother!

I think the real problems are where they start school and parents don't support the methods the school are using. Whether that's handwriting style or phonics or lack of phonics.

Though ... considering being subversive and teaching DD precursive style handwriting as DS' old school used, rather than printed as current school use. It seems such a battle when they switch.

Thanks for the reassurance catkind - was worried a bit !

It's an interesting topic and I know it's a cliche but every child is different. For my children I found that what mattered the most and made the most difference was reading "to" the child "daily".

I read to DD1 every night and some days from the age of ten months. I did no work with her at home other than homework instruction from the school when she started reception. Apart from reading to her till she was about 7, I've done no English work with her since, as I've focussed more on maths. Prior to reception she knew nothing but colours and the alphabet... couldn't even write her own name and couldn't sound out even two letter words. She grew to be a book worm because she grew up loving books. By the end of year 4 she's level 5c in reading and writing.

With DD2, she seemed very bright and kindergarten teachers started her on phonics at age nearly three. She was reading and writing three letter words before reception. I only read to her for 3 or so years (while reading to her sister) then gave up cos I became too busy. DD2's spelling is ridiculous, even hilarious sometimes for the simplest words which really surprises me as she was the early starter. Her sentence construction is sometimes painful...things I never encountered with DD1.

My point is, don't scare yourself by comparing to other kids and read to your kids LOADS...frequently and with lots of expression. The rest will follow and if the child gets it, she gets it. If not, her teacher can advise whether she will in time or if further support is needed.

www.inquisitr.com/2320529/story-time-study-shows-reading-to-your-kids-changes-their-brains-biologically-for-the-best/

DS is 4-and-a-half and starts school this Sept. He can write his name and recognises it when he sees it written down. He recognises words such as "go". He knows all the phonic sounds and can sound out a few words such as "hot" and "dog".

However, this is because a new teacher started at his preschool last September and covered phonics and name-writing and sounding out words. I've spoken to friends whose children attend different preschools and nurseries and they don't do any of this, so I don't think it's the norm at all.

Hi my boy has just finished reception. He started with no interest in reading and writing and finished the year reading chapter books And writing stories. Didn't push one but!

Oops bit even

DD (youngest of 3) starts in September. End Jan birthday. She's a bright child academically. Knows her letters, many words, blends well, writes quite good short sentences in her play (i've not pushed she just picks some things up very easily and memorises things like menu's and prices that she recreates at home), maths she is good numbers comfortably to 49 (then goes back to 40) can add and subtract single numbers in her head quickly, higher with counters, she gets basic multiplications and some fractions (particularly 1/3 and 1/5, important when you're one of three/ family of five)

She can't get the order right of pulling her pants down getting on/ off the toilet. She can't cope with the bustle before going into nursery in the morning (18 months and still got distressed daily and had differentiated treatment), she can't cope with loud noises, she wasn't walking independently till 3, she wont engage in an activity if another child starts doing it. She cannot remember names of other children she's been in nursery with for 12months plus or identify with many of them. She often withdraws into her own happy bubble world.

She's under a consultant being reviewed for ASD. Her eldest brother has a diagnosis.

Social development when starting school is the biggest gift you can give your child. Thats what i feel sets them up for a fulfilled life. Academically support and reinforcement of whats been covered at school is great but if you can give them social skills then you've given them a head start and a great gift.

Incidentally DS2 didn't read, write, recognise his name or have numbers beyond 10 starting school. Academically he's in a high ability group at maths and now average for English so it doesn't seam to have made a difference.

Please don't worry. I was in the same boat as you and it made it worse when other parents told me how much their DCs knew going in to reception. Both of mine knew nothing when they started (one just finished reception,the other year 4). They could only literally recognise the first letters of their names. I was so worried about them. My daughter is September so one of the oldest,my son is July so one of the youngest and yet both knew nothing when they started. My September daughter was adamant she didn't want to learn but was reading within the first two weeks of reception and was in the second highest reading band by the end of the first term. My July son didn't learn how to read until end of year one but by end of year two was in the upper groups of literacy and numeracy. To assuage your fears, they all learn at their own pace. Don't be overwhelmed by others who might say that heir kids are already reading/free readers or whatever when they start. At that age, kids can catch up so quickly they will surprise you

I am really happy reading this thread and not worried about DD anymore! She also said when she was nearly 4 that she wanted to stay in nappies forever then shortly before her 4th birthday she decided to use the toilet and is fine ever since. DD2 toilet trained at just over 2 years old as wanted to be like DD1.

DD1 is a sociable little girl and will catch up I think and though she says she doesn't want to learn it may be like the toilet thing - one day she will just decide she does want to learn!

The school will be teaching all this stuff anyway so there's no need to teach your child before they get there - unless your child really wants to learn it themselves

My son will be 5 in November and can't read or properly yet, other than some simple words like cat, pig and dog. He recognises most letters but doesn't sound out the words very well, tending instead to guess based on the picture. Hopefully it will come together when he starts reception - apparently my sister couldn't read or write until about age 5 whereas I was reading at 3, but it made no difference at school.

Lots of our reception class, esp the Summer borns can't read or write much even now. The basics are now in place however...