Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

I'm sorry, but this is not helpful advice at all. Of course, you should read to your kids, visit libraries, model reading behavior, etc. But the best way to make reading fun for your child is to get them proper support and instruction so that they can read confidently and independently. If your child is being assessed using F&P levels, then they are not getting good instruction. They might learn how to read in spite of that--some kids do, but many don't.

We need to stop telling parents "read more to your child" That's not the problem here; the instruction is the problem.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Of course it doesn't matter if OP's kid is advanced. But OP's kid is BEHIND. Like, quite a bit.

Again, even "BEHIND" as you say doesn't matter as long as no big underlying issue (which I mention in my post: work with teacher to make sure you are not missing something). Any teacher I have ever talked with has said it doesn't matter as long as they get there by 3rd grade or so. More important to get them to love reading. The rest will come.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Of course it doesn't matter if OP's kid is advanced. But OP's kid is BEHIND. Like, quite a bit.

Anonymous wrote:Parent of three older kids: Being an advanced reader (or not) doesn't matter in 1st grade. It all comes together later.

Certainly, as a parent, you want to make sure you aren't missing an issue (such as dyslexia) but know most of the time you are not. Work with your kid's teacher who will monitor for you and read with kid yourself to see if you notice any read flags.

But mostly, focus on getting your kid to LOVE reading. Go to the library, read books aloud, model reading behavior (put down your phone and pick up a book!), talk about what you are reading at dinner, explore different topics (fiction, non-fiction, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, newspapers, graphic novels). Most kids who are behind their peers can sense that and it becomes sort of a downward cycle of nerves, feelings of failure and non-enjoyment. Focus on how fun it is to read a good book rather than stressing them out inadvertently that they are hitting some milestone. You and they will never remember what level they were reading at in first grade but you absolutely will remember reading a favorite book together.

A love to read is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kid that will serve them throughout life. A human with a book won't be lonely or bored.

FWIW, I still read aloud to my high schoolers and my college-age kid talks about favorite books we read together when he was little. (lest you accuse me of seeing through rose-colored glasses, they also don't remember the picture book we read DAILY when in preschool and two of three profess not having much time to read for fun anymore). But hopefully reading will serve them well in the long-term.

Anonymous wrote:Don’t listen to parents saying your kid just needs more practice. If your child is at Level B in the second half of 1st grade, there is a problem. You need to investigate to find out where the problem originates- is it a learning difficulty and/or an instruction problem. Do not wait. Start asking lots of questions, ask the reading specialist for an assessment, or get a private evaluation. A child’s confidence will be crushed if they get to 2nd grade and can’t read. You don’t want to have two years of catch up.