OT: How old was your child when they first learned to read?

[nessz79]

Wow, reading these posts, it's like advanced reading is the norm? Or is it just that people with early readers are attracted to this post?

My son is 4.5 and is not even close to reading yet. He knows several letters and can write some, and recognizes his and his brother's names.

I'm not trying to be rude, I just can't believe how many children read before K. I learned in the 1st grade (back when it was 1st grade!) and was always a fluent reader throughout life, in advanced classes, high testing scores, etc. Just seems like there is more pressure on kids to learn to read so early when it may not mean any difference in adult life. Just some humble thoughts...I am not trying to flame anyone.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Wow, reading these posts, it's like advanced reading is the norm? Or is it just that people with early readers are attracted to this post?

My son is 4.5 and is not even close to reading yet. He knows several letters and can write some, and recognizes his and his brother's names.

I'm not trying to be rude, I just can't believe how many children read before K. I learned in the 1st grade (back when it was 1st grade!) and was always a fluent reader throughout life, in advanced classes, high testing scores, etc. Just seems like there is more pressure on kids to learn to read so early when it may not mean any difference in adult life. Just some humble thoughts...I am not trying to flame anyone.

Your son is well within a normal reading pattern. Boys usually learn a little later than girls, (girls develop fine motor skills at a different rate) but they usually catch up by 3rd grade.I think it is probably that those with early readers are attracted to this post.

The best thing parents of young children can do is to read with them and read to them and choose books that they are really interested in so that they learn to enjoy reading. I have to say that reading does make a *huge* difference in one's adult life! The importance of literacy really cannot be underestimated. However, I will add that while learning to read early on is great, the enthusiasm for reading is still more important than early decoding skills.

 

[nessz79]

Thank you for your post Lulu! I did need a little reassurance!

 

[clori]

my dd7 started by recognizing words like see Spot run a little before 3 and was reading early readers at 3.5. I never tried to teach her to read and she excelled as a self taught reader. By 4.5 she was reading basic chapter books such as magic treehouse. Now going into second grade she reads about two-three years ahead but still likes the grade appropriate books like magic treehouse. Her first grade teacher said she was more impressed by her reading comprehension even though she was very ahead of the game in reading levels and fluency. My youngest dd is now 3 years old and showing absolutely no signs of learning to read though she does recognize all capital/small letters and knows all the basic letter sounds. They have had similiar exposure to things like alphabet magnets etc but dd just isn't ready to read just yet whereas older dd definately was. Only time will tell when she will learn to read but I predict k/1st grade.

 

[super_crunch]

My daughter started by pointing out letters that made familiar "words" when she was about 2.5...like CVS and UPS.

By 4 she could read simple 1-2 sentence per page books, and could sound out just about anything she didn't recognize.

She was in Kindergarten last school year, and this summer she can read simple chapter books like Junie B Jones and Magic Tree House.

She is my first, and has always been very verbal, so I didn't really know what to expect. I never did flash cards or lessons with her. I just let her pick it up on her own.

My son is 3 and knows his letters and many of their sounds...but he just isn't as motivated to learn to read as my dd was at that age. It doesn't bother me at all. He's 3...and as long as he's a happy 3 year old boy, I'm happy!

I would say that first grade is probably still the standard grade for reading to really blossom. Many kindergarteners can't read yet, and it's completely normal. At our kindergarten screening they just wanted to know if the child was interested in reading and/or tried to read things that they saw now and then.

 

[abcboys]

I guess my kids are a bunch of dummies!! My now 8 year old has struggled with his reading. He was slowly starting to read in first grade (age 7) but is doing better. He is almost 9 going into 3rd grade. I know he is not reading at a 3rd grade level yet.

My 5 year old is also not reading. He knows his letters and can write a few words. He will enter K this year and I don't think he will have any trouble learning to read. He catches on to stuff faster than his brother.

My 2 year old is also not reading. Ha Ha. He doesn't even know any letters and I'm lucky if he talks in 3 word sentence.

 

[Schmeck]

Most kids learn to read from exposure, as someone else also posted. The pre-school years are great learning years for the brain, so parents need to use this opportune time to stretch their kids' brains.

Having worked in a kindergarten classroom, I was so dismayed to see kids who didn't even know their alphabet! How hard is it to sing the ABC song to your kids? These kids could play video games like the devil, knew all about Sponge-Bob, etc, but couldn't even write the first letter in their names. It was really sad.

By the end of the year most of the kids knew their alphabet, so they were capable of learning. No one at home had bothered to take the time to teach them.

Of course, my nephew just learned to read on his own. His mom was so sure he couldn't really read at age 2, that he had just memorized certain books. That is, until he brought her a book from the neighbor's house and read it to her. And then asked her what a 'chicken salad sandwich' was off of a menu...

 

[Becky2005]

My kids are all over the place on reading. I really don't think any of mine were actually *reading* before Kindergarten.

My oldest is above grade reader that I only found out about in 1st grade. I knew she could read but thought she was average. Her first grade teacher asked me if she could test her about the 1st week of class to see where she was at for reading. Turns out she wasn't *super* far but still above. She could read much higher levels but her comprehension was tested at about 1.5 which means where they would expect her to be at about 1/2 through 1st grade vs. the beginning. Then in 4th grade during her conference the teacher said she was at about 6th grade level.

My 10 year old -- well....he still had trouble remembering the alphabet at the end of Kindergarten much less the sight words they want them to know. He was put in the booster reading class they have for 1st grade & that didn't help enough, so he got tested. Lo & behold he has a reading disability even though his other scores on everything were above average. He's still reading probably 1st grade level -- improving every year but not anywhere near 5th grade level. We had problems with that when he kept thinking "I can't read" because he wasn't reading the same chapter books his sister was reading.

My 7 year old definitely was reading some in Kindergarten and I know in 1st grade they thought he should be in a higher reading group but he struggled with 1 or 2 words so had him in the lower group. He's basically an average reader.

My 3 year old isn't reading nor do I expect it anytime soon. He knows some of his letters though but I don't think knows the entire alphabet yet. I'm not too worried about it though.

 

[MomofKatie]

Thank you for your post Lulu! I did need a little reassurance!

Kids are all over the map as far as reading ability and comprehension when they are young- it all tends to even out by around the end of 3rd grade, though. Sure, there are some kids who will always "test out" on a higher level, but they can start young, old, or in the middle when they are little. I think it has more to do with enthusiasm for reading and availability of appropriate reading material than how early kids start reading. Parents' showing that they like to read and that they know it is important is also key, IMO.

When DD started Kindergarten, her perfectly normal class of 20 had 8 kids that didn't know any (or only a few) alphabet letters, 6 that knew their alphabet but no sight words, and 6 that were reading at least a little.

 

[jenjersnap]

My early learner DS#1 learned around 3.5. Last year in 1st grade, he tested at mid 4th grade level. He, however, doesn't love to read school assignments - anything forced on him and not his choice - so the other kids at his magnet school are catching up fast. I'm sad, I hoped he would always love to read anything, like me.

DS#2 just turned 4 and is a long way from reading.

 

[Kat77]

I learned to read in first grade (age 6 or 7?)- in fact I had so much trouble learning in a group my father had to teach me privately. FF just one year and I was head of the class and had tested 12+ (college level) before entering the fifth grade so 'late' reading is not bad thing by any means.

DS7 is autistic and self taught by 3. We had no idea he even knew the alphabet until be spelled out everything on a movie screen at 2.5 yrs. DS10 and DD9 learned to read in kindergarten. DS10 loves reading and probably tests at college level now but DD9 is definately just barely on grade level. DD8 still can not read beyond the simple beginner books, which is only now starting to concern me. Both DD's were ESL and joined our family as preschoolers, I never stress about their learning because bonding is MUCH more important than being head of the class (or even at grade level) imho. I hate the stress put on children to learn to read so early. Unless a child self teaches reading can wait until seven. In many countries, children do not even began school until age seven!

I do think it is more important to teach an enjoyment for books first. Exposing children to stories and being read to should be concentrated on. Then they will WANT to learn rather than feel forced into reading. I say this as a true book lover- libraries and bookstores are my comfort , just the smell of books is a treasure!

 

[nessz79]

I say this as a true book lover- libraries and bookstores are my comfort , just the smell of books is a treasure!

Me, too! I agree very much that it's the enjoyment that you pass to your children that makes the biggest difference!

 

[teresajoy]

I love how we can talk about our kids/parenting etc. here and Disney at the same time! This is something I've been wondering about for awhile. Myself, I didn't learn to read books until I was well into Kindergarten.

However, my son starting reading actual books just before he turned four. He was not memorizing books (as I tested this by throwing things at him he'd never been exposed to), he was actually reading out loud to me and sounding out the words he didn't know.

He's now five and a half and loves to read. In fact, I catch him in his room sometimes reading his books "in his head" as he likes to tell me, which really excites me because I LOVE TO READ. I'm hoping this helps him in school.

Any other moms have similar stories?

My son somehow taught himself to read before he went to Kindgergarten, I really don't know how he did it, because I didn't work with him on it at all. He could read and write simple words. Then, he went to school, and he stayed at the same level all year, becasue he didn't think he was suppose to know how to read yet! UGGH!!

My middle daughter had absolutely NO interest in any sort of learning before starting kindergarten. Then, she had a teacher that she STILL refers to as "an angel" and there was just no stopping her! She wasn't reading books though, until she was in 1st grade as I recall.

My youngest started reading just after she turned 4. However, she hasn't really wanted to do it lately, so I'm not pushing her. The last thing I want to do is make her dislike reading. I love it so much! She learned by watching the ......Oh shoot, can't quite think of the name of them now....Leap Frog (something like that)videos. Talking Letter Factory, that's what it's called. There is a series of them. She really likes watching them.

Anyway, I think it's pretty impressive that your son is reading books to you!!

 

[Schmeck]

I learned to read in first grade (age 6 or 7?)- in fact I had so much trouble learning in a group my father had to teach me privately. FF just one year and I was head of the class and had tested 12+ (college level) before entering the fifth grade so 'late' reading is not bad thing by any means.

DS7 is autistic and self taught by 3. We had no idea he even knew the alphabet until be spelled out everything on a movie screen at 2.5 yrs. DS10 and DD9 learned to read in kindergarten. DS10 loves reading and probably tests at college level now but DD9 is definately just barely on grade level. DD8 still can not read beyond the simple beginner books, which is only now starting to concern me. Both DD's were ESL and joined our family as preschoolers, I never stress about their learning because bonding is MUCH more important than being head of the class (or even at grade level) imho. I hate the stress put on children to learn to read so early. Unless a child self teaches reading can wait until seven. In many countries, children do not even began school until age seven!

I do think it is more important to teach an enjoyment for books first. Exposing children to stories and being read to should be concentrated on. Then they will WANT to learn rather than feel forced into reading. I say this as a true book lover- libraries and bookstores are my comfort , just the smell of books is a treasure!

Bonding is very important, but so is developing the potential of the pre-school-aged brain. Of course, since your DDs were ESL, then learning that second language was a great way to get those neurons humming! My BIL's nephews on his wife's side are so amazing - they can speak Norwegian, English, and Mandarin Chinese. I think they are 10, 7, and 4 yrs old? Three very different languages, which they all learned in pre-school, although I think their mom taught them the English?

 

[kribit]

DS started reading around Kindergarten. He had some reading comprehension in Pre-K but really kicked in around Kindergarten. He currently reads a little above grade level. His comprehension is excellent but he's not a fast reader.
DD also started reading around Kindergarten and at the end of 1st grade this year was reading & comprehending at about a 5th grade level. She actually reads above her brother grade-level wise & is a very fast reader.

Even to this day, my husband is a much slower reader than me but he comprehends thing much better. I would rather have the comprehension skills. Both my kids do very well with comprehension.

 

[MickeyMacks]

I've been reading to my son since he was a baby and before he was two he "got" the idea that the letters on the page make the story run. He could read simple sentences at around age 4, maybe some words here and there before that, but for me he really started "reading" when he was sitting beside me one morning when he was 5 and when I went to turn the page in the newspaper he said, don't turn it yet, I'm still reading that article about the Wizard of Oz!

He had seen the play with me at the school, loved it, and recognized the title in the headline. When I asked him, can you actually read that? He said yes, told me what he'd read so far and asked about a couple words he had trouble with.

Since starting school he's been reading non-fiction stuff about science, space, trucks, building tunnels and towers, knock-knock joke books, and his children's Bible, but he preferred to have me read fiction to him. He's just getting into reading it himself this summer (heading into Grade 5).

I read books to him that are higher than his reading level (starting with the Magic Treehouse books, various boy's adventure and mystery series books, Roverandom, The Hobbit, then moved into Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, etc.)

Kids have different talents and types of "literacy" - some are more sports literate and "get" team play and game rules and dynamics early, some are math literate, computer literate, or music literate early on. So don't put too much emphasis on how soon or late kids learn to read or learn the other skills, they all get there at their own pace.

 

[hildasmuriel]

Wow, reading these posts, it's like advanced reading is the norm? Or is it just that people with early readers are attracted to this post?

Yes, it was the title that dragged me in. I have an interest in the subject because my son self-taught so very early and because I still laugh at myself for thinking my daughter was slow because she didn't read until she was 4.5.

See, if the thread was titled "when did your child stop wearing nappies" (or diapers) I would also have posted to say how slow my son was! He was nearly 3 before he was dry - he could read long before he could be bothered to use a toilet.

 

[MickeyMacks]

: He was nearly 3 before he was dry - he could read long before he could be bothered to use a toilet.

That was my son too!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Yes, it was the title that dragged me in. I have an interest in the subject because my son self-taught so very early and because I still laugh at myself for thinking my daughter was slow because she didn't read until she was 4.5.

See, if the thread was titled "when did your child stop wearing nappies" (or diapers) I would also have posted to say how slow my son was! He was nearly 3 before he was dry - he could read long before he could be bothered to use a toilet.

Totally OT, but it always makes me smile when I hear or read someone from the UK. I just love your use of language - nappies, brilliant, etc. I can listen to my friend from England talk forever - it's beautiful!

 

[workinmomof2]

My oldest DS is 3 1/2 and cannot read by himself. I am just excited that he loves for others to read to him. He loves to go to the library and wants to read all of his new books as soon as he gets home. We haven't even started with the teaching books yet. We just get the books he likes right now which is anything trucks. We read every night before bed. Books also helped to get him potty trained. They kept him sitting on the toilet. Works for the 1 1/2 that we are trying to plant the potty training seed into.