Anonymous wrote:

I don't know statistically, but I think kids (people) are more likely to enjoy things they feel good about. My husband (very smart, advanced degrees) still complains that he reads very slowly and he doesn't like it. Luckily he's dedicated enough to just do what he needs to do, but it isn't enjoyable and never something he'd do for pleasure. I was an early reader and I've always just loved reading. The more you do it, the better you are it, and I think it is the reason that I've always been good at standardized testing. So far my son seems perfectly average but he thinks he's bad at it and resists it.

No. Doesn't work that way. And, a child who naturally learns to read early-and there are those who do--is far different from one who is trained to read early.

Yeah, I'm just not sure I'm buying that. Here, you will read: Oh, it doesn't matter where they start; they all catch up in time. Except...they don't. At least plenty of them don't.

I don't know statistically, but I think kids (people) are more likely to enjoy things they feel good about. My husband (very smart, advanced degrees) still complains that he reads very slowly and he doesn't like it. Luckily he's dedicated enough to just do what he needs to do, but it isn't enjoyable and never something he'd do for pleasure. I was an early reader and I've always just loved reading. The more you do it, the better you are it, and I think it is the reason that I've always been good at standardized testing. So far my son seems perfectly average but he thinks he's bad at it and resists it.

No. Doesn't work that way. And, a child who naturally learns to read early-and there are those who do--is far different from one who is trained to read early.

^^^no, it was not rare. Rare is not the opposite of normal. It happened every year with at least one of my students.

Anonymous wrote:

why? what is the benefit of reading at 5 instead of 7 (from a life long reader, English major, who learned to read in 1st grade along with all my classmates).

I don't know statistically, but I think kids (people) are more likely to enjoy things they feel good about. My husband (very smart, advanced degrees) still complains that he reads very slowly and he doesn't like it. Luckily he's dedicated enough to just do what he needs to do, but it isn't enjoyable and never something he'd do for pleasure. I was an early reader and I've always just loved reading. The more you do it, the better you are it, and I think it is the reason that I've always been good at standardized testing. So far my son seems perfectly average but he thinks he's bad at it and resists it.

Anonymous wrote:I taught first grade. A number of kids I taught didn't really start reading until Jan/Fed. Then, they took off and passed others. It's not the normal progression, but it happens more than you think.

But it isn't the normal, so it is rare.

I have to disagree. While I don't think every child needs to be a reader, though that would be nice, these kids should know their letters and numbers. I don't think that is too much to expect of a 5 or 6 year old.


Yes, that is the age of Kindergarteners. That is what they learn in K.

You may feel that SHOULD be what they learn in K, and I don't really know enough about education and kids to have a dog in that fight. You may well be right. What I can tell you is that my son's K in ACPS, which everyone on DCUM constantly slams as having low educational standards, expected the kids to know their letters and numbers upon starting K.

Anonymous wrote:

There are kids that don't even know their letters, phonics, numbers and there are kids who are reading chapter books. The smarter kids are bored to tears and there is no fun to be had..

K should be for learning letters, numbers, etc.

No, sorry that is what preschool is for. I think my kid knew letters by 2.5yrs old. Come on now. This day in age a 5y old is just learning letters? Give me a break.

As a first grade teacher, I would much prefer that my child have an imagination and be able to create detailed stories than one who knows all their sounds at the beginning of the year.

I taught first grade. A number of kids I taught didn't really start reading until Jan/Fed. Then, they took off and passed others. It's not the normal progression, but it happens more than you think.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are kids that don't even know their letters, phonics, numbers and there are kids who are reading chapter books. The smarter kids are bored to tears and there is no fun to be had..

K should be for learning letters, numbers, etc.

I have to disagree. While I don't think every child needs to be a reader, though that would be nice, these kids should know their letters and numbers. I don't think that is too much to expect of a 5 or 6 year old.

why? what is the benefit of reading at 5 instead of 7 (from a life long reader, English major, who learned to read in 1st grade along with all my classmates).

I have to disagree. While I don't think every child needs to be a reader, though that would be nice, these kids should know their letters and numbers. I don't think that is too much to expect of a 5 or 6 year old.

Yes, that is the age of Kindergarteners. That is what they learn in K.

Anonymous wrote:

There are kids that don't even know their letters, phonics, numbers and there are kids who are reading chapter books. The smarter kids are bored to tears and there is no fun to be had..

K should be for learning letters, numbers, etc.

I have to disagree. While I don't think every child needs to be a reader, though that would be nice, these kids should know their letters and numbers. I don't think that is too much to expect of a 5 or 6 year old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is in K, and has not complained, but he loves to pretend play "school." He's the teacher and pretty much yells at me (the student) nonstop and tells me to move my clip down to red. DS has never gotten red himself, and generally gets green, and hasn't complained otherwise. But it is remarkable how angry the school game is.

Wow, WTH is the red clip??

My kid has a similar behavior system. You start on green (good) and throughout the day you can be moved down to red or up to purple or blue. The kid moves his own little geegaw to the appropriate color.

There are kids that don't even know their letters, phonics, numbers and there are kids who are reading chapter books. The smarter kids are bored to tears and there is no fun to be had..

K should be for learning letters, numbers, etc.

Anonymous wrote:My son is in K, and has not complained, but he loves to pretend play "school." He's the teacher and pretty much yells at me (the student) nonstop and tells me to move my clip down to red. DS has never gotten red himself, and generally gets green, and hasn't complained otherwise. But it is remarkable how angry the school game is.

Wow, WTH is the red clip??