Anonymous wrote:I have Kinders that read and comprehend 4th - 6th grade books and pass each test they take on each book.

Anonymous wrote:

I'm with you. I know this is totally anecdotal, but whenever people say "the kids who were ahead in K/1st aren't advanced by middle school" it just doesn't ring true in my experience. My sisters and I all went to K-12 schools, so we know most of our classmates from non-readers to AP classes. Sure, there was some movement between reading groups, but generally speaking, the kids in the highest reading group in K (the early readers) were also the kids who got 5 in AP English in 12th grade. There wasn't a whole ton of variation in the highest groups throughout the years.

I doubt that the kids who were in K with you were pushed to read from the time they were three.

I'm with you. I know this is totally anecdotal, but whenever people say "the kids who were ahead in K/1st aren't advanced by middle school" it just doesn't ring true in my experience. My sisters and I all went to K-12 schools, so we know most of our classmates from non-readers to AP classes. Sure, there was some movement between reading groups, but generally speaking, the kids in the highest reading group in K (the early readers) were also the kids who got 5 in AP English in 12th grade. There wasn't a whole ton of variation in the highest groups throughout the years.

And what about the child who wasn't hurried into reading at all, but picked it up because we read all the time and early readers run in the family. No flash cards, no sight word drills, she just could do it. And now she is 6 and a voracious reader of books beyond her comprehension abilities.
She's not going to burn out on reading. We never pushed, this isn't like a kid who is doing soccer travel teams at 8 year round.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My child was not reading at all, 2 of her friends were reading full novels more typical for 4th/5th/6th grade. Now in middle school she reading fluently and her comprehension is as good or better than the early reading peers. Some kids struggle more with comprehension, she might not be typical, but in any of the early years classes there is a wide span of reading level. Many bright kids who become academically successful might not be the most advanced reader in the first couple of years. Some advanced readers seem to be aided by reading below their level to work on some things. (how to decipher totally unfamiliar words they'll encounter in more complex material, especially technical nonfiction, reading slightly simpler books to work on comprehension, plot, character, etc. Some of those issues seem easier to grasp taking a step down in level.)

As a K and first grade teacher, I observed that the really early readers often struggled with comprehension. I think it was a result of being pushed to decipher letters.

I don't believe this for a nano second. Unless the early reader was really coached to sound out all the words. A child who picks up decoding naturally is not going to be behind in anything reading related.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just finished reading The Hurried Child.
A good point from the book:
-adolescents who were introduced to reading late were more enthusiastic, spontaneous readers than were those who were introduced to early reading.

Hurrying children into advanced activities represents the parent's nee to have a precocious child rather than the best interest of the child. Let them be toddlers and little children.

And what about the child who wasn't hurried into reading at all, but picked it up because we read all the time and early readers run in the family. No flash cards, no sight word drills, she just could do it. And now she is 6 and a voracious reader of books beyond her comprehension abilities.
She's not going to burn out on reading. We never pushed, this isn't like a kid who is doing soccer travel teams at 8 year round.

Anonymous wrote:I just finished reading The Hurried Child.
A good point from the book:
-adolescents who were introduced to reading late were more enthusiastic, spontaneous readers than were those who were introduced to early reading.

Hurrying children into advanced activities represents the parent's nee to have a precocious child rather than the best interest of the child. Let them be toddlers and little children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My child was not reading at all, 2 of her friends were reading full novels more typical for 4th/5th/6th grade. Now in middle school she reading fluently and her comprehension is as good or better than the early reading peers. Some kids struggle more with comprehension, she might not be typical, but in any of the early years classes there is a wide span of reading level. Many bright kids who become academically successful might not be the most advanced reader in the first couple of years. Some advanced readers seem to be aided by reading below their level to work on some things. (how to decipher totally unfamiliar words they'll encounter in more complex material, especially technical nonfiction, reading slightly simpler books to work on comprehension, plot, character, etc. Some of those issues seem easier to grasp taking a step down in level.)

As a K and first grade teacher, I observed that the really early readers often struggled with comprehension. I think it was a result of being pushed to decipher letters.

FOrmer teacher, too: It's also because at 6 years old they are not developmentally ready to read for understanding 10 year old situations. They may be able to read higher level vocabulary, but they have no clue of the meaning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My child was not reading at all, 2 of her friends were reading full novels more typical for 4th/5th/6th grade. Now in middle school she reading fluently and her comprehension is as good or better than the early reading peers. Some kids struggle more with comprehension, she might not be typical, but in any of the early years classes there is a wide span of reading level. Many bright kids who become academically successful might not be the most advanced reader in the first couple of years. Some advanced readers seem to be aided by reading below their level to work on some things. (how to decipher totally unfamiliar words they'll encounter in more complex material, especially technical nonfiction, reading slightly simpler books to work on comprehension, plot, character, etc. Some of those issues seem easier to grasp taking a step down in level.)

As a K and first grade teacher, I observed that the really early readers often struggled with comprehension. I think it was a result of being pushed to decipher letters.

FOrmer teacher, too: It's also because at 6 years old they are not developmentally ready to read for understanding 10 year old situations. They may be able to read higher level vocabulary, but they have no clue of the meaning.

Anonymous wrote:

My child was not reading at all, 2 of her friends were reading full novels more typical for 4th/5th/6th grade. Now in middle school she reading fluently and her comprehension is as good or better than the early reading peers. Some kids struggle more with comprehension, she might not be typical, but in any of the early years classes there is a wide span of reading level. Many bright kids who become academically successful might not be the most advanced reader in the first couple of years. Some advanced readers seem to be aided by reading below their level to work on some things. (how to decipher totally unfamiliar words they'll encounter in more complex material, especially technical nonfiction, reading slightly simpler books to work on comprehension, plot, character, etc. Some of those issues seem easier to grasp taking a step down in level.)

As a K and first grade teacher, I observed that the really early readers often struggled with comprehension. I think it was a result of being pushed to decipher letters.

Anonymous wrote:

My child was not reading at all, 2 of her friends were reading full novels more typical for 4th/5th/6th grade. Now in middle school she reading fluently and her comprehension is as good or better than the early reading peers. Some kids struggle more with comprehension, she might not be typical, but in any of the early years classes there is a wide span of reading level. Many bright kids who become academically successful might not be the most advanced reader in the first couple of years. Some advanced readers seem to be aided by reading below their level to work on some things. (how to decipher totally unfamiliar words they'll encounter in more complex material, especially technical nonfiction, reading slightly simpler books to work on comprehension, plot, character, etc. Some of those issues seem easier to grasp taking a step down in level.)

As a K and first grade teacher, I observed that the really early readers often struggled with comprehension. I think it was a result of being pushed to decipher letters.