Question about teaching child to read before Kindergarten

[khalloc]

Is this the norm? My DD will be one of the oldest when she starts K in 2011. She has a Nov birthday but the cut off around here is age 5 before Sept 1st. So she missed going to K this year by about 2 months.

She knows all her letters, sounds, loves to practice writing words. Her pediatrician was impressed with her at her 5 year check-up. But she also told me she wouldnt force reading on her because she will be bored in Kindergarten if she already knows how to read. She said if she picks it up on her own thats great. But that it would be good if she has something to learn when she goes to K next September.

I dont want her to be behind though if other kids know how to read already. What do you think? She still has 8.5 months so she could still show more interest and pick it up on her own before then. She is in an all-day pre-K/daycare program. Its more play-based. But they do lots of educational projects.

[egoldber]

Despite what I have read here and other places, our personal experience was that most children in my older DD's K class (including her ;) ) were not reading before K. In fact, most kids in her first grade class were still learning to read or were emerging readers. Kids who were fluent readers in K and 1st were not at all the norm.

And I think your ped is right. The focus of the educational curriculum in grades K-2 is on teaching reading and reading fluency.

[brittone2]

I think the culture in Ks really varies.

We never pushed at all. In fact, I'm a fan of delayed academics and if my children were in public school, I'd prefer a play based K. DS1 and DD both started working on reading on their own and enjoyed it (eta: well, DD is just starting to sound things out, I don't mean to imply she's a "reader" at newly 4). We followed their lead and kept it very relaxed. DS1 read early but I could have cared less if he read at 7 or 8. But he *wanted* to read early and came to us with questions as he worked on sounding things out, etc. DD asks for help in spelling things all the time (she makes her own books etc.) and is now starting to sound things out for herself when she writes. She wants to write/read because her brother does, and she spends time writing each day on her own (and I hear her sounding out words and trying to identify each letter in the word). I would not have worried if DS1 had headed off to public K not reading, however. He just happened to do it early-ish and started coming to us with questions about how to sound things out, etc.

[JBaxter]

I would say 1/4 the K class last year was already reading in September I would not push or hinder her. The teacher did a good job keeping the ones who were reading challenged.

[wendmatt]

DD was the only one reading in K and was bored a lot of the time (not all of course!). I sometimes wished I hadn't taught her but she loves to read. I dont think you have anything to worry about, if she reads great, if she doesn't that's fine too. Just keep reading together and she'll be reading soon enough.

[smilequeen]

My son has the same type of birthday and cutoff. He did learn to read to some degree before K, but not b/c of anything I did. At this age, it's best to follow the child, follow their interests and let them learn when they are ready IMO. If she expresses interest in learning to read I would absolutely give her the tools to learn. If not, let it go. Kids learn to read in their own time.

FWIW, my son is not in a traditional school. He is in a Montessori school. There is a tendency for the kids in Montessori schools to pick up on reading earlier b/c they are exposed to a lot of the prereading skills if they choose to be. In K there are some kids who are still working out letter sounds and working on Bob books. There are kids reading Magic Treehouse or Roald Dahl very very well. And most of the kids are somewhere in between. My son was working out Bob books last year in preschool and he didn't particularly enjoy learning to read. He had fun sounding out words and spelling them out. He had fun writing them. At the beginning of K he could read some very easy readers and decided now was when he really wanted to read and he's flown through a lot. He is NOT at the chapter book level yet, but he's close. This is what he's chosen to put a lot of energy into this year. That's how it should be IMO. He decided now was the time and he's loving it. Last year if I had tried to push him to read more, even though he had the ability/skills, he would have hated it.

Anyway, I don't think she'll be bored in K if she CAN read. I think most schools can differentitate reading levels pretty well. I also don't think she'll be at a disadvantage if she can't. She'll learn. And there is NO evidence that reading earlier has any lifelong advantage.

[crl]

I don't think anyone in ds' K class was reading on entry. We are in CA so some of the kids were still just 4 year olds though. I honestly think a couple of kids were still working on the alphabet. I'd agree with your ped. I would not stop her from learning, but I also wouldn't actively try to teach her.

Catherine

[resipsaloquitur]

My DS has the same bday and cut off as your DC. He did learn to read, mostly on his own, in preK 4. I am very glad he did. Instead of being bored he was rewarded for knowing how to read in K. He got lots of positive reinforcement and really felt proud of himself. His personality is such that he needs that positive reinforcement more than lots of other kids. But he's gotten the message that he is good at reading, and thus, good at school and since he feels successful at it, he tried harder and is much more open to it than his friends. I didn't push him to read but I did guide him by providing book, workbooks and a little work with Dolce sight word flash cards. I am very glad I did.

[zoestargrove]

I have 2 boys that are a grade apart. My oldest stumped me because he knew all his letters, could sound out words early and I thought he'd be reading by the time he was 4, 5 at the latest - but nope he was on a totally different schedule. I'm really glad I didn't push him. He's more of a perfectionist and he didn't start reading until 6.5 when his class started reading. (He was reading really well, with inflection and different voices etc...) It was like he was practicing in his head for a long time before having the confidence to take it outside. He loves reading now and very ahead the others in his class in reading.

My younger son (16 months younger than his brother) started reading at the same time. He was determined and persistent. Unlike his brother, he did his learning out loud -slowly sounding out words and painstakingly taking a long time to get through a sentence. He has a November bday and could read well by the time he started kindergarten.

In my experience, the kids who could read before starting kindergarten was a very small group. (2-4 kids out of 20)

Based on my experience, I wouldn't push reading instruction. We borrow heavily from the library every week - and I would spend 5-10 hours a week reading to them. I enjoy seeking out different styles of books and finding books that speak to their current interests. I've received lots of great suggestions here on this board and ordered what I couldn't find on Interlibrary Loan. Before they were reading words, I'd get picture books and suggest they tell/read me the story by looking at the pictures.

With your child being a November birthday - you have the gift of time. It's quite possible that she will start reading before school starts, but if not she will be ready to begin when her class starts reading and it might come more easily because of that readiness.

[gordo]

DD is in K this year and has been reading since 3 (she taught herself, I did not work on it with her). I wouldn't say she is bored in K, but she certainly feels like she doesn't have to work hard and feels that everything is too easy. I am not happy with the school as I don't feel they are differentiating enough for her, although she is now getting pulled for enrichment class in reading (only once a week). I think she is one of two students who were reading before K started. While its sad to feel this way, I almost wish she wasn't reading when she started so that she would be learning something this year.

[jenmcadams]

Despite what I have read here and other places, our personal experience was that most children in my older DD's K class...were not reading before K

This is what I've observed too...my DS was one of 4-5 kids in his class who could read some things. This ranged from my DS who was reading at a 3rd grade level to a boy reading end of 1st grade level to two boys who were just starting to sound stuff out. In my DS's case, the teacher has done a good job of trying to challenge him (he gets subject accelerated to 2nd grade for reading, does research projects with the librarian, etc.), but he's still a little bored. We didn't push reading, but he wanted to read (mainly so he could read the messages on club penguin himself:)) and I helped him some (we did Starfall, had a sight word app on my iphone and bought some early reader sets (similar to BOB books, but a different set we liked better), but overall it was driven by him.

I would say follow your DDs lead...if she wants to learn more, help her, but don't push it if she's not interested.

[AnnieW625]

I do not push at all, but DD1 has a big interest in reading, but more of hers is just memorization. She has Sandra Boynton's Going to Bed Book, and It's Time for Bed, Biscuit memorized for the most part. She is just starting to recognize simple three letter words. DD1 is born in April so she will most likely either be right in the middle or one of the younger kids in school if she goes to the Catholic school with a Sept. 1st. cutoff.

[khalloc]

Thanks. I will just let her be then. And not really encourage it. She is already sounding out words and asking for help with that and also writing alot. From her pediatrician's reaction, she is already far ahead of other 5 year olds. I think when she does get to Kindergarten, she will pick up reading very easily. Thanks!

[ellies mom]

My oldest has a November birthday too so very similar to what you are going through.

I decided to just follow her lead. She was interested in reading so we worked on it a bit but never really pushed it. And as she was ready, she picked it up. She was reading by kindergarten but that was her thing. She wasn't as interested in math, so we left it because I figure she needed to have something to learn in school.

I wasn't as worried about her being bored if she was ahead in reading for two reasons. First, her school does divide up the readers so she was getting reading more appropriate to her level. And most importantly in my mind, reading is something that is very easy to supplement in the home. I knew that I could provide her with plenty of reading opportunities both independent reading and reading to her.

[BeachBum]

My mom teaches K in a public school. She said about 1/2 of her students were reading at least some day one.
FWIW she would like my DS to be reading fluently upon starting K. He is in pre-K now, and sounds out words, but does not read sentences at all.

[Karenn]

I have to laugh at myself on this one! I took such pride in the fact that I didn't push reading before kindergarten. I was in the "wait to teach reading so your kid will have something to learn in Kindergarten and not be bored" camp. That approach basically backfired on me. DS was not reading when he started school. There were a few kids that were, but most of them weren't. He was still bored in kindergarten. He was reading fairly fluently by January and couldn't figure out why I kept sending him to school since he already knew how to read! :)

DD also started kindergarten not reading and that backfired on me too! DD's kindergarten is at a private school that's far more academic than the one DS attended. She was one of the only kids not reading at the start of the year. Fortunately she's following in DS footsteps and catching on quickly, but it probably would have been nice if she could have started with a few more reading skills under her belt.

Bottom line, I don't think it really matters that much one way or the other. Just don't count on your child not being bored in K simply because you don't actively teach them to read before they start.