Reading before kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Is it expected that children will be reading before kindergarten?

Does this differ between public/private schools?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Expected, no. Helpful, yes. It depends on the school. Public no, except early entry. Privates vary.

[Anonymous]

When you say reading what do you mean?

DC (4) knows all letters and can read/write certain very simple words. (Dog, mom, dad, etc) but they are not reading actual books yet. We will be going to public school.

[Anonymous]

No not expected. But it is helpful to have a good grasp of letter sounds. My daughter couldn’t read at the start of K and was a level 16 by the end, but she had a strong sense of phonics. This was in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Looking back it doesn’t really matter that much. One of mine was a late reader. This stressed me out too much and in hindsight, I probably tried to force it when he wasn’t ready and made it worse. My other child was reading before k. I read to them and didn’t do anything major but with my oldest I definitely tried to work with him a lot in the early years when he was resistant. I should have embraced the mutant ninja picture books or whatever he was into to spark an interest.

Both were avid readers by late elementary school.

[Anonymous]

One of mine was reading by age 3, the other not until 2nd grade. Both ended up in magnets, one currently at a top tier college. When they read is not as important as encouraging reading. End of story.

[Anonymous]

My kid just started kindergarten. She can read and is so incredibly bored.

Unless your kid really pushes to read, don’t teach them early. From looking at her workbooks, they’re going to spend all year learning to read. It’s going to be a long year!

[Anonymous]

My kid just started K and that is definitely not the expectation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say reading what do you mean?

DC (4) knows all letters and can read/write certain very simple words. (Dog, mom, dad, etc) but they are not reading actual books yet. We will be going to public school.

You're going too?

[Anonymous]

I think it is unusual to be reading in Kindergarten. Many kids know their letters and might be able to recognize a few sight words, but actual reading. Not many.

[Anonymous]

Of course K teachers secretly expect your kids to be able to read.

[Anonymous]

There are often a few in each public kindergarten that can really read. Then the rest of the kids go all the way to ones who are working on their alphabet. Mine taught herself to read, and the teacher just put her in a high group. They are used to many levels.

[Anonymous]

At our Montessori school, they want the kids to at least know most letter sounds by the end of the second year of preprimary, aka PK4. More is great, but not considered at all necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say reading what do you mean?

DC (4) knows all letters and can read/write certain very simple words. (Dog, mom, dad, etc) but they are not reading actual books yet. We will be going to public school.

When I say my 5 year old can read, I mean she can read a Madeleine or Cat in the Hat or Fancy Nancy book completely on her own (and she does this often in her room.) She’s become interested in longer books and likes reading things like Magic Tree House and Harry Potter together — as in she reads a page and then I read 2 pages out loud. She has the ability to read these longer books on her own but she likes doing it together better. I’m still checking out picture books for her to read on her own, but we only read chapter books together. All of this started post pandemic, the summer before kindergarten when she started showing more of an interest in reading. We never bothered with memorizing sight words or anything like that. I just pointed to words and showed her what sound the letters make when we put them together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course K teachers secretly expect your kids to be able to read.

No they don’t! Believe me, I wish they did.

— signed mom to a 5 year old who can read