Reading in First Grade

[maedelken]

How well should my first grader be reading? She is my oldest so I don't know what to compare her to? Any advice?

 

[imthatgirl]

first grade was a rude awakening for us. my daughter didnt go to public school for kindergarten, so i had no idea what they were teaching there. she came from a private catholic school that did nothing but teach them letter sounds in K. she came home the first day in tears because the teacher wrote things on the board for them and they were expected to read them. at that point she hadnt even been introduced to reading on her own, she hadnt even put sounds together at that time.
i went in and talked to her teacher, who luckily had worked at the school she had come from. so we were very lucky because she understood that my daughter was just never taught these things. we worked with her, her teacher worked with her and by the end of first she was finally caught up.
when i talked to her teacher i asked how much she should be reading. she told me step 3 books, do you know those books? i think they are called step into reading?
now i cant speak for other districts, but this was my experience. did your daughter go to K? was it in the same school district? if so then as long as she came out of K at the same level as the other kids, shell be fine. but definately read with her every night. its a long road, but youll make it

 

[nilseks]

Kids go into first grade at all different levels, and generally it is the school's objective to make sure they all come out reading (at least in our area). But at the start of the year they are all over the road. I helped out a lot in my son's 1st grade class last year. My son and one other boy were reading at a 5th-6th grade level, other kids could not read at all. My younger son is almost 5 and barely understands what sounds the letters make, so like I said, all over the road. But IMO it's okay if she's not reading yet, nothing to be worried about. It's remarkable how much they learn in 1st grade!!!

 

[imthatgirl]

oh and i just wanted to add something. i have no idea where your daughter is, and im not assuming anything. but, even if she were behind now, dont let that discourage you. it doesnt mean anything at this point. like i said my daughter couldnt read a lick going into 1st. now shes going into 3rd and she was asked to take a reading test to qualify her to tutor 1st graders in reading. which is a huge honor for her because they usually only pick 4th graders. but she scored a perfect 100 on her stanford 9 last year, so they asked her. we find out next week if she passed.
so dont worry yet about any of this.

 

[ChristusG]

I remember when I was in early elementary school, they didnt really teach reading until first grade. Kindergarten was all about the letter sounds.

However, things are different today and they try to have them reading as early as possible, for some reason. Kids read at different levels. Some kids are reading in kindergarten, some are not ready till second or third grade. But public schools have to teach to the average child.

 

[sardanem]

I have 3 kids. My oldest, who is now 16 was reading at the age of 3 1/2, my middle son, who is now 13 did not read at all until the middle to end of first grade and my third is going into first grade and is somewhere between the other 2 kids. She reads, but not as well as my oldest. I know she will be fine as will your child. I know you said that your first grader is your oldest so you have nothing to compare her to, but try not to compare any of your kids. I know it is hard to do. I have trouble trying not to, but they all turn out fine. I just wish I could pass on my love of reading and not just the ability to read. I love to read, as does my older daughter, but getting my son to sit and read a book is like pulling teeth.

Lisa

 

[jas_mom1]

When my DS (now going into 4th grade) started first grade, he couldn't read much more than our family names and the high-frequency words they use in Kindergarten. He spent some time at the beginning of the school year with the reading specialist and was reading by January.

My DD is going into first grade this week. She can read easy-reader books on her own, along with family names and the high-frequency words. She's way ahead of where her brother was at the same time. (They both have early Spring birthdays so they both started Kindergarten at 5.5 years.)

I did my student teaching in a first grade classroom many years ago. In the class of 18 students, we had kids who could read at 5-6th grade levels and others that couldn't read at all. I wouldn't be worried about your child not reading yet in first grade. That's what the teacher is going to work on.

Dianne

 

[MousekaMaddi]

my DD just turned 6 and will start first grade next week, she can not read, but can spell many simple words when asked to
my best friends son is in her class and can read the entire newspaper! he is 6 months older than her,,,,,,,,,,,,,now... SHE can swim like a fish and rides EVERY scary and wild crazy ride anywhere and HE is terrified of the water -can not swim and wont go NEAR dark rides or rides that go any faster than a ant walks, so.........kids are different, enjoy the ride!

 

[lisadr]

I'm in NY and the kids had to read by then end of KINDERGARDEN!! I remember taking naps in kindergarden I'm lucky my daughter is a good reader,but I still think it''s a lot of pressure for them to have to be fluent readers by the end of kindergarden-I mean they're still babies for petes' sake! Oh! and by 1st grade they have to read for comprehension-meaning they have to be able to read long books and understand the plat, main characters and outcome! WOW huh?

 

[pinktink83]

All 1st graders should be reading by the end of the year. Dont worry too much if they arent at the same level in the beginning. I was one of the last to learn in my class, and loved to read after I finally got it, and was in AP English classes the rest of my school life! I also worried about my DS b/c I thought he was nowhere near reading and I had no idea how to teach him! But somehow his teacher managed to do it and he was reading small chapter books by the end of the year and loving it! Think Junie B. Jones sized books.

Even those who are still a little behind than their peers almost always catch up by third grade. Just read to her evefry night and you'll be doing your job just fine. Let the teacher do her job!

 

[maedelken]

My daughter can read step 1 and step 2 books and her sight word book series. My mother inlaw is a reading specialist and tells me DD has trouble blending and I get the feeling she feels she is behind. I thought she was doing okay. She is a class with none of her friends from her K class so my mother inlaw feels that means she is in the slow group. Well her teacher says she is in a strong reading group. I went to the dibel's website and looked at a clip of a kid doing the reading fluency test and was blown away. Do first graders read like that and if so then my child is behind. I think my mother inlaw is giving me a complex and I can only imagine how my daughter feels.

 

[eduk8r26]

In California, they need to know all letters and sounds as well as 25 sight words by the end of K. By the end of 1st grade, they should be able to read and spell an additional 100 sight words. We also do the Accelerated Reader program where they take quizzes on books they read at their grade level. Half a point for picture books and many 1st graders have 50 or more points, some as many as 100 by the end of the year. That means reading 100 to 200 books.

 

[tigger21475]

I teach 1st grade in WI. I would be happy if all my students came to first grade know all their letters and sounds and could read basic sight words. By the end of first grade they should be able to read any 3 letter word and most 4 letter words. If your daughter is at the beginning of first grade I would say she is doing well. Keep reading at home with her and encourge her to try and sound out words. When she asks you what a word is don't give her the answer, help her sound it out. Hope this helps.

 

[triplet_mom_2001]

I have three kids starting first grade this week. One can read anything. One can read level 2 readers, and one is reading level one readers. The expectation at our school is that kids know their phonics and be able to recognize about 75 sight words by the end of kinder. There is a great deal of emphasis on reading in 1st grade.

Lisa

 

[dreamer17555]

Well most should be able to read about 50-100 sight words and three and four letter words with blends.

That being said my DD's kindergarten classes finished with over half of the kids reading The Wizard of Oz. Yes, the nice thick chapter book. My DD loved it as did many others (it was a gift to every student from the teacher).

Honestly I loved the Hooked on Phonics system. I did it with my DD who is starting 1st grade today and she loved it. She finished the program through 2nd grade and is begging for the Master Reader set. I would look into them, amazon has decent pricing.

-Becca-

 

[GJM]

We moved from NJ to SC when my DS was in lst. grade. He could read some in NJ, but they didn't have a level they had to be on. In SC they were much more ahead in reading and he struggled. They wanted to hold him back, but we had a tutor over the summer. And by the end of the summer he was on the level he should be.

It just took him time. I had problems with reading in 2nd. grade as a kid, and I now LOVE to read. My DS also now likes to read and does well.

I think for some kids it just takes a little longer to click -

 

[cogero]

honestly my daughter was able to read by the end of kindergarten and when she entered 1st grade was way ahead. she is now going to 2nd grade and is reading at a 5th grade level.

I think it is unfair to expect a child to read at the start of first grade as kindergarten is not mandatory. Your daughter will do fine but you may need to work with her a bit extra.

Good luck.

 

[madmom1030]

It sounds like your dd is where my dd is and she was one of the better readers in her class at the end of kindergarten last year. If your school did it right there are high, middle and low kids in each class and if your teacher told you she was in the strong group then she is probably a high. They normally don't tell you which group your child is in because of privacy for the other kids.

Does your school do guided reading with the books that are paper, if they do they will have a letter reading level (a, b,c for example). If they do I think they need to be done with letter d or e by the end of first quarter.

Don't worry to much about the reading my oldest had problems going into first grade but came out reading 3rd grade books.

 

[karliebug]

I teach first grade. In our district, some children come to me reading fluently and some don't even know all their letters. I will tell you that reading is a developmental process. Some read at 4, some not until 8. I tell my parents that it is like toilet training your child or teaching them to walk, they cannot do it until they are ready. It sounds as if your daughter is well on her way. Be sure to communicate with the teacher frequently about her progress and to read with her at home.

 

[dawnbu40]

My DD was required to read a list of sight words by the end of kdg. She passed easily but wasn't what I would call "reading". Her reading skills developed so rapidly that by the end of first grade she was reading chapter books to herself. Children grow and develop at different speeds. Don't worry what your MIL or others say and let your child learn at he own pace.