Reception Year and NOT reading yet - anyone else?

[ksld]

I have just been looking through several Reception year reading level threads and worrying myself more and more. DS is summer born still just 4 and has not even started on any reading scheme yet. He can write and decode 3 letter words, and sometimes knows some tricky words but quickly forgets them.

I know he is behind a bit, but surely he is not the only one? Anyone else got a non reading child? Will he have lots of problems as he goes into Y1? Should I be teaching him to read?

The self esteem bit is tricky. I found that being the youngest meant that my boys were always trying to run to catch up with the others at everything, reading, sport, socialising...

I think it has made them more determined, and a benefit is that they are being constantly stretched. However, I did make sure I enrolled them in a swimming class where they were the eldest in the group, just so they didn't have to be the smallest for a while.

TBCoalman - can I ask what age your boys are now? Do you feel they 'caught' up with the learning and social aspects of school at a particular age? When did you start them with the swimming?

I am very keen to find something DS can do and do well so he has that to fall back on when he is struggling, but at 4, and a very young 4, I don't know yet what that something could be....

My boys are 6 and 8 now, ksld. I'd say they caught up fully with the learning by the middle of year 2 (age 6). The younger one has caught up socially already, mostly due to starting Beavers at 6 I think. DS1 is still quite immature at rising 9, probably because he only has younger siblings.

I've enrolled them in various classes and activities over the years, always trying to fit them into the top end of the younger group. They started swimming in year 1. TBH they were pretty wiped out by school at 4.

I don't see why your ds has to be good at something. My ds is reading at the same level as he did in nursery with little noticeable improvement, he can't swim despite having lessons since he was 6 months old, he is the slowest runner and will never be any good at sports because of joint problems.

He has absolutely no problems with his self esteem. He knows that whatever he does he will always have my praise so long as he tries his best. In fact we were at the theatre the other day - Old Mother Hubbard. The actress was playing OMH was saying that she was rubbish at baking cakes. Voice from the audience (ds) 'just try your best'!

MollieO didn't mean to offend - DS won't necessarily BE good at anything. I just meant that his self-esteem is already very low (I hope/guess that is just a part of his character rather than anything in particular I have done wrong). All the tips I have received for boosting his self-esteem have revolved around finding him something he can be good at...

As an adult with low self-esteem that is perpetuated by my parents constantly finding fault with me, I want to make sure I tackle DS's esteem problems while he is young so he doesn't suffer all his life.(Probably hugely over-reacting emoticon)

My DD1 will be 7yrs old in June and its only in the last month or so that it has 'clicked'.
Lots of tears of frustration in the past and me worrying but there is no need as it is literally 'overnight' that they finally get it and now she loves reading and wants to read everything in the house.
Got her a book on her favourite subject 'horses' to encourage her further and i'll let her have a go with the dictionary as well.
Reading early does not give you an advantage as in the end everyone catches up.

ksld - ds(7) has always been a good reader. At the end of reception he was one of top readers in his class. But guess what? Now in year 2 all the rest have caught up!! By writing 3 letter words you son has shown he has the skills needed to read, you just need to build on them.

I wasn't offended by your post ksld. I have a summer born prem 4 yr old ds so I can sympathise with what you say. I am surrounded by friends with over achieving children the same age and I do my best not to compare. It is hard but I do manage it.

Instilling confidence is the best thing you can do. I lacked it in spades, due to over critical parents. I am making very sure I don't do the same with ds. Equally I am careful not to set him up for disappointments.

Not all children can be good at reading, sports etc. I think the point I was trying to make (albeit not very well) was it is important to praise what they do whatever level that is. I don't think at this age children notice if they aren't as good at something as others. Certainly ds doesn't seem to notice or mind. He is friendly and sociable with lovely manners. All the other stuff will come in time, just not at the moment.

I do think that MN is overly represented in the my ds (2) can count to 100 in French type of child!

My ds is 5 in June and only started school in April so has done 5 weeks of school and only the last week being full time. He is no way able to read and now only has about 7 weeks left in reception so sure we won't have a reader by 23 July! We still have the Oxford reading tree books with no words in them (red I think). He is still dealing with the trauma of getting used to school and no way am I going to start worrying about him not reading. He knows some letter sounds so gentle encouragement there and loves books and I think that's enough pressure for now.

Neither of mine was reading at the end of Reception.

Dd, who is 12, has now just finished Vanity Fair and is moving onto A Suitable Boy (1300 odd pages). So somewhere between Yr 1 and Yr 7- it evidently happened.

Ds's confidence was a little knocked by always being behind in the first few years at school, but he is gradually becoming more confident (Yr 4 now); I don't think it's done any lasting harm.

What does his teacher say? What is she /he trying?

This is why I am not in favour of January starts tbh (DS1 started school in January).

But ksld be positive and don't be downcast. As others say, the yr 1 work will be set at his level. There is a huge range and I am sure reading will click for him soon.

My dd is a July birthday and is in Reception. She knows a very few tricky words and with encouragement can sound out three letter and occasionally four letter phonetically regular words. She is in the middle reading group in her class. She sounds very similar to your dc, OP.

My DS1 is a August born child and is now in year 1. He really didn't get the hang of reading in the reception year last year at all and then this year (Yr 1) it is like a light bulb pinged on and he is reading absolutley everyting not just school books. So I wouldn't worry too much, in fact I would say this year he has really got the hang of many school things, except reading which he finds really dull .

Both my summer born girls who are at school didn't learn to read until Christmas time in year 1 then they shot off!

I'm a teacher currently on maternity leave (Reception/Year one) Reading (& writing) is a developmental stage and usually it all "clicks" into place when they are ready. Usually with the younger ones it is in year one and occasionally year 2!!

Most schools now follow a Phonics Scheme of some sort or another and introduce more formal reading later.

We have adapted Jolly Phonics and other schemes to suit the needs of our children, and most children won't have a reading book to take home till they have completed/are near the end of our scheme. (they tkae home a sound books consisting of 6 letter sounds & a list of around 8 words that can be made with the set of letters they are on)

However, we still share books with all the children 1-2-1 and in small groups(4) where we talk about turning the pages in turn, 1-2-1 word correspondance, reading left to right and down the page etc (pre-reading skills)and most importantly (no matter what age) comprehension skills.

Although the majority of children learn to read & write using phonics, there are always a handful that learn through sight memory and/or in a context. These are the children that would benefit from having reading books early on.

I would argue against Forehead's comments, I have seen many children pushed & pushed with their reading when developmentally they weren't quite ready & suffer huge self esteem problems that plague them throughout their school days! That maybe what she has experienced!

The best approach for now is to continue doing whatever school has asked you to and read to/with DS, point to each word as you read, discuss pictures and the story (comprenhension skills outweigh technical skills in any assessments inc SATS) Develop an interest in books with him and allow DS to see you & DP reading for fun(especially DP)(not just bills & newspaper)and take it at DS pace!

Early Learning Goals

Some reassurance - bear in mind that very few children will achieve all statemnets in all areas!

TT29 i do not believe in pushing a child to read as was suggested by your post. I have taught all my children to read ,but have done so in an informal manner. My children enjoy reading.I think that many of those who work in education give the impression that it is extremely difficult to teach a young child to read. Teaching a child to read is only difficult if one does not possess the skills and techniques required to do so. Imho many teachers are not equipped to teach children how to read and therefore they believe that it cannot be done.
My summer born son is learning to read and is loving it and finding it quite easy. TT29, the proof is in the pudding.

I'm a reception teacher and there are a wide range of reading ability in my class of 30 children although they have had the same input in school. Some are fluent readers able to read any age appropriate book they pick up others are still at the reading scheme stage and others are at the sounding out nearly every word stage but all have had three full terms in school.

FWIW my summer born (prem ) son was reading before he was 2 years old without being taught and my summer born daughter was reading after a term in school so birthdays aren't always an indicator.

That sounds perfectly normal. Many schools won't want them to read before school in case they have learned to do it sans phonics as my son has.

The focus when starting school in reception is on self care and emotional and physical maturity.

When my sons went into year 1 reading ability ranged from those 'free' reading (off the scheme) and some who could barely sound there letters. I actually had one each end of the spectrum! It all levelled out by end of year 2 unless there was a Spld involved and actually some of those reading fluently did not turn out to be the highest attaining within a few years.

Good grief! The op is expecting a lot isn't she? He's only 4 ffs! By rights, he doesn't even have to start school until he's 5.

If it makes you feel any better, my ds is 5 and isn't reading either. He knows most of his alphabet but still gets d and b mixed up as well as u and o. He can remember the words to a story, but he doesn't know them out of context.

I would say he can properly read around 5 words. Words like 'a' for example!

I'm not in the least bit worried. Boys tend to be slower readers in general anyway and all children do catch up in the end. If you push him however, you'll just slow him down. They have to learn at their own pace.

I highly recommend the old-fashioned Peter & Jane Ladybird books. I have just taught my 4 year old to read using them and the first one was the first book my other son read for the first time at 2 1/2. (We didn't push him, he just had a natural affinity with words and more or less taught himself) DS1 was very advanced with reading when he started reception BUT being ahead academically still hasn't seemed to help his confidence in Year 1. Even though I am pleased he can read fluently I still find the British rigorous approach to schooling at such a tender age ridiculous. I am american and learned how to read naturally when I was 6 1/2. This was considered very normal. It made no difference to my reading in school, in fact I was considered advanced in the same school year. The problem is not with the child I think, but a ridiculous pressure at too young an age. My 2 cents.