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?

FWIW, my august born DS (5) has really struggled with reading and it is only now at the end of year one that he is starting to gain more confidence.

I have to say I agree with littletree when she says that there is too much pressure on children to perform at such a young age. DS went to nursery at the school he goes to now and at the end of nursery, he was 3.10, I had a real problem with school. At his first 'parent's evening' I was expecting them to tell me about his social skills, how he plays maybe his concentration and a little bit how he was doing on the learning front. Instead I was sat down with his teacher who proceeded to tell me all the things DS could not do (ie recognise a hexagon, write his name legibly, couldn't recognise all the high frequency words) and then they told me that as a result of a 3 year old not being able to do these things they were placing him on the special needs register. Now, as a teacher myself, I fully applaud recognising special needs etc etc however to put this pressure on a 3 year old boy was, ime, completely unacceptable. He was 3 FFS! This is indicative of the pressure that pupils are on, DS's current teacher said she had a target of getting all Year 1's to a certain level by the end of the year. Whatever happened to letting very young children progress at their own pace? Needless to say, fast forward 2 years and DS is starting to get the hang of this school malarkey and is coming on in leaps and bounds but the pressure on him has been way too much.

Please do not worry, your DS will come along in his own good time be that in a year or two or even 5. You sound like a very supportive parent and I am sure like many others one day he will just take off so to speak.

Out of interest, those who's DCs aren't reading yet, did you read to them as babies ie from birth (or realistically, say 5wo?)

I sit DD on my knee (aged 5 mths now) every evening and read her a picture story book, pointing to the words as I read them and then the illustrations as we go along ie leaf, caterpillar, moon, dog etc etc to help her match up the sound of the word to the writing and pictures. I swear she follows it

What I am trying to do is ensure that books and reading form a part of DD's consciousness from day 1.

Or am I wasting my time on such a young baby? (in terms of learning to read at least; I know she enjoys it as she is alert, interested and doesn't cry or squirm).

PS - not that I am trying to teach a baby to read , I mean that I am trying to foster a familiarity with books, words and pictures so it doesn't feel like "learning" at a later stage.

I've always read to my kids and have had them enrolled at the library since the age of 0. I'm an avid reader and a lover of books, so naturally I want my kids to be the same.

dd learnt to read pretty quickly, although she was in France for the first two years of her education and they didn't push the reading thing at all - preferring to concentrate on handwriting instead. By the time we left, dd was in Year Two here, but would have only just started 'proper' school in France and I suspect they would have started teaching them to read then.

Obv when dd started school in this country she was in Year Two and couldn't read English very well. But she quickly caught on and is now in the top group of her class, Year 4.

ds has books read to him by us every day and always has a bedtime story. Library visits are every week or so. Yet his progression is slow. That's not something I tend to focus on tbh. I know there are kids in his class who can read much better, but I know that ds will catch up. He'll learn in his own time, at his own pace. At their age it would be ridiculous to worry.

My DD is summer born and only had one term in reception before starting year one.
Its a lot to expect for a summer child to get in just one term.
Now she is catching up nicely and is perfectly average.

Exactly, I think you give them the tools and then let them go at own pace.

My DH is v bright, grade A's at A-Level in sciences & maths etc, good degree & is a high achiever but - was he keen on reading as a child? No. Is he keen on reading now? Hardly. He has been reading Marley & Me for two months now and isn't much past chapter 3

In the park after school today, we were discussing this. Between us we have four reception aged children, yet none of our DC are reading other than a few key words. None of us are worried, as they love school, are making fantastic friends, and are enthusiastic about learning. To me that's what's important at this stage. It's such a massive deal to start school and to think they actually want to go is all so important. When DS is ready, he'll read and so long as he's encouraged and guided in the right way I doubt it'll be long. Reception's about so much more than learning to read imo.

My August born DS1 was struggling with reading at the end of reception. Had the first leap forward at Christmas time (yr1) and is now v chuffed to be on ORT4. I am sure he is behind some of his peers but as others have said you just have to wait until their brain is ready to do it; when it is reading clicks.

Keep it fun and praise effort and the reading will come when they are cognitively ready.

Our school told us that some kids - especially boys - are just not developmentally ready to read until they are 6 and not to worry.

Sure enough, ds was over 6.5 before he "got" reading (ie towards the end of P2 - the equivalent of Y1). This was despite nearly 2 months of "extra" 1:1 coaching in early P2 while they tried to keep him in the top group for reading (as he was/is a bright kid), before we all agreed that it was best for his confidence if he moved down to the middle group.

2 years later, he is now nearing the end of P4 and at Easter the decision was made to move him back up to the top group. He is devouring the books he gets without problem.

The important thing is not to damage your ds' confidence and not to pressure him too much. He will get it - when he is ready.

Do you have a good relationship with the school - are they concerned? It might be worth having a chat with them to reassure yourself.