,,,,,,,,,,,,EARLY/ LATE TO LEARN TO READ...DOES IT mean ANYTHING about future achievement?

[noonar]

ok, i have dd1 in reception. she's just turned 5. i know that she's bright, but is not 'clicking' with her reading as early as many others.

what i'd like to ask parents of older children is this- did your child's reading level at this age give ANY indication of future achievement in reading/ writing? was early progress sustained or did your late reader catch up/ over take?

am trying to make myself relax about it, but her teacher seems quite keen to tell me about all the key words that she can/ can't read.

tia

I apparently refused to so much as contemplate reading at 5 - went to school and recall hating the books we had to try to read, as the stories were just so disappointing once you'd done the work.

Then it clicked, I became an avid reader, and did a PhD in English.

I was an early reader and was way ahead of my peers in infant school. By the end of junior school most of my peers had caught up with me and steamed ahead of me in secondary school. I'm living proof that doing well in the early years is not a sign of future intelligence.

My db did not read until he was at least 6 or 7. He is now a university professor, reads about 20 languages and is really seriously bright.

Dd only caught up with reading about age 6, but has been top of her class in literacy since Year 4. She has overtaken several of the spectacularly early readers in the neighbourhood.

As Roisin says, it's not about how early you click; it's about what happens after that.

Such a relief to hear some of the posts on here! My Reception age (July birthdays) have really been struggling to read, and others are streets ahead. Have been so worried, but am less so now.

my dd1 very slow reader - mixture of poor teaching in yr 1 and general dislike for all academia, been having learning support etc, etc but suddenly now aged 9 has lept ahead ( though still doesn't like readinf or pleasure )

There was a study a few weeks ago, I think, which showed no link between early reading ability and final educational achievement?

In reception, there can be such a gap between those who have 'clicked' and those who haven't, but in every subsequent year, the gap becomes less noticeable.

I've had two children that were very late readers who went on to excel in school and one who continues to struggle with reading still at 13. If I had a teacher who was keen to share key words with me, which I have had actually, then I would write them down and make an ongoing list out of butcher paper or poster board for child at home.

I was quite an early reader and I recall being bored out of my tiny skull in infants classes because the rest of the class weren't as advanced. That, in turn, led to a dreadful habit of day-dreaming in class which didn't do me any favours in later years

By contrast, both of my kids "clicked" with reading half-way through their respective year 1s and have since more than caught up with the rest of their classes. More importantly, they both show real interest in books and reading far beyond what I had at their ages.

My father didn't learn to read until he was 7

He is - I'm not joking - a rocket scientist, a professor and has a knighthood for services to science.

So I wouldn't worry too much

My DH (who is severely dyslexic) was not "functionally literate" until he was 15.

He has an honours degree in Computational Sciences from St Andrews University and runs his own software development company.

And my DB was a very late reader - couldn't read fluently until secondary school, but now has an MSc in Enviromental Science.

So no, not necessarily!

I started reading when I was 3 (my dad taught me, instead of bed time stories) and am the family underachiever. I have read a lot, but thats about it

db, otoh, was slow to read and not remotely interested in anything other than car magazines for years - he's a successful designer with his own business, fluent in 3 languages.

So there you go. I wouldn't connect early reading with anything much either way.

Einstein was a late speaker and a late reader. (dyslexic)
I agree with teachergran that the right method of learning to read is crucial. However I also think it's harmful for children to be forced to learn to read too early - i.e. before they are ready.

DD didn't get reading in yr 1, started slowly was prob just about average in her class by the end when there were a few free readers, yr2 made progress at a steady rate got a 3 in KS1 English so applies herself well. Summer holiday between Yrs 2 & 3 "something happened" got into Enid Blyton wishing chair stories at the beginning of the holiday and upto Famous Five, via the St Clares and other school series on the way!!returned to school, jumped levels in her reading overnight, reads a couple of books at least, plus her school ones as well, per week.

DS now in year1 and we seem to be going the same way again - far more relaxed now and just ignore the "my childs s free reader aged 2.5" type (!!)comments that worried me before.