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

[Keara'sMom]

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.

This is SO important--far more important, IMHO, than the "teaching books." Instilling a love of books will last a lifetime! Plus, he'll have a jump on learning that those letters on the pages represent words. What lucky kids you have!

 

[tttessa]

Hiya,
we are from the UK and our 2 kids(5.5, 6.5) started to read - as in be able to pick up a Harry Potter and read it without having to spell out words, and show comprehension good enough to say where the differences are with the films - at 5.5 years.
They both have a deep love of books and read everything from the Daisy Meadows books through to Harry Potter and encyclopeidia.

Neither of them read any more than being able to recognise their own name before school, though we are parents who both read around them and to them daily. So their school has taught them to read to this level in 1 year.... they said they can tell the parents who read a lot at home and it was more important to read TO a child than have THEM read before school age...
My friend's little boy read at 3 and will only read his set books from school - so early reading is not necessarily a good thing!!

So, though it's nice -I guess - to read early, you never can tell if the reading bug will stay around, and most will get there in the end anyhow...

Tessa

 

[dcforbreakfast]

It's so fun hearing all your stories. Makes me so happy that so many parents think reading is important! I agree, they all go at their own pace...my 5.5 year old can read...but he still can't swim!!! He's trying real hard though!!!

 

[taximomfor4]

My oldest (profoundly-gifted IQ) didn't read till she was almost 6, that I knew of.

My next dd: we were at a girl's 3rd birthday party. The girl received several books. My dd (had turned 3 two months prior) picked up one of the books, and began reading it. I have no idea when/how she learned to read. We did not have that book at home. I didn't even read to dd particularly often. I did notice the moms in a cluster casting rather dirty looks, but the dads....the Dads spent the next half-hour bringing dd more books, and having her read them. They were absolutely fascinated. It was really funny.

My ds, we don't know when/how he learned to read, either. He was 5, when one day I walked down the hall. There he was, on his bed, reading himself a book quietly (whispering the words). I RARELY read to him, and he had not been to Kindergarten yet.

Youngest dd is 5 this summer. She can't read, that I know of -- but my kids tend to NOT TELL ME when they can read,lol. I think that you can "teach" kids to read till the cows come home, but like riding a bike, it is something that "clicks" into place. One day, they "get it."

I DO know that my brother, sister, and I all read (for real) before Kindergarten. My dad, mom, grandma, etc were all voracious readers.

Beth

 

[lady9]

DD8 was reading when she was 3. She was the only proficient reader at the start of her kindergarten class and was reading chapter books at the start of kindergarten (she has a June birthday and was 5 years, two months at the start of kindergarten). She loves to read and carries a book in the car to read as we drive somewhere.

I am glad I am not the only parent in the world to send their summer birthday child to Kindergarten at age 5. At "Meet the Teacher Night" I thought I would faint when the teacher asked me if I had "really thought this through" about sending her as she was the youngest by far in her class and the oldest child in her class was 6 in May making her 14 months older than my DD!

My DD was reading short level 1 readers before starting Kindergarten last year. Now she is reading short chapter books like Cam Jansen and Junie B. Jones. I can't even begin to imagine if she was only starting Kindergarten rather than first grade.

 

[applechips]

my dd is 6 and can not read books yet. She can read her name and her brother's name and is wanting to know what words are and wants to know how to spell things. She does have a great memory though. When I told her the words of the signs on stores she remembered them. She knows her letters and numbers, can write them and writes her name and her brothers name. She can read the word No. I've read and read and read to her, but so far she's not picked it up on her own. I am not worried yet...

My son is almost 3 and doesn't know the letters or numbers. He can count to 12 or so but that is because of big sister reciting the numbers aloud. There is no way he could read anything. He can barely draw circles on paper.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I am glad I am not the only parent in the world to send their summer birthday child to Kindergarten at age 5. At "Meet the Teacher Night" I thought I would faint when the teacher asked me if I had "really thought this through" about sending her as she was the youngest by far in her class and the oldest child in her class was 6 in May making her 14 months older than my DD!

My DD was reading short level 1 readers before starting Kindergarten last year. Now she is reading short chapter books like Cam Jansen and Junie B. Jones. I can't even begin to imagine if she was only starting Kindergarten rather than first grade.

There are kids in DD8's class who are almost a full year older than she is. All of the kids with July and August birthdays seem to have waited a year, although the cutoff in NC (at least for another year) is in October. I can't imagine how she would have done if I had made her wait another year - she was ready, academically and socially. I worried more about her being bored, but there were still plenty of things she didn't know and she had a great teacher who identified what she needed to be doing to be challenged.

 

[hildasmuriel]

I can't imagine how she would have done if I had made her wait another year - she was ready, academically and socially

Here in the UK the cut-off point for each academic year is 31st August. My daughter was due on 22nd August but as she was late they wanted me to go until the 4th September until they induced labour. Fortunately they changed their mind and she was born on 29th August.
I worried at first, as she is always going to be the youngest in her school year but now I see it has turned out for the best as she would have been very bored if she were in the year below. She does seem a little young compared to the others (gets a bit more upset about classroom squabbles etc) but that seems to be evening out as they go into the last year of primary school (she will be 10 this month - where have the years gone?! )

 

[kt_mom]

My DD turned 4 in March. She can't read. She can usually recognize all the letters of the alphabet depending on the style of writing. She can write her name and sometimes recognize her cousin's name. We read alot. She loves to read. But I'm not pushing her to learn to read. I'm not really pushing her to "learn" anything at 4 years old. She's a little girl and has years and years ahead of her to have to learn things. Her mind is stimulated daily in lots of different ways. She can memorize the words to songs she likes by hearing the song only a few times. And her imagination is amazing. She makes up songs and remembers them and sings them to you again later.

I don't remember my mom ever teaching me to read. I have kind of a longer name and I know I was the last in my class in K4 to learn to spell it. I don't remember how old I was when I learned to read. My mom read to me as much as I wanted growing up. I remember memorizing books I really liked and pretending to read them to my mom, which she always praised. I remember seeing both of my parents read alot. But I learned to read in school. As an adult I love to read. My grades were always above average and I have always read above my level. I don't get to read as much as I would like because of the hassles of life. But when I do I am a pretty fast reader. I have no idea if that has anything to do with the age that I learned to read. But I think it probably has more to do with a love of reading.

I don't care that DD4 can't read yet. I'm thrilled that she still loves to sit and have me read to her. But I won't be trying to teach her to read. Once she's in school we will work at whatever pace the teacher thinks is good for her. But for now I let her focus on learning whatever she wants to as long as she's having fun.

 

[lori123]

I have twins that are going into second grade. DD is reading full on long chapter books (Nancy Drew the younger series, Magic Tree House)- DS is just a few paces behind her. He can read most of the same books - but needs my help with some of the words. Ok - but keep this in mind (OK forgive me, bragging mom) When my kids took the SAT (achievement test here) last year in first grade - out of 130 reading questions DD only missed 1 and was graded at a 9th grade reading level (this just means it normally takes a 9th grader to get her score - not that she is as smart as a 9th grader). DS was in a more normal range - LOL. Needless to say - we did not share their results with them - LOL - just told them both they did great. We had to chuckle though - the only "below average" score DS got was in "listening" - LOL - so typical!

That said, I really think all kids are different, there is no right or wrong.

 

[rwrocksme]

I read (short, easy) words at two. We had a great number of quotes and things on the walls in our house, and my mom would name letters and have me point at them. By the time I was three, I was reading actual books!

Actually, I realized the other day that I never read Pat the Bunny or any of Dr. Seuss' stuff.

 

[dogluva]

I have six kids. My oldest son was in first grade when he learned to read (born in nov., cut off was dec.), my next child (girl) was in first grade as well (born in Aug.). My next daughter was in third before I would call her a reader, my next son was half way through first before he could actually read (born in Dec, cut-off is now Sept. 1). My youngest son is going into second grade and has a sight vocabulary of about 100 words. He can sound out short vowel words. However, I am not worried because he is making good progress and I know he will turn the corner very soon.

My oldest children were not early readers (average) and they are incredible students-my daughter is in all high honors in high school and my oldest son is 18 and going into his sophmore year in college. He is doing very well. My daughter who learned to read (finally) in third grade is in all high classes in middle school. My fourth child gets straight A's and is at the top of his class. My four year old has no interest in reading but loves being read to. She can answer all questions about stories and is begininning to recognize her name in print (finally).

I am sue early readers do well in school but later to learn readers can do just as well. Children learn at their own pace. I think that all these early readers are probably scaring some parents of three year old who are not reading yet.