It's a two year old post, people.

p.s. This is a middle to low socio economic class school. All kids were reading by end of the year--with an LD exception or two. All could follow directions.

I taught K back in the day when I could design my own course of study. I used lots of play, but it was designed to teach. Also, did worksheets to help the transition. You need both at five.

Personally, I agree with the other PPs who have said the problem seems more about the fact that you just realized this than anything else. If you really thought she was farther ahead, perhaps she just had a bad day, or as others have noted, perhaps this particular skill just isn't there yet (i.e. she can do other things but not this).

Just work with her on it a little -- in a FUN way -- and see how she does.

As for play-based vs. other -- I am a HUGE supporter of play-based, especially at younger ages. However, I also think that a good play-based school should have an underlying curriculum and plan that involves songs and rhymes and books and opportunities to learn through play and fun. If you don't feel your school or daycare situation has this, then I'd look into other options.

While I think play is wonderful for develop before 5, I also think that you may be setting up your child for a total shock if the kindergarten where she/he is going next year is completely different. It might be helpful to try to do some prep just so that the kid feels more comfortable there. I'm not suggesting a major change -- just doing a little explicit teaching at home, still making it fun. Also, recognize that she won't be starting school until fall and likely will have learned a lot more things by that time!

Op - Wait a year and see how she does in K.

None of my kids did preschool of any kind. I was at home and they just played until they went to K. We did read to them lots.

My older daughter was reading before she went to K.
My younger daughter was sounding out letters and doing lots of pre-reading skills before K.
My older son - I have no idea what he could do as he never really showed interest in reading!
My younger son barely knew his alphabet by K!

They all went to K and learned what they needed to. None had any difficulties in K academically meeting the standards. Reading didn't click for my youngest son until 2nd grade - we just let him learn at his own pace and all of a sudden - it just happened and he could really read.

Now the kids are 8-12. They are all strong readers and have not had any academic difficulties. My daughter who taught herself to read before K is still a voracious reader.

It's probably not a problem, but if I saw this, I would try to work on it more (making a game of it).

Your child is likely fine and does not have the burden of assigned work that is too much for her, like many kids have.

Buy the book, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and do a lesson (15 minutes) a day

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is five and a rising kindergartener. Up to now, she's been in a play based environment. It became clear to me today that not only does she not know all her letter sounds, but she also can't tell what sounds a word starts with. For example, she couldnt match pictures that showed animals starting with the same sound. She couldnt do it on her own and she still had difficulty when I repeated the words for her emphasizing the beginning sound. Is this normal given that she's never really had formal instruction, or a sign of a problem?

The only problem that I see is that you have just realized this. If you stay this disconnected to your child's education, she may fall behind. View this as a wake up call and get involved.

Oh puh-lease. Play is education at this age. You need some perspective.

Ehh, while I agree that education is play based at this age I also think that by 5yrs old, parents would have done lots of reading, talking, discussing and sounding out words. It seems odd for a parent to be suddenly caught unawares at this point.

Time driving in the car is a great time to do this. At the risk of offending another poster, point out Mcdonalds'. Talk about the beginning sound. Popeyes, etc.

Teacher here. Absolutrly fine! Do not worry until/if teacher tells you to.

In my experience it takes kids several years to really know how to read. I think it's funny that kindergarten teachers say children don't need to know their letter names and sounds and then expect the child to be reading well by the end of the year. Not reading before kindergarten. Fine. Not knowing any of their letters? That's a little odd.

Curious about the ear infections.

School psychologist here. It depends on if she really understood what you were asking. Can she rhyme? If you say "cat, fat" can she say any word that rhymes (even if it is a made up word like "gat")? Can she orally blend words? Start with compound words like snow(pause)man and have her say "snowman" with no pause. Then try syllables like ham(pause)mer, she should be able to say hammer without a pause. Then try saying a short word sound by sound and have ger put them together like b-all, or c-a-t.
These are skills that are practiced in k but if you have been reading to your child and your child has difficulty in k picking these skills up the first months of K I would be concerned. I would also be concerned if there is any history of learning disabilities in your family or a history of ear infections.
A good play based preschool will have exposed kids to phonemic awareness skills through play, songs, nursery rhymes, etc. You don't have to know any letter names or the sounds the letters make to have good phonemic awareness.

OP here. I guess my question could have been more properly phrased as: is this a taught skill, in which case no surprise she can't do it and she'll learn it in kindergarten (it's not a race, I don't care if she learns things in K rather than pre school), or a developmental skill, in which case she should have picked it up regardless of preschool. It sounds like the consensus is that it is a learned skill, so great, she'll learn it in K.

Oh, and of course we read to her. From that she's learned a great many things, but not phonics.