Anonymous wrote:My older one already read Magic Tree House series before K, but my younger one is still reading picture books. She will be 5 next month and entering K in 2 wks.

How old was your older child when s/he started K?

My older one already read Magic Tree House series before K, but my younger one is still reading picture books. She will be 5 next month and entering K in 2 wks.

Anonymous wrote:Former K teacher:

There may be several that can "call words". That may be reading in their parents' mind, but not in mine. Reading involves lots more than decoding letters.

I think this is the problem. Parents keep saying their kids can read or their kids could read before kindergarten and all they mean is some BOB books or laboring over Dick and Jane. But, parents like OP misinterpret this and freak out. The kids who can call words have very little advantage over your DD. There may be one or two kids in your DD's class who can read chapter books like Charlotte's Web going into K. Other than those two kids they will all even out and move up and down in rank. Your DD will benefit from learning how to learn in K!

My kid is a life long preschooler and almost 6. Missed the cutoff. So yes she will know how to read, write, some math, etc.

If your kid is in with a lot of kids who went to preschool and/or are older, she may lag. Or she may thrive.

My youngest DD knew her letters before K, and could write her name. We of course, have always read to her daily. I was worried about her, as she is the youngest in her class (9/24 birthday for 9/30 cutoff). My oldest DS was a chapter book before K reader, and now as a rising 6th grader is still a wonderful reader and writer (600 on SOL). Anyway, my DD was reading by mid year. She is still well within the easy reader phase, but once it clicks, I have found my children progress quickly. My middle son was doing very simple reading before K, and has also progressed well. I would not worry. In my experience volunteering in K, my DS was probably 1 of 2 who was reading chapter books fluently. The rest really ran the gamut. (I did weekly weekly reading with the students).

OP, my DD went into Kindergarten barely knowing her letters. She was referred to the reading specialist and worked with her throughout K and the first half of 1st grade. By the second half of 1st grade she could all of sudden read. And she hasn't stopped reading since. She was identified gifted in English in 4th grade and last year in 5th grade she was chosen to be the editor of the school newspaper (over the girl who was supposedly reading Harry Potter in K). So don't get sweat it, she'll be fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son just finished K. His class had a wide range at the beginning, from kids who barely recognized the letters to accomplished readers. The K teachers are amazing at working with them all, keeping everyone challenged but not overwhelmed.

OP here. This is my main concern. The readers will get further and further ahead while the rest of the kids are left to fend for themselves.

Doesn't work like that. I have a rising third gr. and a rising kindergartener. Both could read before kindergarten - peers catch up. The only difference is that those that are read to a lot AND those who read a lot after they know how, have better vocabularies.

Anonymous wrote:

From what I have seen in my neighborhoos and also on this forum, your daughter will be fine for the public school track. I don't think the schools expect much of a foundation coming into K and/or 1st grade.plus, there is no testing at the beginnings or the end of the year. There will be a handful of kids who will be ahead so hope that helps. The big focus in K and 1st is discipline.

As a former K and first teacher, I strongly disagree with this statement.

In Arlington at least, there is testing at the beginning and end of the year in K. The PALS test, I think. OP, there were about 4 kids in my son's class who could read before K started. And the reading specialist will evaluate each child at the beginning of the year. The class is divided into small groups based on proficiency, so your child will be fine. And as a PP noted, the really advanced children are usually plucked out by the gifted teacher for a more strenuous program.

I had one child who could read fluently at the start of K, and one who still couldn't at the end of first... we later found out that second child (actually my older) was dyslexic. That said, while he struggled in K, he wasn't alone... several other children who were NOT dyslexic also came into K unable to read and he didn't stand out as the lowest of the low (they moved ahead in first, he did not, which was one of our big clues to the LD).

The expectations at the beginning of K are MUCH lower than on here. Your child will be fine. They do testing at the beginning of the year to help determine reading groups. They are fluid, though, so children do move around throughout the year.

What you need to watch for is parents who claim their kids can read, but they just have sight words. More parents will claim that their kids are reading than the total number of kids in the classroom.

Just be sure you are happy with the progress your DD is making and that she isn't stressed or struggling beyond normal growth and that you are keeping reading fun.

From what I have seen in my neighborhoos and also on this forum, your daughter will be fine for the public school track. I don't think the schools expect much of a foundation coming into K and/or 1st grade.plus, there is no testing at the beginnings or the end of the year. There will be a handful of kids who will be ahead so hope that helps. The big focus in K and 1st is discipline.

As a former K and first teacher, I strongly disagree with this statement.

From what I have seen in my neighborhoos and also on this forum, your daughter will be fine for the public school track. I don't think the schools expect much of a foundation coming into K and/or 1st grade.plus, there is no testing at the beginnings or the end of the year. There will be a handful of kids who will be ahead so hope that helps. The big focus in K and 1st is discipline.

To the PP who worried the kids who come to kindergarten will get way ahead while the non-readers languish. It's been my experience with three kids, that the teachers spend most of the time with the kids who need to learn to read.

And again to everyone, it's not a race.

I have two nieces: One taught herself to read before kindergarten, one struggled with reading and was in the lowest reading group through most of early elementary school. Guess which one turned into a voracious reader and won awards for her poetry and writing in high school?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son just finished K. His class had a wide range at the beginning, from kids who barely recognized the letters to accomplished readers. The K teachers are amazing at working with them all, keeping everyone challenged but not overwhelmed.

OP here. This is my main concern. The readers will get further and further ahead while the rest of the kids are left to fend for themselves.

No unfortunately, the kids who read will be relearning everything, not moving ahead as you fear. They'll spend months on letter sounds just like everyone else

+1

Not true, at least in our case. But we've sent three kids to K -- from a fluent reader to a squiggler-maker (like the DC of the PP) -- and they all did fine.