Reading and writing trajectory

[Yukisen]

Has anyone had a child who was on the slow side regarding learning phonics when they started school? If your child was like this did they catch up or even exceed expectations when they were older or did they consistently struggle with reading and writing? Thanks.

[OhCrumbsWhereNow]

DD is severely dyslexic and didn't learn to read until she was 7, and due to a combination of dyslexia and hypermobile fingers she never wrote more than a couple of lines at primary - and her spelling and punctation was pretty non-existent. She had a term of 1-2-1 help after school for the phonics test to get her through it.

She's now in Y10, just got solid G7 in English Lit and Lang in mocks and is on track for 8/9 next year in English and other 'wordy' GCSEs.

She doesn't really read, still can't spell except phonetically or punctuate - but we taught her to touch type in Y6 and that made all the difference. Suspect she won't get the 9 due to losing SPAG marks but it's a world away from where we were when she was 7.

[Hopebridge]

Yes. My DD actually had visual stress. She got diagnosed and it really helped. She went from a struggling reader to in year 3/r and beyond being a greater depth reader and got GD in her reading and SPAG SATS.

[whereonthestair]

Yes. My DS failed all phonics screenings, it made no sense to him. The part of his brain which does auditory processing is damaged (he has cerebral palsy so we know more than many) and was below expectations until year 5 then caught reading up but not writing in year 5 and 6. He can't write well due to his disability but can type. He speaks slowly and thoughtfully. He is now in Year 9 and top of his very academic class on English provided that he gets the extra time to which he is entitled

[Rhayader]

My eldest ended reception on the lowest possible reading band - she couldn’t blend words at all - but by the time she started year 1 she was reading at greater depth, something just clicked for her over the summer.

Shes year 6 now and not top of the class but top 20% and she’s particularly good at reading.

[MeanLeanRunnerbean]

My DS really struggled with reading writing through primary school. By year 6 he'd caught up with his reading and was actually a year ahead age wise (but in a class of kids who were almost all 3+ years ahead reading age wise so still towards the bottom of the class). He never passed his phonics screening and just missed out on a pass for his English SATs. He's in KS3 now and has a reading age 3.6 years ahead. He finds English hard but is more or less on track. He has handwriting support but nothing hugely tangible.

[MuddyBoots21]

My DS struggled with writing massively in the early years of primary. Reading was average but writing was a different matter. He didn't put any vowels in words at all. I distinctly remember seeing his written work on the wall and his was incomprehensible compared to the other members of his class. His teacher assured me that there was nothing wrong and he would come through it in his own time. I worried and worried. I needn't have. She was right, he did it in his own time. He is now in his first year of GCSE and predicted a 7 for English.