How much can your 4 (nearly 5) year old read?

[nonamemummy]

DS started reception in September. He is one of the youngest, he isn’t 5 until June and most of the other children started at 5. Whilst doing zoom lessons through lockdown I noticed a lot of the other children could write some words, but my ds can’t write anything. He can’t read any words yet either. He could probably slowly blend out some easy words but I just feel like he’s probably way behind his peers. I guess I’m just looking to see how much other people’s children were reading or writing at 4 almost 5?
Thanks!

You will get a huge range of answers to this question as all children are different.
I dont think its anything to worry about yet but playing lots of word games and blending helps them to learn the words. Eg.. magnetic letters and switch/swap them around... cap to cat to can etc,
Also read to him lots and point to the words as you read, ask him if he can find the word 'the' (for example) on the page

Definitely make it fun though! 🙂

My son recognises a few letters, but not all and definitely can't read any words and can only write his name which is 3 letters long! He was 4 in November.

Current 5 year old (girl, youngest of three) in reception can read year 2/3 books and write sentences.
However - her brothers, now aged 7 and 9, could not have given a monkeys about reading or writing. Neither got past basic sounding out until towards the end of reception and joined reception class unable to write anything or read. They’re now well ahead of where they need to be and still aren’t that interested.
Same parents, same school. Kids are so different. Start worrying if the gap is still there by end of year 1 into 2. Otherwise read him lots of books, encourage Mark making but don’t stress about it and he’ll no doubt get there

I wouldn't worry too much. At nearly 5 DD was exactly where your son is now - could blend some easy words but couldn't write and couldn't read. Something just 'clicked' at 5y9m and she went from reluctantly sounding out Biff and Chip to reading quite fluently. A year later she's now 'above expectations' in reading and is reading independently for fun.

My eldest could read a worst witch book by foundation stage. My youngest was still guessing at blended words at age seven. Honestly, there’s no point in comparing your child to others. Lots of positive support at home and one day it will click. Also, listening to stories on audible will help.

He can only recognise the letters in his name.

No words.

DD2 was going c-a-t dog? This time last year. She's a May birthday. She can now read Worst Witch. Something clicked in Sept when she started Y1 and she made loads of progress by Xmas.

My son can’t blend out any words or write any letters. He has just turned five and is in reception. He can currently only recognise some phonics and say the letters. However we suspect dyspraxia and he is being investigated for potential ASD. I know from receiving Christmas/birthday cards that a lot of other children in his class can write their names by now.

That is still so young op. Just make it fun and enjoyable. With mine it took until 6 to 'click' and now they love reading and above average now.

My dd who is three months younger that your ds can’t read or write at all.

I’m not sure that’s helpful though because she’s still in nursery and won’t start reception till September.

I wish school started later, 4 is an age learning through play, not phonics.

Dd couldn't read a word until about 5 and a half. Then she took to reading really quickly all of a sudden. And finished the infants reading scheme by the end of year 1. She could only write her name until she was 6. She's in all top sets for GCSE. Honestly, don't worry. He'll do it when he's ready. Read to him, get him thinking about things. That's more important.

My friend was a volunteer in year 1. So 5 year olds. Some could read fluently from chapter books others were still struggling to recognise individual letter sounds. It tends to even out slot around year 2.

mine are all teens now, but for various reasons, I can remember this

ds - slow reader, phonics like pulling teeth, not reading really until year 2.
dd1 - we didn't do anything before reception, she went from zero to chapter books in first term of reception, and the teacher didn't believe it.
dd2 - steady down the middle, learnt everything put in front of her, and made good steady progress, but not a high flyer.

But now as teens, they are all at grammar school and doing well.

All kids are different

Similar to pp dc1 jul bday fluent by end of yr r at chapter books.
Dc2 csa start and actually still isnt top for reading at nearly 6 in yr r. Lockdown didnt help as i worked more with eldest and school provided zero phonic books. But mainly dc2 just isn't interested yet so doesnt try or look at the page. But can sound out and blend a-Z and some diagraphs. And writing shape is much better than dc1 was well even in yr 1. But content isnt as good.

Important part is
Reading is mainly done at home. With both dc school has barely ever read with them.
6 times all reception with teacher/ta for dc1.
Dc2 so far maybe twice.
So it's really then up to parents.
Obviously they do a bit as a class in school.
But this variation is why im glad dc2 is older. We've had ongoing issues with dc1 just not with learning - so far. (Friendships/behaviour).
Being good at reading is less important than friends.

My son could barely read at the end of reception, something clicked on year 1 and now a good year or two ahead of the average

S1 was assessed at the beginning of reception (so three months away from 5th birthday) as having a reading age of 7.

S2 couldn't read at all at the beginning of reception (4 and a half) and was given the wordless books to start with.

(S1 read LotR age 8 and is training to be an engineer. S2 - now just 18 - had Witcher and Tom Clancy books on his Christmas list and is doing well in Essay Subjects.)

Can he hold a pencil? Does he colour in, or do dot-to-dot?

DD at that age was reading the faraway tree books, worst witch series as well and some roald dahls. DSS is nearly 5 and can recognise his own name and thats pretty much it. All kids are different and this year there will be an even wider range than usual. Nothing to worry about unless the school says there is - he sounds fine for his age

Ds1 has always struggled with his reading but there were clear reasons for this and he was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Ds2 struggled with phonics and was in the 'cause for concern' group throughout reception and year 1. However suddenly in year 2 he 'got it'. He has now got one of the highest reading ages in his year group at secondary school.

Ds3 was completely different to both ds1 and ds2. He has made steady progress throughout primary school.

So even within one family there is a huge variation in how quickly and easily children learn to read, and as can be seen by ds2 how well you read in reception does not really effect how well you read as you get older.

The most important thing with all my ds was reading to them as much as possible and not making reading a 'chore'. Even though ds1 has dyslexia his knowledge of stories and how they work is still good.

Not a lot.
And if my 20 years experience as a primary school teacher is anything to go by, nothing for most children.
Think my 2 could read and write their names and recognise a few sounds.
They are now both working well beyond the expectations for their age.
School is much more interested in whether your child can sit, listen, engage. Can they follow instructions, dress and toilet themselves. Play with others. These things are much more important.

My summer born boy had an incredibly difficult time in reception, his reading was ok and actually he was blending and reading simple cvc words in nursery. However he was just not interested and we had daily battles with reading, not helped by a reception teacher who made him write in a formal classroom from day 1 - he hated it and this sealed his fate with this teacher for the rest of the year really. He went backwards in reading during the first lockdown finishing reception on red books when he had been on yellow before lockdown. Fast forward a few weeks to the summer holidays and his fifth birthday and it all just clicked with him. Now in Y1 and he is pretty fluent and not 6 until July. He's still not that interested in reading but will do it every night - grudgingly! At home he reads purple books with more than 95% accuracy and good comprehension with is middle Y2 level ish (still on orange at school though reading those with 100% accuracy). I cannot believe the difference in his reading now compared to this time last year. Please do persevere with reading every day. It certainly paid off here.

When I was teaching, I taught year 3 for a few years.
Every year I would have a group of 3-4 boys who started the year in the bottom quarter, struggling with reading, during the year the penny would drop and they would take off with reading and end up in the top quarter of the class, reading fluently.

I think it is something you find with some boys, and my son fitted that profile too, struggled in the first couple of years.
It is one reason that I think schools should teach reading later, many kids are not ready

DS is in reception, will be 5 in august.

He has always had the knack of blending, so can read individual words fairly well and knows most of his sight words. But getting him to do it is a real battle, he's just not interested.

He got his first reading books home last week, they don't start them until Summer term at his school. He got a Jolly Phonics book which was fine and a Biff and Chip Stage 3 which was too hard for him. I'm going to ask for him to go back to stage 2. It's difficult enough to get him interested when he can read the books, let alone if they are too hard. I'm concerned that by pushing him I will do more harm than good and put him off. I think softly softly and a lot of bribery may be the key.

If you Google Early Learning Goals Reception then you’ll see what the end of year expectation is. It does sound like your son is a way off (I’m a reception teacher) so I’d ask the school what phonics intervention he is having. Lockdown/bubbles bursting will have had a massive impact but there’s lots to do at home which can help. Phonicsplay website has lots of games and the teach your monster to read app has always gone down well with my reception classes.

It just varies very widely at this age. If you can spend 10 minutes one to one with him every day practising a bit of writing out simple words like cat, hat, mat in patterns that will help and counting up and down on a number chart.
My youngest was 4 in December and is not yet at school and can read Ort stage 3 books quite easily, 4 bit more of a challenge. She can recognise and count numbers to 100 and write simple words. She is constantly getting our books and trying to copy them. She would love websites like Reading Eggs or Mathletics but I am feeling too stingy to pay up for them at this point. Perhaps do a trial if he likes online work? Short bursts one to one every day make a huge difference. People forget that there is hardly ever 1 to 1 at school.

As PPs have said every child is different so will the range of what they can do. My son is in Reception, but was 5 last December. Could just about write his name last September, which we taught during lockdown 1. He missed so much of the preparation for school it did worry me a little and I did think he was a little behind his elder brother. However, it was out of our control and school were very aware that in Reception class the range of abilities could have been impacted more than normal due to covid.
7 months later I'm so pleased with his progress and there's hardly any difference to the level his brother was at with reading. His handwriting is definitely better than his brother's though!!!
Please don't worry too much, I'm.sure he will be fine, but if your concerns are worrying you why don't you speak with his teacher.