Can you're 6 y/o read? **Update**

[Lorix2]

My son and I sat down with the BOB Books last night. I can't believe how quickly he caught on. He had a little trouble after we'd change a vowel, but he asked to continue on to book 7 in the series and insisted on reading to my husband when he came home.

Here I was thinking he wasn't interested or would resist my attempts to introduce reading now, he loved it. He was so proud of himself and even said "wow, I'm doing really good huh mom?" with a huge grin.

Thank you all for you're advice and encouragement, you all had made me feel much better. I'm loving these BOB books and so is my son.

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I'm having mommy guilt.

When my daughter entered kindergarten at 5 y/o, she was reading short sentences, we spent so much time together.

My son is 6 and in kindergarten and isn't reading at home because I haven't taught him and spent the time with him as I did for my oldest. Of course he can spell his first and last name and knows his alphabet and knows the sounds each letter makes.

I just bought the BOB Books First! 12 book set (3 letter words/consistent sounds and short vowels) and hope to make some progress with this. I know he's ready. It's my goal to have him reading by 1st grade. I certainly wouldn't push the issue, but I think the majority of 1st graders are reading fairly well at this stage.

Have you used these books with your child?

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter is going into kindgergarten in Sept, she is 4 and is reading a little. She can't sit down and read a whole book yet but she is well on the way by sounding out the words she can't recognize. I spend a lot of time with her though and when I am not with her and she is not in preschool my mom is with her reading. I had taken Hooked on Phonics out of the library and it was very good for her.

 

[Lorix2]

Uggh! 4 years old? Now I'm really feeling guilty

That's wonderful, it's obvious alot of time is spent learning with her. I hear Hooked on Phonics is a great learning tool.

 

[zulaya]

Boys don't get into it like girls do. It's a fact if you research it. Girls in general pick up reading a lot faster and a lot more fluently than boys. They also tend to like reading. Boys tend to be more active. How many 6 yr old boys do you know who would pick reading a book over playing in the dirt, building legos or riding a bike?

My daughter was 6 this year in the first half of first grade. She was reading chapter books by herself - fluently with only an occasional word slip up on bigger words. That's just the way she is and she's been a reader for forever.

My son is 8 and when he was 6 and in first grade, the teacher thought he couldn't read. It wasn't that he couldn't. He didn't like it and he didn't want to. He was and still is a hands-on, building, science and math loving child. He'll make a great engineer someday. 1st grade was a struggle with reading, mostly because he just didn't want to do it. Now in 2nd grade, his interest is better, but it isn't and I don't think it ever will be a love of reading like his sister has. That's just the way HE is. He loves to build, create and invent and he'll choose that any day over reading a book.

He is so much better at reading. His teacher told me he has exceeded expectations for outside reading books - the expectations they have for the average 2nd grader.

Be patient. I worried over this so much. I even talked to my mom to see if my brothers were like this. Both my brothers hated reading up until one year when it was like the light bulb turned on and then they couldn't get enough books.

 

[Kermit]

According to the research I've done, children are more likely to become people who love to read if you just let them pick it up when they're ready. A child who is allowed to wait until s/he's ready will usually learn to read pretty well in just a few days. Of course, it's important that your child be in a learning environment, where he's read to and his mind is challenged, but it's not necessary to sit down and have reading lessons until he asks for them.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by Lorix2
Uggh! 4 years old? Now I'm really feeling guilty

That's wonderful, it's obvious alot of time is spent learning with her. I hear Hooked on Phonics is a great learning tool.

Don't feel bad!! My daughter is well ahead for her age. She is like a giant sponge, she sucks up all the knowledge she can....today she told me someone in the van next to us was expectorating....when I was that age I would have just said..gross he spit.... Boys are also usually slower to pick things up than girls are too. You can't compare kids, by the time he gets into 1st grade he could be at the head of his class in reading. Once they pick it up its amazing how fast it all just clicks into place for htem.

 

[Lorix2]

zulaya - you just made me feel so much better.

I never really thought of it this way. My son also is totally into building and taking things apart to see how they work and actually putting them back together.

He's extremely smart in this area and doesn't miss a beat. He'd much rather be riding or playing outside. My daughter is exactly as you had described youre's at that age. She loved to read from a very early age, but now sadly, won't read unless she has to for school. (12)

I'm happy to hear your son "came around" and is doing so well. Good for him

 

[buzzlady]

In our school system they learn to read in Kindergarten. By the end of the year they should be reading simple books.

 

[Lorix2]

Kermit - I hope all that research is right That was very helpful, thank you. I think that's what going to happen with him.

aprilgail - LOL! THey certainly ARE sponges.

buzzlady - they are working on letter and number recognition, counting, time, days of the week, phonetics, opposites, etc..as far as I can tell, there is no real introduction to reading at this point. He's only in class from 8:30-11:00, we do not have a full day program.

 

[HappyMommy2]

Don't feel bad. It wouldn't hurt to put in some more casual reading time, I'm sure (those books sound like a great idea!), but I wouldn't push it unless he really begins falling behind in a substantive way.

My mom began teaching each of her four children (two boys and two girls) to read at around age four. My sister and I were reading fluently before we started kindergarten. My brothers didn't read really well till about 2nd grade, and even then it was not their biggest strength. Even so, all four of us ended up doing very well in school; three of us have earned college degrees with high honors and the fourth is in the process. So don't worry! Early reading is not a prerequisite for future success.

 

[janette]

The kindergartens here do not teach reading. My oldest DD went to a private kindergarten and was reading pretty well going into 1st but there were only a few reading in the class. The majority did not.

My youngest DD has always been delayed in reading, she is in 3rd but doesn't read as well as my older DD did in 1st. She has a learning disablity and does get help in school, there were problems with letter recognition and other things even in pre-school so we were able to find the problem pretty early. She tests at a 2nd grade level. She also would rather build something, find out how it works by taking it apart or work on art projects.

I had to ask at the last school meeting how far she was behind, with my older one being always ahead it's hard to know where my youngest really should be. They are definately on opposite ends of the spectrum.

If he is doing fine with the work he's doing I wouldn't worry. They are working on reading but it's just the basics. There are numerous studies that show that most kids average out by 3rd grade no matter when they learned to read. They also tend to pick it up quicker if they are older.

 

[Pop Daddy]

I dont have a 6 year old that I know of

 

[HappyMommy2]

By the way, I know what you mean about that second child "Mommy guilt"--today I was looking at my kids' baby albums and my first son's album is packed with photos, notes, and pages of cute anecdotes; my second child's album has a few newborn photos and a couple of anecdotes and that's about it! I need to get to work on that--he's almost 2 1/2 now!

 

[Gupsmom]

Unless you have a reason to suspect a problem, don't feel bad. Kids pick these things up at their own pace.

My son was reading at 4. He was determined to learn and he did. My second child (DD #1) learned to read in kindergarten. She is progressing right on track if not a touch above level. My youngest will learn when she is ready. She's 4 now and if I had to guess, I'd say she'll be reading on the early side, but who knows.

On the other hand, if you have concerns, take action....but your child will probably just suddenly take off. I would recommend providing simple books to practice with (BOB books or the reprints of the old Dick and Jane books) and reading slightly harder books to him.

Jess

 

[MelessaG]

My daughter learned to read with her BOB books, and-while pretty dry reading for Mom-they are wonderful. As has already been pointed out, I wouldn't worry about your son. My oldest DD started reading when she wanted to, and I hope my son will do the same (he just turned 4), but right now, he hates to sit still that long. He does like to look at books and make up his own stories from the pictures, though.

 

[KimRaye]

Originally posted by Lorix2
I just bought the BOB Books First! 12 book set

Have you used these books with your child?

Yes and, they worked great! She picked up reading sooo fast that she didn't want to bother with the 3rd set. Even the 2nd set was not much fun for her. I agree with the others tho, everyone picks it up at their own pace. My DD was eager to learn. We started reading those last summer when she was 5-1/2 and, when she started KNGR in August, she was reading most everything (age-appropriate, of course). She likes the chapter books already and, those are hard to come by for 6yos.

Now, she's into spelling and math.

Do what you can! Every bit helps!

 

[momof2inPA]

Lori, I wouldn't worry. Some kids, especially boys learn in leaps and bounds instead of gradually. My son's like that. At the end of kindergarten last year he could read short, simple readers. Now he reads on a fourth grade level. Go figure.

My second kid just turned four. He wants to read but doesn't have the patience to sit for a lesson. I just read to him and have my older son read to him and hope he picks up on some of it. I have made reading to the younger one part of the older son's allowance chores. They seem to like it.

 

[Cindy B]

As you have heard from everyone, all children are at different paces here.

For my son, I remember him reading at about 4 years old. Of course, I was home with him and he was the first born.

My daughter, well, I had my active son, so it was challenging to get it all in! I did read out loud to her as well, and that helped so much.

My daughter is almost done 1st grade now.
She started the year with smaller books, and can now do chapter books!!! She is always reading and I have seen so much improvement.

 

[JerseyJanice]

My son is 7 now, will be 8 in August. He's supposed to read 15 minutes per night as part of his homework. I have to set a kitchen timer to make him do it. He would so much rather be out riding his bike or scooter than sitting in the house reading. That's a boy; their natural instinct is to work on building the large muscle groups in their legs, not their cerebral interests.

Going from kindergarten to first grade, he really liked the Cat in the Hat books. Green Eggs and Ham was the first "big" book he could read cover to cover.

 

[legs22]

I used the BOB books with my dd6 when she was 5. Now at 6, she just got done reading American Girls- Meet Molly.