Reception child struggling to read

[bakingqueen]

My four year old is bottom of the class for reading he struggles to blend the letters together to form the word. Any tips on anything to help him. He does struggle more as he has a speech delay

My children couldn't read in reception. I don't know anything about speech delay but I just wanted to assure you that many children can't blend letters in reception.
I'd just keep making books fun and not stress too much about reading, although keep practising a bit too.
I kept taking mine to the library and getting the learning to read books out as well as exciting ones about dinosaurs and spiders.
What does his teacher say?

All I would say is he will get there, my DS came out of Reception not being able to read a word and was really behind his friends, we were really worried about him but a month or so into Y1 it suddenly clicked with him and he started understand, and more importantly, enjoy reading. Having spoken to lots of other mums it's really common but I really do understand how worrying it is . I spoke to his teacher and she was really helpful, we also use an online reading resource called Bug Club at Ds school and that really helped for him, so might be worth seeing if there is anything similar at your school.

My dd couldn't blend the letters for the first term of reception.
C A T what does that say? She had no idea! Then it clicked at Xmas at the end of first term and she was flying and ended the year exceeding the required levels and one of the best readers in the class. Now in year three she is a bookworm who loves reading.
I would suggest speech therapy and getting his eyes tested. If there is a wait list for speech therapy consider private if you can, not being able to speak to the level of others is a n inhibitor and impacts on confidence etc.
Good luck

My tip - don't push it. Make it fun, read to him, but don't push him. Many kids, especially boys are no where near ready for reading at that age (in fact many aren't ready til about yr 2). The last thing you want to do is undermine his confidence.

My dd is 5 and in reception. She had a slightly delayed speech. She is quite good at reading now (not a genius but doing well) but didn't seem to like reading school books. Encouraged by school we have done lots of word building (so making words with cardboard letters like 'at' and adding c, b , m to show her how to make new words.

I have found that she needs to be motivated to read (although this might not be the case with your Ds) and it can be a challenge to get her interested in it so I write shopping lists with her (I do the writing as that is a whole other battle!) and we spell words together. She also helps me find her favourite things in the shop together like eggs and milk.

In restaurants and cafes she tries to 'read' the menu. (I'm embarrassed to say she has learnt the split digraph a-e because of the word cake!)

I have also bought her a calendar and I put all of her activities in. She really loves seeing what she is doing for the next few weeks and even taking some control of her diary. I am really proud that she recently read 'soft play', 'Alice's party', her friends names, play date with xxx, Alvin and the chipmunks (she guessed the last word.)

She doesn't get much iPad time but when she does I tend to do it with her and point out the more phonically easy words for her to read on games and CBeebie programmes.

So these suggestions might not work for you but I'm really just showing dd how reading benefits her in her everyday life and she is much more motivated.

Targets for Reception children do seem to be getting harder, and there is only so-much they can possibly manage, as their life skills are still so new, and it is not really very long ago they were just learning to TALK!

Yes, Cbeebies is good, and JD I really like the calendar idea too! Anything that makes reading have a 'purpose' is useful, so it's not just an academic 'chore':

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/alphablocks

I'll add two items that could help:

ONE - When reading harder books with a child, get him to point to words as he goes along. If he knows the word, or can sound it out, he can say it. If he doesn't know the word, he can hover his finger over it, and YOU say the word for him. Don't stop to analyse or discuss the word at this stage, but try and keep the 'flow' of reading going. Review difficulties at the end, if you wish to. This way, he has the satisfaction of reading more difficult books, without the fear of getting 'stuck' on words.

TWO - An inexpensive and easy to use book, that can encourage children with reading, spelling and writing, and really help them to understand Phonics, is reviewed in the MN Book Reviews section. Just search ‘Phonics’ and my name.

If your your son is 4, he is younger than many other children in his class.
Before anything else I would've check his sight and hearing ASAP.

My dd could not read at all by the end of reception. She just wasn't ready. Now at 9 she is a complete book worm and probably the best reader in her year at school.

Echo other posters - he probably is just not ready.

DS2 left Reception barely able to blend and certainly could not read at all. I was worried (my only other experience had been DS1 who had picked it up really early in Reception) and even got a speech therapist friend to assess him (all was fine).

Anyway, he went into Yr1, it clicked early on and he flew from then on. Whizzed through all the stages and left yr1 as one of the best readers.

People kept telling me that he would be fine but I appreciate it is difficult when it is your child. Reception is just too early for some children to get 'it'.

Pls have a look at "teach your monster to read " I was recommended it on a recent thread and it's brilliant . dc customise their own "monster" and take them on fun learning journeys that help them to read without it seeming like work. Dd turned 5 on Sunday and is in reception and loves it, think it was £3.99 to download to iPad though I just googled it first to have a look around the website.
Good luck :)

Ds is in year 1 now, he has a speech delay amongst other special needs.

In reception he struggled with reading, was still on level 1 books at the end of the year. He is now halfway though year 1 and it has clicked for him and he is now reading level 4 books with ease.

Don't push him too much. Practise at home lots, read things out and about as much as you can and try to find some books he likes lots for you to read to him. We read lots of fact books together.

Thank you for all your advice it really does help to see how others have overcome

It's early days and the reception year is not over yet. It's too early to use emotive language like saying your son is bottom of the class. Development is a journey and not a race. Most children cannot read after a term and half of reception. The children who can read are usually on very simple books.

Mumsnet like any other social media site is full of liars. People exaggerate their child's reading abilities on mumsnet.

As missrabbit said it was me who recommended it. DS was like your son only 4 through all reception (mid August baby) and to boot he had glue ear that we only found out about in the summer term (nursery had thought it was tongue tie). So altogether he had a delay. Teach your Monster really helped him 'get' phonics and also engaged him more as he likes games. Crucial not to worry and let him see you worry either. He will get there. He might be like my DS and end up now ahead of where he should be at mid year 2. Relax and enjoy the journey with him.