Dd going straight into year one- unable to read. How likely is it I can catch her up over the summer??

[littlelamb]

Dd was meant to start school in January, but we were only offered a place at a failing school, so we held out and now have been allocated our first choice. Dd will start in September, but go straight into year 1. I am worrying about how far behind she will be. I spoke to one of the other mums todya an she said they will all be able to read by the end of reception. Dd cannot read. She is very good at recognising her letters as her nursery were really good at introducing phonics, but I'm now worried that she will start at a real disadvantage. They do Oxford Reading Tree, should I try and get hold of some books and start doing a 'lesson' every day over the summer? Do you think the school would lend us the books over the summer? We are going to speak to the headteacher on Friday and it's my main concern really. Just how possible is it that I can catch dd up to a good level before September??

They won't all be able to read in Yr1 LL, so relax.
by all means get some ORT books, you can buy them from any bookshop and probably get them from the library too, but the first few stages are only pics or pictures and simple words.
If you are reading to her regularly, it won't be a problem. She'll catch up really quickly.

so has she no schooling at all this year btw?

Most children in my DD's year one class could read at the start of the year. The ones who couldn't had specific learning difficulties that meant they required additional support I would get some books for her and do some reading and writing and maybe soem numeracy over the holidays - don't make it too regimented so as to put her off.

It'll just give her a boost so when she starts school she'll be included in everything.

Thanks. No she's had no schooling, we do 'read' together a lot and do 'maths' when it crops up in real life so she can add and subtract pretty well, but I worry that as a Summer baby (birthday tomorrow ) she'll already be at a disadvantage. I'll speak ot the head and see what she thinks

You can get packs of Oxfoprd reading tree books from the book people - v. cheap !

This must happen all the time though so the teacher will be prepared to teach your child without you having to do all these lessons in the holidays. Is she just coming up for 5yo then? (Scottish system is different). I would think that there will be lots of children who are still at the starting blocks of reading. (?)

Littlelamb you say the nursery were really good at introducing phonics, do you know exactly what your daughter has been taught? It would help to know before answering your question. A year's school is a lot to make up in a few weeks. All my class will go into Y1 reading.

Hiya, I've got the pack from the book people for my dd, and they are really good - if nothing else it will get her used to the characters (who are very important to the kids ) and make her feel a bit more at home when she starts at school.

Speak to the school. Have a word with the current reception teacher and/or Y1 teacher. See what the Y1 teacher will expect in terms of academic stuff. Also see if they can let you borrow some books, starting now.

I would also have a look at some of the workbooks you can buy. You can get lots for this age and could do ten minutes of literacy and 10 min of numeracy between now and then, as well as some reading. Would only be half an hour a day.

The main thing is not to get all stressed now, by all means have a go at some things but don't try and cram her, neither of you will enjoy the summer.
Try labelling items around the house, use lowercase letters.
Make a colour puzzle with the names of the printed in the right colour.
Make a calendar so you can learn days of the week.
Get a list of the 45 reception keywords so you know which ones the rest of the class will have been working on.
Use those little magnetic letters to help her make three letter words for you to read.
And like HHGTTG says 'DON'T PANIC'

My DD started school in Year 2 as a non-reader and she was on the top table by half-term. She is now an academic scholar.

Can you send her to a tutor for say 1/2 hour a few times a week. practice practice practice seems to be the way to learn how to read. I do wonder what they mean by everyone can read at the end of reception. Do they mean they can read HArry potter or they can read two letter words such as "it" or "me". DD is finishing year 1 and I would have said "she can read" a year ago. Also, I would probably to aiming to see her caught up by the end of the year, and not over the summer. That is a tall order for a 5/6 year old.

And, you for you for holding out for the school you wanted. She will be better off in the long run. In the greater scheme of her long term education does it really matter if she could read when she was five or when she was six?

A little girl I look after is about the same age as your DD (5 in August) and has been at school since last September. She only barely reads - she recognises letters/sounds and some words, but actually reading is still a bit beyond her. I get the impression many in her reception class are the same.

I really wouldn't worry. I am amazed that all children can read by the end of reception unless they have learning difficulties, that is a very unusual scenario. They should have a good grasp of phonics and be beginning to read simple cvc words, but reception is supposed to be more about learning through play.

It will all come together, so keep on doing what you are doing and enjoy your summer together.

Im not a teacher I am a nursery nurse(NNEB dip)but I have 3 sons and have succesfully home educated them all for various periods the youngest being 8 and hes never been to school although hes an excellent student.

Children cannot read until they are ready,until the letters join together and they can recognise them independently that is not reading its recognising words.

You cannot force this or even teach it in an academic year it really is when a child is ready it clicks into place.

However school can be v difficult for a child that doesnt yet read so its very important to try and guide a child to want to read and to do this I can reccomend several ways both orthodox and perhaps not so......

always have subtitles on the tv this helps link spoken and written words and sounds.

Look at pictures in magazines and write captions under them

make up silly rhymes - nickschick clock ticks etc etc

read everything tins of soup,newspapers bus tickets anything with her little and often.

get some reading books and sound out the words

practice the alphabet but do phonetics too a as in hay a as in hat etc

practice the alphabet the sounds and the shapes.

dont stress trust me it doesnt help,
ds1 was 4 he didnt talk but he could read,we sat and read through many books - very boring village with 3 corner stuff and really he learnt them by rote as opposed to reading and digesting

ds2 was quite honestly 7 before he 'got' reading in between that I cried I shouted I begged and I even had it as my birthday wish - it came but not when i wanted it when he was ready for it.

DS3- Ive never physically taught him to read- I taught him sounds and how to squish the sounds together to make the word and I would say hes been reading basics since he was 3 or maybe younger- no stress no tears (for either of us lol).

It will all come together.

Really, she won't stick out at all. I wouldn't bother with a tutor, I'd keep doing what you are doing, bits of practice over the summer if you both feel inclined. But even without that, it's quite possible she'll catch up pretty quickly, or otherwise, she'll only be around where a good proportion of the class are anyway.

It's only on mumsnet they are all fluent readers by 4. Not in the real world.

There aren't 45 reception keywords as they were scrapped 2 years ago.

Half a hour study is too long for a five year old if you want to do work over the summer I suggest you look at Letters & Sounds on the DCSF website nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/85409?uc=force_uj and spend 10 mins at a time (if you daughter wants to ... don't push or you will turn her off)

It depends on the school - some schools concentrate more on reading in reception than others imo. My son's a summer birthday and he can't read other than some of the key words yet either, but the school aren't worried and don't expect him to until yr 1 'at some point when it'll click'. He's far from being the only one, so I'd say talk to the teachers. If your school is like the one DS is at, I'd just enjoy the summer - you read to her lots anyway which is the most important thing. But if they really can all read, then check how they're taught before you wade in. You could make it harder for her if you teach her in a different way.

Do online data driven evidence based Headsprout with her over the summer.

Easy to use, you will need to do little more than sit with her and keep her on task for 3 20 minute sessions a week.

Subject of my MSc.

I wouldnt worry too much, DS is in Yr1 and although he had started to read in reception he was "free reading" and still isnt. None of the children left reception able to read properly.

I found out the phonics scheme and bought some items to use over the summer holidays and whilst he had the pox etc. Also used Oxford Reading Tree, Ladybird etc so that he didnt regress over the hols and it helped re-inforce his reading. He loves to read now and is progressing well through his levels.

The jolly phonics cd is great for the saying of the sounds and the songs catchy that they are picked up in no time.

Umm, does Headsprout use American spelling?

I go and tidy my kitchen and look what I come back to! Wow, thank you for all the good advice (and to you as always Fennel Mwah) You're all right of course, I will speak to the teachers and see what can be done. I don't know how much longer they have left of the summer term but it has crossed my mind about askign if she can go for the last few weeks before summer. I know they will be getting a new teacher in September though so it may not help at all.

Headsprout uses some US spellings

Maybe one or two but certainly nothing to worry about.
I used it on my own child 9non native speaker of English) and it made a huge difference as well as being somethnig she really really enjoyed.