Tell me about your 1st grade reader

[Anonymous]

My kid is in K still but quickly found a lot the early readers boring. She likes to learn facts about animals and we found this “be an expert” series on scholastic plus checking out library books on animals, planets and other things she’s into. It requires more parental help but she’s more investing and wants to read. A future non fiction reader like her dad I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in K still but quickly found a lot the early readers boring. She likes to learn facts about animals and we found this “be an expert” series on scholastic plus checking out library books on animals, planets and other things she’s into. It requires more parental help but she’s more investing and wants to read. A future non fiction reader like her dad I guess.

Everyone finds early readers boring. Their content is at a toddler level focused on rhyming, obvious patterns, simple words etc. they're clearly not books anyone would read to their 5+ yo child

[Anonymous]

I have 3 kids. My current 1st grader is a good reader. She learned to read in kindergarten and now reads early chapter books like magic treehouse.

I have a teen who couldn’t read until 2nd grade. I was concerned in kindergarten and first and teachers always said he was on grade level and improving. I think the bar is very low.

My middle child learned to read when he was 4 on his own and was an avid read all through elementary. He is now in middle school and I can’t get him to read at all.

My teen will likely be the strongest student of my three kids despite learning to read at age 7. I wouldn’t be too concerned about reading fluency at age 6.

[Anonymous]

Not another one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in K still but quickly found a lot the early readers boring. She likes to learn facts about animals and we found this “be an expert” series on scholastic plus checking out library books on animals, planets and other things she’s into. It requires more parental help but she’s more investing and wants to read. A future non fiction reader like her dad I guess.

Everyone finds early readers boring. Their content is at a toddler level focused on rhyming, obvious patterns, simple words etc. they're clearly not books anyone would read to their 5+ yo child

Early readers are meant for kids to read to themselves or others as they are learning to read, not for parents to read to kids.

There are National Geographic kids leveled readers. Same for Smithsonian kids. Did you know, Who would win are also great books to read with kids who like nonfiction. Depending on where you are in the early reading phase there are also Cat in the Hat Learning Library series.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It’s not appropriate for six year olds. Those are some dark nightmarish books. There’s his parents being murdered. He’s forced to live in a cruel abusive home until he was 11. Murders, tortures. It's fantasy but it’s violent. Six year olds believe in Santa Claus. They shouldn’t be reading this kind of bleak cruelty when they don’t completely understand fiction from reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It's definitely not. My 8 year old can read HP, but is a little hesitant because she thinks some of the content is too scary. When it comes up, I still encourage her to wait a bit longer to start the series. Just because they can, doesn't mean they should. Both because of the content, and because of the gap in comprehension. They'll get a lot more out of it if they wait until they're more mature.

If they are like my kids they’ll read them hundreds of times between 6 and 16, so if they miss things the first time it doesn’t matter.

The first few books are also not that scary. The first 3 books, and especially 1 and 2, are written to a level that early elementary kids can understand and will not find too scary. Actually, at that age my kid was totally unfazed by the kind of fantasy elements you find in the first Harry Potter (a troll is loose in the school, a wizard is trying to steal a stone that makes you live forever, a goofy caretaker discovers dragons don't make good pets). But I remember trying to read the book Fringle to my kid in 1st grade and she made us stop because the idea of kids who seemed realistic and familiar trying to test a strict teacher hit too close to home for her -- it was like her worst nightmare come to life (she's a huge rule follower and hates being scolded by authority figures). Harry Potter was not scary to her -- it was exciting and fun.

I would not let a kid under around 3rd grade read past book 4. I think it would be too upsetting for kids that age to read about the deaths in those books, and there's also a teacher who is straight up abusing children and a lot of scary political themes about fascism. I think those subjects all require a kid mature enough to be able to discuss those real life subjects, and the vast majority of 1st and 2nd graders can't do that.

Sure, I guess it just depends. Mine likes a long series, and would push back if I didn't let them read past the first few books. I could put my foot down, but there's plenty of other reading material available so I guess I don't see the benefit of starting something that will inevitably lead to a fight. We also don't seem to have hit the HP craze at school yet, or at least DC isn't interested so isn't talking about it if others are HP obsessed.

There is no Harry Potter craze anymore. Those are parents pushing these on their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It’s not appropriate for six year olds. Those are some dark nightmarish books. There’s his parents being murdered. He’s forced to live in a cruel abusive home until he was 11. Murders, tortures. It's fantasy but it’s violent. Six year olds believe in Santa Claus. They shouldn’t be reading this kind of bleak cruelty when they don’t completely understand fiction from reality.

Boo hoo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It’s not appropriate for six year olds. Those are some dark nightmarish books. There’s his parents being murdered. He’s forced to live in a cruel abusive home until he was 11. Murders, tortures. It's fantasy but it’s violent. Six year olds believe in Santa Claus. They shouldn’t be reading this kind of bleak cruelty when they don’t completely understand fiction from reality.

Boo hoo

Exactly. Most kid do not go in distress reading Harry Potter. Kids believe in Santa Claus because their parents tell them he’s real. When the find out he’s not real Christmas still continues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It’s not appropriate for six year olds. Those are some dark nightmarish books. There’s his parents being murdered. He’s forced to live in a cruel abusive home until he was 11. Murders, tortures. It's fantasy but it’s violent. Six year olds believe in Santa Claus. They shouldn’t be reading this kind of bleak cruelty when they don’t completely understand fiction from reality.

Boo hoo

Exactly. Most kid do not go in distress reading Harry Potter. Kids believe in Santa Claus because their parents tell them he’s real. When the find out he’s not real Christmas still continues.

Just because it’s Harry Potter parents lose all judgment and common sense. Why not start in on the Stephen King novels next. Seriously there are so many better books out there that aren’t starter kits introducing a six year old to murder, abuse, dark evil beings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It’s not appropriate for six year olds. Those are some dark nightmarish books. There’s his parents being murdered. He’s forced to live in a cruel abusive home until he was 11. Murders, tortures. It's fantasy but it’s violent. Six year olds believe in Santa Claus. They shouldn’t be reading this kind of bleak cruelty when they don’t completely understand fiction from reality.

Boo hoo

Exactly. Most kid do not go in distress reading Harry Potter. Kids believe in Santa Claus because their parents tell them he’s real. When the find out he’s not real Christmas still continues.

Just because it’s Harry Potter parents lose all judgment and common sense. Why not start in on the Stephen King novels next. Seriously there are so many better books out there that aren’t starter kits introducing a six year old to murder, abuse, dark evil beings.

You parent your owb kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine is reading chapter books like Ramona, Magic Treehouse, Julie B Jones, Ivy & Bean etc. I believe she’s on the advanced side in reading as compared to her classmates, but isn’t a total outlier or anything

Those are typically second grade books. They are also some of the most boring books ever published, especially Ivy & Bean. If she can get through those books without wanting to scream from the stupidity and dullness of these books, good for her.

Agree except for Ramona-- those books are classics. The rest are so formulaic and dull. Though kids this age seem to respond to formula.

Although I'm reading to him, my 2nd grade loves the Beverly Cleary books! I'm enjoying re-reading them as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand all the Harry Potter responses. I don’t feel like the Harry Potter series is appropriate for 6 year olds.

It’s not appropriate for six year olds. Those are some dark nightmarish books. There’s his parents being murdered. He’s forced to live in a cruel abusive home until he was 11. Murders, tortures. It's fantasy but it’s violent. Six year olds believe in Santa Claus. They shouldn’t be reading this kind of bleak cruelty when they don’t completely understand fiction from reality.

Boo hoo

Exactly. Most kid do not go in distress reading Harry Potter. Kids believe in Santa Claus because their parents tell them he’s real. When the find out he’s not real Christmas still continues.

Just because it’s Harry Potter parents lose all judgment and common sense. Why not start in on the Stephen King novels next. Seriously there are so many better books out there that aren’t starter kits introducing a six year old to murder, abuse, dark evil beings.

Ummmmm ok then. You have a long road ahead.

[Anonymous]

My daughter, who is now 11 and reading at 3 or 4 grade levels above, was barely reading in 1st grade. At this time of the year, it was very slow, laborious reading, and it wasn't for lack of trying to teach her to read. We also read to her EVERY night. But midway through 2nd grade, all of a sudden, her reading abilities took off. And that year and summer, within 6-7 months, she finished 4 of the Harry Potter novels.