Does your kindergarten childknow how to read?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am the PP with a son who read Harry Potter in 1st grade. If you really want to know, at that age he also read Beowulf (Morpurgo version), Roald Dahl's autobiographies for kids, and the Longest Day, a book for grow-ups about D-Day. Besides all the usual stuff like Wimpy Kid and Calvin and Hobbes, etc.He tried reading A Brief History of Time, but didn't have the necessary physics background.
My son is 2E, he is gifted and also has learning disabilities.

I get the Harry Potter eye-roll all the time, particularly from people who should know better such as teachers and principals. Some people cannot accept that there is a wide range of human ability, and that we should nurture all these inquisitive young minds at whatever level they're at.

My 4 year old daughter is more typical, and is nowhere near reading yet. She can add and subtract, though!

I remember you! You've often bragged on here about your son reading The Longest Day in first grade. Ridiculousness.[u] Yes, he may have read it but he couldn't get the depth and understanding about it because he would not have the life experiences to comprehend it. Could he get an overview, yes. The eye rolls are warranted and will keep coming your way.

His teachers have found his book reports on these works "exceptional". Those that allow him to do this, that is. Like in all things in life, a black and white vision will restrict your understanding of the world. I'm not claiming that a child can relate to advanced topics in the same way an adult can. But I know that my son understands the plot, major characters and motivations in each book he's read. We discuss them, he reads similar works on the same topics, he watches the movies, basically he'll talk your ear off.

But you don't get it, and that's fine. One day, if you have an atypical child, or if your child has an atypical child, please remember not to scoff. Accept them for who they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- my daughter started reading a few months before we started kindergarten. They worked on that stuff in her preschool.

She's at the top of her class right now. The kids are all at various levels. Our school puts a very big emphasis on reading.

Parent like you give me heartburn. No one cares she is at the top of her grade.

Actually, I do care. I want to encourage early reading so that my DC can experience being at the top of his class and want to work to stay there. Academics are important to me and to DH.

Take it from someone who learned to read at 3: being at the "top" of your class because you are an early reader is often a breeding ground for poor work habits and trouble with challenges later on in school.

Not necessarily. It's all in how learning is framed as you get older.

Research shows that children who are praised for being "smart" often end up losing motivation and an appetite for risk-taking (which is key to learning) as they get older. Children who are praised for their "hard work" feel more in control of their performance and outcomes and more motivated to work hard to continue to get good results.

This applies to all kids -- the truly gifted, the average and the below average. From an early age, it's important to highlight for kids ways in which their hard work caused good results. If your three year old taught himself to read on his own, look to another area in his life to focus on effort and hard work. Perhaps it's throwing a ball. Or being patient. Or learning to dress himself etc. There's WAY more to learning and development than just learning to read, of course.

For more on this topic, I highly recommend you Google "Carol Dweck". She's a professor at Stanford and her work in this area is now quite influential in many arenas. Her book "Mindset" is accessible and terrific. There are supplemental elementary units and programs designed to apply her work, including something called "Habits of Mind," which our school is using with nice results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Varies.

My newly-turned 4 year old is just now starting to sound out consonant-vowel-consonant words. She might turn out to be an earlier reader than her older sister.

My now 7.5 year old didn't get into reading until she was just about to enter 1st grade. She had a big vocabulary, was very verbal and chatty, and loved listening to books, but reading was a chore and a bore for her... until the summer before 1st grade started. Then BLAM! She just took off. I'd say she's now a very advanced reader.

There are some kids in her 2nd grade class who apparently have just now hit this reading spurt. So says a friend of mine who volunteers in the class regularly (she never gives me any names, just mentioned that some kids took this long--the middle of 2nd grade--to accelerate). This is in a relatively high income, high education kind of school. Meaning: kids have almost all the academic advantages.

Money does not always equal academic advantages. If a parent does not support or help their child at home and learning is strictly school based, it makes it very hard for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the PP with a son who read Harry Potter in 1st grade. If you really want to know, at that age he also read Beowulf (Morpurgo version), Roald Dahl's autobiographies for kids, and the Longest Day, a book for grow-ups about D-Day. Besides all the usual stuff like Wimpy Kid and Calvin and Hobbes, etc.He tried reading A Brief History of Time, but didn't have the necessary physics background.
My son is 2E, he is gifted and also has learning disabilities.

I get the Harry Potter eye-roll all the time, particularly from people who should know better such as teachers and principals. Some people cannot accept that there is a wide range of human ability, and that we should nurture all these inquisitive young minds at whatever level they're at.

My 4 year old daughter is more typical, and is nowhere near reading yet. She can add and subtract, though!

I remember you! You've often bragged on here about your son reading The Longest Day in first grade. Ridiculousness.[u] Yes, he may have read it but he couldn't get the depth and understanding about it because he would not have the life experiences to comprehend it. Could he get an overview, yes. The eye rolls are warranted and will keep coming your way.

His teachers have found his book reports on these works "exceptional". Those that allow him to do this, that is. Like in all things in life, a black and white vision will restrict your understanding of the world. I'm not claiming that a child can relate to advanced topics in the same way an adult can. But I know that my son understands the plot, major characters and motivations in each book he's read. We discuss them, he reads similar works on the same topics, he watches the movies, basically he'll talk your ear off.

But you don't get it, and that's fine. One day, if you have an atypical child, or if your child has an atypical child, please remember not to scoff. Accept them for who they are.


You're right. I don't get it. Neither do you, I'm afraid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I am the PP with a son who read Harry Potter in 1st grade. If you really want to know, at that age he also read Beowulf (Morpurgo version), Roald Dahl's autobiographies for kids, and the Longest Day, a book for grow-ups about D-Day. Besides all the usual stuff like Wimpy Kid and Calvin and Hobbes, etc.He tried reading A Brief History of Time, but didn't have the necessary physics background.
My son is 2E, he is gifted and also has learning disabilities.

I get the Harry Potter eye-roll all the time, particularly from people who should know better such as teachers and principals. Some people cannot accept that there is a wide range of human ability, and that we should nurture all these inquisitive young minds at whatever level they're at.

My 4 year old daughter is more typical, and is nowhere near reading yet. She can add and subtract, though!

I remember you! You've often bragged on here about your son reading The Longest Day in first grade. Ridiculousness.[u] Yes, he may have read it but he couldn't get the depth and understanding about it because he would not have the life experiences to comprehend it. Could he get an overview, yes. The eye rolls are warranted and will keep coming your way.

His teachers have found his book reports on these works "exceptional". Those that allow him to do this, that is. Like in all things in life, a black and white vision will restrict your understanding of the world. I'm not claiming that a child can relate to advanced topics in the same way an adult can. But I know that my son understands the plot, major characters and motivations in each book he's read. We discuss them, he reads similar works on the same topics, he watches the movies, basically he'll talk your ear off.

But you don't get it, and that's fine. One day, if you have an atypical child, or if your child has an atypical child, please remember not to scoff. Accept them for who they are.

You're right. I don't get it. Neither do you, I'm afraid.

He is probably getting the gist from the movie more than anything else or your discussions with him. A 6 year old isn't reading The Longest Day and understanding it without significant support from other sources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- my daughter started reading a few months before we started kindergarten. They worked on that stuff in her preschool.

She's at the top of her class right now. The kids are all at various levels. Our school puts a very big emphasis on reading.

Parent like you give me heartburn. No one cares she is at the top of her grade.

Actually, I do care. I want to encourage early reading so that my DC can experience being at the top of his class and want to work to stay there. Academics are important to me and to DH.

Take it from someone who learned to read at 3: being at the "top" of your class because you are an early reader is often a breeding ground for poor work habits and trouble with challenges later on in school.

Not necessarily. It's all in how learning is framed as you get older.

Research shows that children who are praised for being "smart" often end up losing motivation and an appetite for risk-taking (which is key to learning) as they get older. Children who are praised for their "hard work" feel more in control of their performance and outcomes and more motivated to work hard to continue to get good results.

This applies to all kids -- the truly gifted, the average and the below average. From an early age, it's important to highlight for kids ways in which their hard work caused good results. If your three year old taught himself to read on his own, look to another area in his life to focus on effort and hard work. Perhaps it's throwing a ball. Or being patient. Or learning to dress himself etc. There's WAY more to learning and development than just learning to read, of course.

For more on this topic, I highly recommend you Google "Carol Dweck". She's a professor at Stanford and her work in this area is now quite influential in many arenas. Her book "Mindset" is accessible and terrific. There are supplemental elementary units and programs designed to apply her work, including something called "Habits of Mind," which our school is using with nice results.

I was actually talking about myself, not my child, but thanks.

[Anonymous]

My 6 year old started K reading chapter books comfortably. She tested at an "end of first grade" reading level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6 year old started K reading chapter books comfortably. She tested at an "end of first grade" reading level.

I'm assuming in FCPS. That's the highest they can test for the DRA in kindergarten. She'll be able to test through the end of second grade (max) in first grade.

[MoCoMama]

Anonymous wrote:Mine really struggled through k and it bothered me so much. I wished I had chilled over it and listened to people who said she would take off in first grade, because that is exactly what happened. She's now on chapter books and can read super well. Went from lowest reading group to higher/middle group and LOVES to read. I think the K expectation is ridiculous. Kids are ready when they are ready.

Thanks for posting. Very encouraging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The range of pre-reading abilities in K is enormous. Some don't know their letters, some can read fluently.

My oldest did not read in K, and then suddenly started reading Harry Potter in first grade. Huge leap.
My 4 year old is deciphering early readers in preschool, but that is not a guarantee she will be reading by K.

Sorry, total BS. No reading at all to Harry Potter novels in less than a year? No way.

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The range of pre-reading abilities in K is enormous. Some don't know their letters, some can read fluently.

My oldest did not read in K, and then suddenly started reading Harry Potter in first grade. Huge leap.
My 4 year old is deciphering early readers in preschool, but that is not a guarantee she will be reading by K.

Sorry, total BS. No reading at all to Harry Potter novels in less than a year? No way.

You have no idea. Once it clicks, it clicks. For my son that was when he was almost four. He could easily have read Harry Potter books within six months, but his comprehension wasn't as advanced. For a smart first grader it's not a stretch at all to go from nothing to Harry Potter in the space of a year.

[Anonymous]

To clarify, my 4to could have read the words but not Completely understood the book, a first grader would understand more thoroughly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The range of pre-reading abilities in K is enormous. Some don't know their letters, some can read fluently.

My oldest did not read in K, and then suddenly started reading Harry Potter in first grade. Huge leap.
My 4 year old is deciphering early readers in preschool, but that is not a guarantee she will be reading by K.

Sorry, total BS. No reading at all to Harry Potter novels in less than a year? No way.

You have no idea. Once it clicks, it clicks. For my son that was when he was almost four. He could easily have read Harry Potter books within six months, but his comprehension wasn't as advanced. For a smart first grader it's not a stretch at all to go from nothing to Harry Potter in the space of a year.

Then he could have "decoded" most of Harry Potter, but he could not have read most of Harry Potter. Reading is not a separate entity from comprehension. They are the same things, related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The range of pre-reading abilities in K is enormous. Some don't know their letters, some can read fluently.

My oldest did not read in K, and then suddenly started reading Harry Potter in first grade. Huge leap.
My 4 year old is deciphering early readers in preschool, but that is not a guarantee she will be reading by K.

Sorry, total BS. No reading at all to Harry Potter novels in less than a year? No way.

You have no idea. Once it clicks, it clicks. For my son that was when he was almost four. He could easily have read Harry Potter books within six months, but his comprehension wasn't as advanced. For a smart first grader it's not a stretch at all to go from nothing to Harry Potter in the space of a year.

Then he could have "decoded" most of Harry Potter, but he could not have read most of Harry Potter. Reading is not a separate entity from comprehension. They are the same things, related.

Exactly! Reading a book correctly means reading the words and understand what they mean. Understanding what may or could happen. Realizing sarcasm, metaphors, foreshadowing, irony etc.. No 7 year old could truly understand the ins and out of the Harry Potter novel at that age. And honestly, I am not sure why people equate smart to having to grow up too fast. Just because your child is reading at a middle school level doesn't mean they should be reading books about middle or high school school kids at age 7.