Is your kindergartener reading well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS isn’t at all.

My son’s kindergarten teacher never said my son was behind.

DS had a play date this morning with a boy in his class who is reading well.

I have 3 kids, none currently kindergarteners.

My oldest entered kindergarten not reading a word other than his name, and didn't really read "well" until about second grade. He could read the "on level" books in K and 1st but it was work. It wasn't until 2nd grade that things really clicked, and he would read for pleasure because prior to that the things he could read were kind of limited. He's in 7th grade now, and doing fine academically

My middle child, who is profoundly gifted, entered preK reading and comprehending novels like Harry Potter easily. He was clearly the outlier in his class, and his skills have continued to be far outside age expectations. He is now in 6th grade (after a grade skip, age wise he's a very young 5th grader) and working at a high school or college level across the board.

My youngest child entered Kindergarten with a more solid understanding of letters and sounds than his oldest brother, and with a handful of sight words like "stop" and his brother's name. He was reading well by about this time in K, by which I mean he could read a variety of picture books and maybe some very easy chapter books, not the Hobbit like my middle child read in K. He's in 4th now and doing fine academically although unlike my older two he has never had any interest in reading for pleasure, other than practical things (e.g. he likes to cook and will read recipes).

So, all three were in different places in K, and all are fine now. I wouldn't worry about your kid.

[Anonymous]

Please keep in mind that reading well is not just decoding words. Reading well is also understanding what you are reading. Most teachers actually prefer that a child is able to read at a lower reading level with strong comprehension rather than just being able to decode words but not understand what they have read. Keep reading with your child at home each night and talk about the characters, the themes, the plot, and the problem and solution in the story. Ask lots who who, what, why, when, where, and how questions. This is the foundation for building child who will grow to be a strong reader.

[Anonymous]

She's doing okay....reading at a level 7 so slightly ahead....her writing on the other hand is terrible so we practice a few times a qeek

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but we're homeschooling so they just learn what they're capable of learning without worrying about any schedules.

Both of my kids could read in preschool and they were...gasp!...in full-time daycare. Geez.

To the OP: I don't want to minimize your concern, but from what I have seen with my own kids' classes and from friends' and relative's kids, there is a huge spectrum in kindergarten with regard to reading ability. The kids all catch up within a few years after that. If you think there is more to it, by all means, speak with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Education begins at home.

There are a few kids who do just fine without much parental involvement, but the majority do better when their parents help them in their academic endeavors, as well as the rest.

I “taught” my kids to read when they were in preschool, they picked it up fast so it wasn’t an imposition.

Math, on the other hand, is another story. Uphill work. My oldest is now in high school and still needs his dad to help him understand some concepts.

[Anonymous]

Nope. But his older sister wasn't reading at this stage either and she's well ahead of grade level now. It will click at some point, and then it improves by leaps and bounds.

I do need to spend more time reading with him though, I've been way too lax about it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, tons of progress!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A child is not behind just because another child is doing something differently. And not reading well in February of kindergarten is not behind.

My child didn't read well/fluently until spring of 1st grade. He's now in 4th grade, in the highest reading group, and loves to read. He's indistinguishable from early readers.

If your child has signs of dyslexia -- difficulty rhyming or signs of poor phonemic awareness -- then worry. But not reading in kindergarten is totally normal and appropriate.

+1 There is lots of variance in typical kids. But if your child has difficulty rhyming or separating sounds in CVC words, please check it out. I would also check out the family tree for any history of dyslexia it might not have been formally diagnosed but are there grandparents/ aunts/ uncles who didn’t do well in school.

Schools are terrible at early identification of dyslexia, they tell you to wait and see. Dyslexia can be reliably diagnosed in kindergarten and early remediation is fastest and best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, tons of progress!

+1. And DS is on the spectrum! We have so many other struggles and we are really surprised this is one of them (so far- fingers crossed).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes because I taught him before he started K. I spent around $20 buying the book Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons. He was 4 when we started and did a lesson almost every day for 6 months. He repeated some lessons and the longer lessons we did over 2 days but by 4 1/2 he was fluently reading.

Your child is older. If you do a lesson a day you would finish by May. Don't wait for the school to teach him to read. Too many schools encourage guessing and memorizing little books instead of teaching phonics so kids learn to sound out any word.

Best $20 I ever spent on my kids education!

I did this too! I wouldn’t say that my child enjoyed it, but this was allowed as one of his quiet time activities, and he always chose to do this rather than take a nap. I would snuggle up in bed next to him, and we would sing the songs and do the lessons.

We have this book, too, but only because my kindergartener wants to be able to read. It’s really good and I like the logic behind it.

That being said, I don’t think fluent reading and writing is necessary in K. They’ll figure it out by 2nd grade or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A child is not behind just because another child is doing something differently. And not reading well in February of kindergarten is not behind.

My child didn't read well/fluently until spring of 1st grade. He's now in 4th grade, in the highest reading group, and loves to read. He's indistinguishable from early readers.

If your child has signs of dyslexia -- difficulty rhyming or signs of poor phonemic awareness -- then worry. But not reading in kindergarten is totally normal and appropriate.

+1 There is lots of variance in typical kids. But if your child has difficulty rhyming or separating sounds in CVC words, please check it out. I would also check out the family tree for any history of dyslexia it might not have been formally diagnosed but are there grandparents/ aunts/ uncles who didn’t do well in school.

Schools are terrible at early identification of dyslexia, they tell you to wait and see. Dyslexia can be reliably diagnosed in kindergarten and early remediation is fastest and best.

+1

Wish I had listened to my gut sooner. DD now in 2nd with dyslexia diagnosis that teachers didn’t pick up on.

[Anonymous]

Nope. She does fine at memorizing sight words, but can only sound out very short/simple words.
I don’t rent stuff exactly where her older sibling was at this point, but reading didn’t really click for her until the summer between 1st and 2nd, then she was reading and understanding Harry Potter by the end of 2nd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS isn’t at all.

My son’s kindergarten teacher never said my son was behind.

DS had a play date this morning with a boy in his class who is reading well.

Stop comparing your child to other children in class. Your child will learn to read at his own pace. If there’s a problem, I would assume the teacher would discuss it with you. If not, you should question the teacher directly. I have one child who did not read until the end of second grade. He is not a kid who loves to read. He’s currently in middle school and he’s doing just fine (although we did get him help and worked with him ourselves). My other child couldn’t read anything entering kindergarten and ended the year reading at an almost 3rd grade level. Talk to the teacher about your concerns.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but I had him in a preschool before, and paid for extra tutoring in reading. I also have my K-er in mathnasium. I think most K kids won't naturally be strong in reading or math without extra help beyond what is offered in school, unless it is an excellent private school. If the progress is stressing you out, and your own attempts to help aren't working, think about seeking outside help with a tutor or kumon type program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but I had him in a preschool before, and paid for extra tutoring in reading. I also have my K-er in mathnasium. I think most K kids won't naturally be strong in reading or math without extra help beyond what is offered in school, unless it is an excellent private school. If the progress is stressing you out, and your own attempts to help aren't working, think about seeking outside help with a tutor or kumon type program.

Yes, if your child's age appropriate progress is stressing you out, do something to stress out your kid instead. Because it's all about you.