My DD read on the end of first grade level in K. She just repeated everything. It was fine, especially since it was half-day.

MY DD who is entering K in about 2 weeks is the type who is still reading Bob books and/or still laboring over Dick & Jane books, as some PP said. In fact, these take her so long that she doesn't find it fun and vastly prefers to be read to from picture books. So I am not pushing it at all b/c I don't want her ever to think reading is not fun. She adores "reading" (looking at her books, scrutinizing the pics to figure out the plot, repeating (in her own words) what we've previously read to her, things like this) and I just want her to enjoy it for now.

Now, if she is STILL this way after a year in K, yeah, I will start to worry.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not OP, but I find this interesting. I've seen or heard people say, "oh that's not reading..." and I'm genuinely curious know how people define "reading." How will I know when my child can do it? What will it look like? Thanks!

I taught my 3 yr old brother to read when I was 12. I was bored one summer. I think I just taught him to call words even if I wrote out a sentence fresh, he could "read' it but not sound out new words (although I tried that too). It was a great party trick and most people were impressed although my mother claimed I would ruin him forever. I didn't. He reads a crazy-wide-range of things now at 32.

Reading picture books is still very high for K. Our school did have a reading group of about 4 kids reading slightly lower than magic tree house and then there were some kids reading simple phonics books. Others couldn't read. No one was behind in 1st grade.