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

[dcforbreakfast]

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?

 

[luvtogo12]

DS learned to read when he was 4.5 years old. He learned by paying attention to me working with DD who was in kindergarten at the time. He was in an advanced reading program for the one year it was available in his school.
It really was not an official program of any kind. The principal pulled out a few of the "advanced" readers a few times a week to meet and read with her. He enjoyed that time.

He is now 15 and hates to read, although he did read 2 books this Summer.
I guess that was just another phase, I can't get him to do his Summer reading.

 

[Nanu57v]

I read before Kindergarten (not the norm when I was in school), but most of our preschoolers are reading before they go. Doing K-transition training with the school district (work for a preschool), we've discovered that Kindergarten is the new 1st grade, and PRESCHOOL is the new Kindergarten...so they really are expected to know more.

I can't give from personal experience as DD is only a young 2, but she can count to 20 in English and 10 in Spanish, knows all her colors, shapes, about half the alphabet and can write the letters A, M, and L. I was FLOORED when I discovered all the stuff she knows how to do.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

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.

DD4 is just reading sight words now - she recognizes some words whether she has read the book before or not, but she can't sound words out yet. I expect she will be reading before kindergarten (she has one more year of preschool), but perhaps not at the level her big sister was. I chalk it up to individual differences as well as having less time reading to her as a second child (still every day, but not as much as we did her sister!). Her preschool teacher said she was the only one in the 3 year old preschool class to know all her letters and the sounds they make, which surprised me. It's hard not to compare her to her sister sometimes, so it is good to know she is not behind!

 

[dcforbreakfast]

Wow three!!! That's amazing. I started with mine by teaching him the really little words, plus he was always big into advertising and always asked what the signs said when we'd be driving. I think in a lot of ways he taught himself.

His brain is like a vault, he NEVER forgets anything. This is usually a bad thing so we really have to watch what we say around him. The only downside to them reading early is that it's hard to keep secrets from them...they can read all your notes and things you don't want them to see, like "video game story this way"

 

[CastleCreations]

My dd was 4 when she began to read, around 3 she started with the sight word flash cards. She can memorize anything, so it was a help. We started with God Bless America, and she love to sing it, so then we did the fifty states song, and now she is learning the nations of the world song, as well as the president song. It's fun for her because she thinks it's a game, but she's learning, and I'm learning right along with her. LOL

 

[kribit]

What does everyone mean by read? Reading to me means early reader books. If people mean reading as in "See Spot Run," then my kids kids can read, but if it's full paragraphs (early reader books), they are not there yet. My children were screened recently to enter a private school with very strict guidelines and I was a bit nervous that they weren't going to meet the requirements. I was told that they most certainly do not need to be reading before K entrance, so I was relieved. Although, I was never one to put a time limit on milestones because all kids are different.

I did some reading of my own recently about how it might be a detriment to teach reading at such a young age because when a child is taught so young, they aren't comprehending what they are reading. I'm sure both sides will chime in on that one. I would love to hear people's experiences.

 

[mumom95]

My son started reading at age 4. We had never done anything with him. He just one day said something, I asked how he knew that, and he said he read it in the paper that morning. I handed him the paper and he read me half of the front page. He's now 7 and still likes to read, but I wouldn't say he loves it (I don't think he has ever loved it, just liked it)

My daughter is another story. I started working with her when she started kindergarten and it has been a slow, process. She will be starting first grade this month and can finally read chapter books, but it is pretty slow. But bless her heart, she works twice as hard as my son does, so I think in the long run she will be the better student.

My kids are young so I really don't know what this will mean for their future. But I think every child is different when it comes to this and as long as their teacher says they are on track, I don't think parents should worry.

 

[dijid]

Every kid learns at their own pace. My older DD was reading basic readers entering kindergarten (she turned 5 a week after classes started). My DS was reading at 3.5. His reading level after K is "at least 6th grade" according to the teacher who tried to assess him. He got 100% score at the 5th grade level and he was losing interest in being tested, so we gave up. Seeing as how he has read large parts of the UG, I think he's probably higher.

Now my younger DD (4 in Sep) didn't want to be left behind and has started sounding out words. I bought her the BOB books and she's really enjoying them. Mostly I think she likes our "special time" we get when we read together, but she is actually starting to read them.

 

[portia9]

My eldest started reading at 5 at school-just basic text and within 6 months was reading 2 grades above his level. It was really weird LOL. He is 10 and still a really passionate reader-I love it!

Yvette

 

[mjantz]

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.

 

[hildasmuriel]

My son taught himself to read and was reading very well by 2.5. As he was my first I didn't realise this was unusual. I can remember the look on a shop asisstant's face as he sat in his pushchair and read out the sign "No food or drink to be consumed at the counter. Thank you" Her jaw dropped! I actually thought my daughter may be a bit slow as she didn't read until she was 4.5. Now I work in a school - now I know better! Lots of children start school not knowing anything about reading but then have a sudden spurt and catch up.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Not a parent, but a teacher. I started reading at three, which is very early. The NJ state goal is to have every child a reader by third grade, so I think everyone here has children that are well within that goal. I teach high school and I have one student who didn't learn to read until 7th grade, which amazes me in both good and bad ways, if that makes sense.

Just wanted to say thank you for encouraging literacy. I am getting my Master's to become a Reading Specialist and some of the statistics can be discouraging. I just learned that the state of NJ asks for several pieces of data: the number of 3rd graders who cannot read and the number of high school drop outs in order to determine how many prison beds will be needed in the future. I did not believe this until our professor showed us the research.

As far as 15 year olds not liking reading - very often they like reading, just not some of the outdated school reading. I am sure they are fluent in magazines, internet sites, etc. I (along with three other teachers) have tried so hard to get contemporary literature into the high school curriculum for this very reason. The most contemporary thing we read is Lord of the Flies (1954).

I'm working on my final project for one class on motivating adolescents to read, so I had to jump on this topic and say a big THANKS!

 

[Sazuburns]

My elder son was half way through year 1 (aged 6 1/2) before he was reading fairly fluently. My younger son was 5 in March and has just finished his Reception year at school, and he is reading fairly well already, but that is partly down to the way they are now teaching reading at his school. They've switched to a synthetic phonics system which they use before the children learn to read, so that when they are given books they can already decipher many of the sounds.

Sarah x

 

[Nanu57v]

What does everyone mean by read? Reading to me means early reader books. If people mean reading as in "See Spot Run," then my kids kids can read, but if it's full paragraphs (early reader books), they are not there yet.

I think reading means reading See Spot Run, as long as its reading, not memorizing.

 

[Keara'sMom]

I agree that all kids learn at their own pace. I learned in first grade when we were taught (I had memorized several books but wasn't actually reading them). My dd, though, was 3 1/2 when she "taught" herself. One day we were in the public library, and she pointed to a book, saying, "Look Mommy, 'Cat Up A Tree' (the title of the book). I asked if she had seen that book at her nursery school, and she said, "No" with this questioning look on her face! Not too long after that, we were driving on a back road, and she saw a sign and read, "Bump." Then, we went over the bump. Her eyes got huge, and she said, "Mom! That sign said 'bump' and we went over a bump!" It was really fun to see the lightbulb go on!!! Her comprehension skills at that point pretty much matched her word reading.

Fast forward to age 10 (now). She's still a VERY strong reader (well above grade level) but is not that interested in reading much, aside from just before bed. Sigh. I'd trade early reading for more interest in reading at this point!

 

[bigbabyblues]

My DS started when he was four as well. He started with the early reading type books as well (Dick and Jane, Step into Reading level 1, etc). He was ahead of the other kids when he started Kindergarten last year. He's reading a Goosebumps book right now, at age 6, getting ready to start first grade.

 

[Zephyr]

My son started reading the BOB books at 3 1/2. He is 7 now and an avid reader. He spends about a 1/2 hour before bedtime reading.

 

[MomofKatie]

DD could pick out a word here and there at 3 1/2, but she wasn't really reading until she was 4 1/2. She could read very well by the time she started Kindergarten.

 

[Schmeck]

DD13 was tested in kindergarten for her reading skills and tested over the 2nd grade level at that time. They didn't know what to do with her, so they sent her to the reading specialist, who continued testing her and ran out of elementary school tests.

In 5th grade she tested beyond the 12th grade level. When she asked her language arts teacher what grade level she was testing at, the reply was "well, I guess you could call it grade 13" - she was up to using a college level test.

My nephew was reading when he was two years old. At age 4 he read the first Harry Potter book. Now he's 8, and is on book 6, unless he finished it this weekend, then he's on the last one.