Kumon for early reading?
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Anonymous
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Anyone have experience they can share with Kumon classes for teaching preschool age children to read? Are there any other reading enrichment programs for preschool ages?
Our soon to be 4yo (oldest) is expressing some interest in learning how to read. She's always been book-obsessed since she was a baby, and pretty insatiable in terms of being read to and having stories told to her. For several months now, she's been "pretending" to read - an odd display of sitting in her bed late at night, going through piles of books, sounding out words, but not actually reading from the book, reciting from memory or making it up based on the pictures she sees. I've made some weak disorganized attempts to teach her how to sound out simple words. However, I don't think I'm a good teacher, and I don't think I'm patient enough. Also, our daughter has always been especially stubborn when it comes to being instructed - she likes to do things HER way, even if it's the wrong way, and nothing I do or say can change her mind. We've made no progress. On the other hand, in general, she is also a freaking sponge, takes in everything and LOVES learning - it just needs to be on her terms, her way. I was actually hoping she would just eventually pick up reading on her own, without me having to teach her, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. So hence I'm considering exposing her to something like Kumon. Any advice appreciated. TIA. |
Anonymous
| bump |
Anonymous
| Lmao. It doesn't look like she is going to pick it up on her own?! Pretty sure this is a troll but your kid still has about 2.5 years to pick it up before anyone would bat an aye and a good year and a half to pick it up in order to be considered an early reader. Chill. |
Anonymous
| Sorry, bat an eye. |
Anonymous
| Try the book Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons. |
Anonymous
| She's three. She is already learning to read. The "odd display" is her learning to read. She doesn't need Kumon. Given time and access to appropriate reading material which you are already providing, she will pick it up just fine. Let her be. |
Anonymous
Maybe. Or maybe she won't. Some kids learn to read on their own. Most kids don't. |
Anonymous
| Preschool prep, leap frog videos, and flash cards and other games/toys and basic step readers. I would not do kumon for that but buy their workbooks for other stuff. |
Anonymous
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You can try Bob Books. Also- our public library had a free program for a while. Don't pay for kumon. The program is way too drill and kill for a small child. Leap frog videos, kumon workbooks, etc.
Read "read aloud handbook" and "reading magic" Letter magnets. Label everything in the house. Etc. Check Pinterest for ideas. You have plenty of time. Let her learn slowly. No need to rush. |
Anonymous
I was lazy and disorganized, taught myself to read at age three and was distressed when DD did not do the same. When she entered K (she was a summer baby, so barely five), she read at like level... C? Something like that. It wasn't impressive. At the end of K, she was somewhat better, but nothing nuts. By age seven, she read all of the Harry Potter series. I'm not saying there was a great deal of comprehensions with the later books, but she sat down and read them all. Now, she reads everything she can get her hands on. So don't sweat it. Sometimes letting kids figure this out themselves is the best way for them to learn. |
Anonymous
| She's 3. |
Anonymous
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If it's your child showing the interest, Leap Frog Letter Factory really helped both of my kids. Both knew letter sounds by 2 and started reading simple books like Hop on Pop at 3. My 6 year old now reads at a 4th grade reading level and my 3 year old reads at a 1st grade reading level.
If the child isn't interested in learning to read, it can be difficult. My youngest had an interest because my oldest can read. |
Anonymous
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There are pros and cons to drill and kill techniques like Kumon. On one hand, they can be useful for developing specific skills, particularly for kids who struggle to learn the same skills in more natural contexts. If a kid is significantly behind in a skill (e.g. no letter names at 5, no sight words in mid K) a drill and kill program can give them critical skills that they need before the gap becomes so big that it's hard to catch up.
On the other hand, drill and kill techniques, particularly with a preschooler, can take the responsibility for learning away from a preschooler, and teach her to be passive about academics. Even if this leads to short term gains, it can result in long term losses, as the child stops seeking out the experiences that will develop her skills naturally. It sounds like OP's daughter has a natural curiosity about reading. She's motivated to try on her own, and is seeking out exactly the kinds of activities that will lead to the most reading growth. In addition, by focusing on retelling and remembering, she's building the foundation for comprehension and writing. In the long term, unless she has a severe reading disability (which is highly unlikely given what OP describes) OP's daughter will learn to recognize written words. The make it or break it skills, the ones you need to score well on an SAT, or excel in college, or be competitive in the word world are comprehension and writing. I would not do Kumon, or anything Kumon like with a 3 year old who is, according to the OP already doing well. To me, the risk of taking away that curiosity and the internal drive, isn't worth the benefits of reading a few months earlier. Since she's curious about the printed word, I'd naturally include activities that show her how reading and writing work in her day. For example, I might point out letters on signs and talk about what sounds the letters make, or play restaurant, and put together a menu together (What should we serve? Spaghetti, OK let's write it. SSSSSSpaghetti. Oooh, I'll start with an S . . . ). |
Anonymous
| I can't believe how many are taking this seriously. Of course not. Wtf? |
Anonymous
Q: My daughter, who is almost 4, really wants to learn to play piano and spends hours and hours "playing" piano. Should I get her lessons? A: No, of course not. Just keep providing an enriched environment with plenty of piano music, and she'll learn to play piano eventually on her own. |