Message for mrz (or anyone with ideas for increasing confidence of slow reader/writer!). Quite long post!

[kdk]

Hi mrz

was really impressed with your ideas about helping increase writing skills and was wondering if you had any suggestions that might help the confidence of my dd.

She is five and starting yr 1 in sept and has found reception quite hardgoing. She is a twin and her brother on the other hand has really enjoyed his first year at school and has made friends and progress in reading and writing.

I think that part of her problem is that she compares herself to her dt although they are in separate classes - she says 'K reads for me' etc.

I'm not sure whether to just leave her to get there in her own time or try to help her. She has a tendency to be in her own world and I am worried that she may just drift into being behind ...

Probably just taking it all a bit too seriously ... but any advice/reassurance gratefully received!

TIA

At 5 I'd say keep an eye on her, but give her a chance to get there in her own time before getting worried. It must be difficult when you have such a direct comparison, i.e. her twin, but it just takes a bit longer for it to "click" with some kids.

DD was about to turn 6 when she stated kindy this year (reception equivalent in Oz) and I kind of assumed because of her age that between going to pre-school and me doing bits with her at home last year she would pretty much be reading by the time she started school. She wasn't, and showed very little interest in it, but you could nearly see the light being switched on shortly after her 6th birthday and she is now reading really well only 5 months later.

Have a word with the teacher to make sure there are no specific concerns, but take heart from the fact that in a couple of years time nobody will remember who the early readers were (apart from their proud parents of course ).

I know what you mean - and I think if she was a singleton I wouldn't be so concerned but she already sort of compares herself to her brother and says things like 'I'm no good at reading but K is' or 'K can do my reading/words for me'.

She's also (like me I have to say) a bit of a daydreamer ....

But like you say,she's only 5 and is certainly bright and more importantly happy so think I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that it all clicks in the next year or so!

My advice would be to stop worrying and spend time reading together which I know you will do already.
I'm a big fan of phonics for learning the early skills to help children decode and there are some great free resources on Phonics International with my class I also use Phonics Zone and Phonics play for lots of fun games songs and stories that children enjoy.
Often it is a confidence thing and once children feel they can read (are given the tools to be able to read) they suddenly take off as readers. I had one mum come to me in January because her child wasn't reading at all and showed no interest in learning now he is a free reader and can pick up any book and read it (only limited by his understanding at age 5).

Children do develop at their own speed but we can help. I would try to make it so she doesn't realise she is being taught. When shopping say "can you pass me a /t/ /i/ /n/ of /b/ ea/ /n/ /s/" or "look at that /r/ /e/ /d/ dress" or " can you /j/ /u/ /m/ /p/"? help tune in for blending.

Does she know all her letter/sounds?

I do a lot of clapping or stamping syllables in words and squashing compound words together so might say "lady" ....... "bird" "what's the word? "car" ......" park" "foot" ......."ball" you get the idea.

sorry very disjointed post