Reading - honest answers please!

[stroppyknickers]

DS is 5, nearly 6 and started year 1 this term. He can't read more than 8 words (after a burst of teaching by granny)but does know all his letters and numbers. He can just about write his name. He doesn't seem to be alone in this, in terms of last year's reception class. I think only one could read (taught at home before school). The school used to send words home for him to learn, which we hardly ever did. Time/ babies/ knackered after school etc. This is my question. Can your year 1 child read and is that down to the school or did you teach them at all? I'd quite like to avoid any g and t types (unless with ice and a slice ) as I already feel like he's going to be one of those biys who can't read/ join a gang/ drop out at ten/ horrible scenario/ late night stressing...

oooooh, I loved the naughty little sister books when I was little.

Stroppyknickers

I would be very concerned about the reception class teacher's competence if only one child was reading at the end of the school year so don't write your ds off yet.

You say that he knows all his letters but it is currently government guidelines that reading is taught through sounds (phenomes) rather than letters. 26 sounds for the alphabet but there are over 40 sounds in total and these are the building blocks to sounding out new words or "decoding" them. Words that can't be sounded out are classed as "tricky" words and learned by sight.

I would approach the year 1 teacher and see what the response is.

sorry , think that should be (phonemes) but I'm not sure , anyway, the Jolly Phonics scheme is a good starting point.

I agree with wannabe - the school is failing your child as by the end of reception they should at a minimum be able to read 45 key words.

My DD has just started yr1 and can read any book or magazine she picks up, she is by no means the most advanced in her class they are other children in her class more advanced. When she started reception she couldn't read at all, she did know her alphabet, but not phonics, so everything she learnt was at school with support at home.

In DD's class there are children at all levels, but the school offer lots of support to children who are struggling. A number of children are daily readers which means a member of staff or parent helper will read with them each day in school. All the children have a reading book sent home each night and are encouraged to read for at least 10-15 mins each night.

I would suggest that you get some books that follow the same scheme they use in school and read them with your DS each night you will find after a while he will start to recognise the words and eventually may want to read some of the book by himslef.

Also I would speak to the literacy co-ordinator to see what targets they are working towards.

Good luck.

Marina,

can you define "viciously hothoused" for us.

How do you know only one child in his class can read?

My DS1 has started Year 1 today and just turned 5 in August. He is not a great reader compared to most of the other chidren in his class but can read most simple 3 letter words and a few 4 letter words if he 'sounds them out' first. He can write his name and a few simple words (from memory) and is just starting to put letters together phonetically to try and make words. He can count to 100 (with occasional hesitation, write numbers to 10 and add and subtract small amounts if he has counters to use. His teacher is not worried but he is behind most of the class.

From this I would conclude that you DS is probably a little bit behind where he should be - have the school expressed any concern? If not i wouldnt worry too much but do the best i could to support his learning at home. FWIW I hear that a lot of boys who 'struggle' in Reception come on leaps and bounds in years one and two. HTH

How about flashcards from babyhood, no toys ever seen in house, parent hassling class teacher weekly for more difficult material and boasting incessantly about said child's advanced reading skills that the school is just not doing enough to foster.
Honestly, I do plenty with my dcs and feel it's very important to encourage reading etc, but this parent just exudes stressy pressure and I feel sorry for the child. He has no idea how to play IMO.

That sounds pretty odd
flashcards from babyhood

There are at least 5 children that read as well as dd in her class. None of whom have been hothoused afaik. They all seem normal fun kids

DS1 going into Y1 was on ORT level 5, his reading really took off in Y1, started Y2 as a free reader.

Dd is reading ORT 8-9 going into Y1, but she has found it very easy.

Lots of the children in ds1's class when he went into Y1 couldn't really read at all - but they can now!

My DS1 has just started yr1 - he can read some (recognises some words, sounds out others, makes up others ) but generally isn't really that into it - much prefers maths .
I know there are others in his class that can read better (and presumably some that read worse). I have similar issues around time, tiredness, nursery pick ups etc, which is made more difficult when he doesn't really want to make the effort to read himself and have been pretty slack over the last year but absolutely intend to make some time with him this year.
I have also heard of a recent study whereby focusing on reading (for 1/2 hour bursts) between the ages of 5yrs 7mths and approx 6.5 years (may be wrong on ages) has demonstrated a significant improvement bringing poorer readers to the top of their class. This sits more alongside the Scandinavian approach (mentioned earlier) - I do think there is too much focus on this too early in this country - if he enjoys books (ie you reading to him etc), I wouldn't worry too much at this stage, but would see if you can make the time (1/2 hour a week should be manageable?) and don't write him off as a gang member drop out at 6 !

seeker - as I have just spent a small fortune on bond level 3 eng/maths/vr/non vr, any help gratefully received! Already started a moaning thread about the 11 plus. Only good thing is ds2, age 3, now knows when to use an apostrophe...
fallen - no, he can't decode. they do phonics but he can't work out words. mum taught him the old fashioned look and say.
catchment area very good, thankyou seeker we are all a bit posh round here, but not quite as posh as those on the other side of the road. (moved dd from that school as far too much private tuition going on)

Don't panic about comparisons with other children mentioned on here of about the same age, at this age the variety in ability in a class is usually huge, but will decrease as they get older, when most will have learnt all the basics and just those with underlying difficulties and SEN will still ahae a large gap.

Not being able to read at the end of reception does not indicate SEN, it's well within the normal range at this point.

Reading for most children usualy clicks sometime in Yr1 or 2, sometimes Yr3 and beyond that usually indicates some underlying diffculties with literacy.

So you don't need to panic yet, but I would talk to the teacher ASAP, let them know you want to support him and that you are on their case.

My DS is doing Headsprout, as receommened on here (interenet phonic scheme with daily lessons) it seems pretty good (bit american) maybe have a look at that (you get 3 free sessions) as a way of supporting him at home.

This parent is mad though CD. I was stalked at a soft play area after their second child was born five days early at the very end of August, instead of early September as expected. I was asked to provide feedback on whether my ds or dd were socially and academically disadvantaged by being summer children .

blimey. crossposting massively!
atar - sounds exactly like my ds! gangthing bit prem but he is very keen on guns...currently wants to join the navy.
seeker - general chatting to other parents of last year's reception. only one has mentioned that hers can read, the other are all still on letters and the odd word. not that i am interrogating them!
Good advice bonnie. Am planning to get in to the classroom asap.
Just ordered ORT stage one storybooks/ work books and first words. DH will be surprised when he gets his credit card statement

stroppyknickers that is just were my ds was last year, mine has just strted year 2 and is 6. Coming out of year 1 he was on ORT level 4 and most of the time his hand writing and letter formation was appalling (not that I told him that) Getting him to read a book was like getting him to fly to the moon and back, what a chore. His reading was robotic, and he would flouder and spend ages on words that had appeared on the previous page.

Throughout the summer we did no formal reading. Of course we had days out, we went to the library, I read to him, but as far as 'homework' goes we did none.

Yesterday he came home with his first rading book and it was teh first time ever he read me a whole story using expression, and not just saying words IYKWIM!

I think, eventually they just get it, but at different timsa!

I would agree about the suddenly clicking. my dd1 was barely reading at the end of reception (ORT level 2) but in September of yr 1 was suddenly reading fine (ORT level 6) and now at 8 her reading is very good, one of the best in the class. And she's always got her nose in a book. After being not at all quick to learn how to read.

I disagree so strongly with whoever said 'the school is failing your child as by the end of reception they should at a minimum be able to read 45 key words'. This is an artificial target that has no bearing on the achievement of real, worthwhile literacy. If parents are taking it seriously, that is a terrible indictment of the way education policy has gone in this country recently.

My 3 dc all vary and have learnt at different speeds so don't worry about comparing with other children.

Dd1 (nearly 10 now) took until well into yr2 before she took off with reading and only really strated to love it during yr3. Now she's a complete bookworm.

Now dt's (nearly7) have just begun yr2. Dt1 steams ahead with everything, dt2 finds it blooming hard but plugs away and is getting there slowly but surely.

She was pretty much at the point you describe your ds at the start of yr1 last year.

Tbh Reception for her was difficult wrt reading and writing. She (well both of them) was swamped with lists and lists of words. I stopped worrying about them. She had had enough by the end of school and would become v distressed about the whole thing. I was concerned we were turing her off the whole idea of reading. My goodness, reception is surely more about just learning to be at school in the first place, but piles of words kept arriving home every week .

I think in some cases it's too much too soon.

She is aware her brother finds it easier and sometimes gets downhearted but I really play that down. She tries tremendoulsy hard and I'm very proud of her. Now it's really started to click with her and most importantly she is still very enthusiastic.

I agree with other posters who suggest that the school doesn't seem to be doing what you might expect. Ds started Reception knowing letters, numbers and able to write his name (not done at home - taught by pre-school attached to his primary).

Going into Yr 1, he is on ORT level 4 but has come on a lot over the summer and I'm hoping they might bump him up a bit. Can you do some phonics with your ds? That has really helped with ds's reading and he is able to do a lot of free reading as a result (I will overhear him sounding words out to himself when he's in his room ). It also helps with his spelling; he can spell a range of basic words and we get some exciting versions of the rest, but you can see that he has spelt them by breaking them down phonetically. So I can really recommend that.

Zazette, I believe the 45 key words thing has been replaced by a slightly different word scheme now anyway.

I think many of us hearing alarm bells ringing because the OP says that she knows of only 1 child in the class who could read at the end of reception and this child was taught to read at home anyway.

It does sound as though the teacher isn't very successful at helping children learn to read.

Stroppy, be wary of the old ORT books (ds had some very early ones with undecodable words in which were not covered by tricky words either), the ORT songbird phonics are better for linking in with the phonics method of teaching. You can sometimes get them in packs quite cheaply from bookclubs or eBay etc. There are many other recomendations on MN, just try a search.

Can I also sugest Cat in the Hat. Dd loves this. The stories bounce along and rhyme satisfyingly but aren't too difficult.

I concur with Tsar, Cat in the Hat, ABC and Hop on Pop have just got my DS 3 starting to read. I can recognise letters now out of context from the books. Dr Seuss are good for building confidence, but in fact for boys any simple reading material even magazines that fire his interest iykwim will help.

PS no hothousing here, he is just motivated himself

Right my DS is 7 and has just started year 3. He is a fantastic reader who has read two Harry Potters over the summer hols, plus countless other shorter books, football mags etc.

When he went into year 1 he could not read all the reception key words. He could read very basic stories - the sort with two sentences per page. In the autumn term of year 1 it clicked and he raced ahead. by Christmas he could easily read all the reception and KS1 words. By the middle of y2 he had a reading age of 10.6.

It is possible that your DS could be like that. I would think though that you should prioritise reading to him and with him.

The Dr Seuss books were the first ones that DS could read on his own and they really helped him.

He is now in Yr 3 and on Stage 8 ORT. Reads them no problem. Is reading Horrid Henry etc on his own.