Kids and Reading

I have to agree with the other moms who said not to worry about it. I know it's hard when you see other kids reading already but there is no magic number. My son's birthday is in July and he didn't fully pick up on reading until the end of 1st grade. He is in 8th grade now with straight A's. My daughter has a November birthday and was 4 when she started kindergarten. She was very social but again did not read like crazy until the end of 1st. She's also doing well in middle school. Don't be pushed one way or the other. As long as the social skills are there, the reading will follow. There's a great flash card package called "sight words" and that I found to be a fun and helpful tool. You might look for those at a teacher store near you. Good luck and don't forget to ENJOY these years - they go by too fast!

My kids were not reading in kindergarten, it kicked in much later and both are very academic now. I know kids who could read at age 3 and 4, it really varies developmentally.

My niece is reading and she is in Kindergarten. Then again she's very bright and her parents work A LOT with her. I read at age 4 and so did my uncle (my niece's dad) .. long story we have a small family so roles overlap when the age differences are as great. The key is to work with her and point out letters and make sounds over and over again. Make games and songs out of it all and she'll learn to read faster.

I'm a special education teacher, so I've seen a lot of kids STRUGGLE with reading. But your daughter is just a kindergartener! Trust your daughter, not the other parents. When she is ready, she will read on her own. Neurologically, some kids are "wired" to read by 4 or 5, others need until 7 or 8. Check in with her teacher about her progress, and as long as your daughter is making progress, don't worry. Just read with her, and make it fun and enjoyable and comfortable to read with you. If you stress about it, she will, too, and it will not be an enjoyable lifelong activity for her.

If her teacher is concerned about her progress, keep an eye on things...but still focus on reading as a pleasurable activity because that is truly the most important thing! Some states don't even allow kids to enter kindergarten unless they turn 5 by Aug. 30 of the school year, so the worst thing that could POSSIBLY happen would be her teacher suggesting she repeat kindergarten. My husband repeated kindergarten...and he's an attorney now, so it wouldn't be the end of the world for your daughter. Just relax and enjoy your daughter...she'll do what she needs to do when she's ready.

Dear Kristina,
My daughter, whose birthday is today, by the way, started kindergarten at 4 as well. Always the youngest in her class, she held her own quite well.
It all just depends on the individual child.
I personally think the most important thing is reading with your children from the time they are babies. Every day. My kids had their favorite books and we read them to the point where they knew them by heart. I would read and then stop and they would fill in the word or what came next. Then I would show them the actual words. Flash cards of the alphabet are good as well so that they learn fairly early which letters make which sounds.
Another thing that worked really great with my kids....they had big chalk boards. I would write a few letters and then let them practice either writing over them or making them themselves.
I could read before I started kindergarten, but I had to start late because of being a December child. So, my parents taught me at home. Some kids don't take off and really get the hang of it until the second grade. It just depends on when things "click" for them. I don't think your daughter is too young, but she is only in K, after all. No one is expecting her to read War and Peace by the end of the year.
Just work with her at home too. Getting into the habit of reading every single day makes it far easier when they get older and have reading assignments. Both of my children absolutely love to read. They are now 22 and 13.
Take your daughter to the library and let her choose a book each week. In kindergarten and first grade, my daughter's absolute favorites were the "Nate the Great" series. Very cute and engaging!

There is no actual age that a child is physically able to read. Babies can even learn to read. Don't let the fact that your child is 1 year younger than everyone be a reason you don't move her forward. If she is ready, she is ready. Take a look at this:

http://www.yourbabycanread.com/

Hi Kristina,

Your daughter is not too young for kindergarten if she gets along well with the other children and is progressing in school.

I, too, am a November baby and did just fine in school. I was an exception to the rule though because I was reading before I started kindergarten.

However, children prgress at different rates. If you are reading to your daughter every day and she enjoys school, she will get it. She will be sounding out words and reading in no time.

At my house we watch the DVD "The Letter Factory" by Leapfrog. It is a video about the alphabet and the letter sounds. It has helped my two youngest to get a head start on reading. Now, my 1st grader reads at a 3rd grade level and my pre-k can read at an ending kindergarten level. But it has taken time. If you would like to talk about it more and how my children's amazing kindergarten teacher got them moving please send me a message. She has some amazing techniques that work very well.

D.

While she is a bit young, don't let other parents tell you what to do. Speak with her teacher and follow your gut. I know many 4 year olds that are reading better than many 5 and 6 year olds. I think being ready for kindergarten is more about social skills than the academics and they all catch up academically by 2nd grade...or so we were advised when we made the decision to start our daughter in kindergarten (she turned 5 first week of Sept). Both her preschool and the kindergarten teacher thought she was ready...and she is learning academically fine as well...

My older girls are November babies. They will be 10 on Nov. 13th. I started them in Kindergarten at 4. While there are kids who are older than them, they have always been near the top of their class grade wise. I have mixed emotions about starting them early, but not becuase of academics. I am seeing issues with other girls in their class starting puberty and being interested in boys. Some of the kids in their class are already 11 and they are 9. Their maturity levels are just not there yet, mostly becuase I'm trying to keep them little and innocent but there is not much I can do now, but I look at it this way, when they're seniors in highschool they will never be old enough to write, themselves an absent note. =) OH ya back to the reading question. They could read small books when they were 4. They learned to read better in Kindergarten. We're a big reading family, they have 6-7th grade reading levels (higher than some of the older kids in their grade). In closing if I were to do it again, I would have waited another year to start them at 5 going on 6.

Every child is different. Some are developmentally ready at a very early age to read (my 7 year old stared at age 3.5, which is very unusual), while others may not really get it until the 1st grade (my 4+ isn't showing any signs of being interested and my 4+ niece is reading 3 letter words). The teacher will let you know how your daughter is developing and you may want to ask at the next parent/teacher conference the teacher's opinion on your daughter's age and how she's handling kindergarten. However, I'm sure more goes into determining if she is developmentally ready for kindergarten than just reading... is she understanding other concepts, can she play well with the other kids, etc.

My daughter is a January baby and has kids in her class that are November babies and in kindergarten it really is still a pretty big difference. Most of those kids have moved on with the class and now in second grade it seems to be evening out. Conversely, she also had kids who waited an extra year and they seemed almost too old to be in her kindergarten class. But again, now in the 2nd grade it all seems to be evening out.

Just have good communication with the teacher and between you, your husband and the teacher you'll do what's best.

My ds started reading on his own when he was just 3.5, whereas my dd did not start reading till she was 6. Each child is different. Don't worry about it so much.

You can supplement your child's reading at home. I highly recommend BOB books, and Now I'm Reading both Long Vowel Sounds and the Short Vowel Sounds sets. The best way to encourage reading is to read to them at home daily, and have an enthusiasm for it. Good luck!

T. Solar
Founder
www.theparentpack.org

Don't worry she will catch on and read. Girls have it easier than boys when they start early, for some reason their minds mature in that way quicker. If you thought she was old enough to start kinder your instincts are probably right. If shse doesn't pick it up as quick, don't worry ,unless there is a learning disability most kids level out on there reading in third grade.

Your child should be emotionally, developmentally and socially ready to move on. If you and her teacher believe she meets that criteria, then she is ready. Remember your daughter is completing her first trimester of school, she has several months before the end of the year to make a decision.

As mentioned previously, in Montessori education children ages 3-6 begin to read and write. By presenting the sounds the letters represent, children at a very young age can learn to decode or sound out words. While learning to sound out words, children also learn the basic sight words. Fluency comes next.

Remember all children develop and learn to read at different ages. You and her teacher are the ones who spend the most time with your child, so the two of you should be the only ones making the determination to repeat kindergarten.

There is no specific age that they should start reading on their own. It should really depend on the child and if you are reading to them on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the schools really push children and for some, it is more than they can handle. For instance, my daughter was 4 when she started kindergarten. She is an Oct. baby but her preschool really prepped her for what she needed to know. When she left first grade they were having them write simple sentences and they had to know 46 site words. Now that she is in 1st grade, they are having them proofread sentences, find the error, make the proofreading marks on the incorrect sentence and rewrite the sentences correctly!!! We just had Parent Teacher Conferences and she is doing ok but she told me that I have to work with reading to her more and having her read back to me. She said that starting after Thanksgiving break they are going to have to read their math tests to themselves!!!! So, they are really putting the pressure on these children and the parents too. So keep reading to her, help her sound out words. Do they do site words? I put her site words on index cards and every once in a while I take them out and read them to her and she repeats them to me until she learns them and she can start reading the words off the cards without me saying it. It has really helped. Ask her teacher for extra homework sheets and work with her. Also, her teacher gave gave me some writing sheets. I got plastic sheet protectors and dry erase markers. I have her trace the letters and numbers on the plastic sheet protectors and then just wipe them off. Sorry I got off the beaten path, but I do not feel there is a specific age. It is all about practice, practice, practice!!! Hope this helps.

I am a kindergarten teacher and almost all of my students were four when they started and are going to to be five. Some students come into my kinder class already reading simple words. Children ARE able to read this early, it all depends on what is happening at home. It is really important for you to make sure to read to your child EVERY day. All it takes is three minutes. Just that time will have a huge impact on what happens in the classroom. Good luck

My daughter is a November baby as well and she is in Kindergarten. I'm not sure if she's the youngest, but she's definitely one of the last ones to have a birthday, and there has not been a mom there who have told me that she is too young. If you talk to the teacher - who ultimately is the authority figure in the class, they'd be able to tell you about your daughter's ability and progress much better than any of the parents that you shouldn't be associating w/ at this point. They should be a source of support, not concern or doubt. You're doing what's working for your family. If at any point in time your child does need extra help, then re-assess. Until then, kudos for you for trying to build the bridge to her future success and instilling the importance of education at an early age.

My daughter has a collection of books - I joined Children's Book of the Month Club and they send age appropriate books or ones I request, and she reads to me. Mind you, her idea of reading is her opening up the page, looking at the picture and telling her story from there. If there's something she wishes to understand further then she asks me or tells me that it's my turn to read. She and I have been working w/ Kumon workbooks @ home, or any workbook that is age appropriate since she was 3 along w/ several fun computer programs that are educational. Right now, her teacher tells me that she's a smart girl who is not behind anyone in the class who is older than her. All kids develop in their own pace, some faster than others, and with the added support at home, they learn faster. In the end, THEY HAVE TO WANT TO READ! Now, whenever I tell her that I have something for her, she automatically asks if it's a book and gets very excited when it is! :)

She went to a Spanish Immersion preschool, and has a Spanish class in Kindergarten. She identifies and verbally states things in both languages (we're Asians/Pacific Islanders so Spanish was not our first language), sings in both languages too! Right now, we're still working on the 3 letter words, spelling and listening to directions. She's much better than when we started almost 2 years ago, so I consider that progress. Different people have different standards, you just have to stick to the ones that fit your daughter and your family best. You'll be amazed at the progress they will make while is school. Age really has nothing to do w/ academics! What you might think your daughter is lacking now, could be something that she'll excell in later. Don't let those other parents in school plant seeds of doubt in your abilities to decide what's best for your child. Think of it this way, their kids are 5 going on 6 learning the same things your 4 going on 5 year old is! :) Maybe they're the ones who should be re-thinking about their kids' academic achievement! :) Good luck! I know that you and your child will be huge successes! :)

Every kid is different. I have 4 kids, and all of them have fall birthdays, and I have started them all in kindergarten. (except my 4 yr old who should start next year) They have all been fine. I don't think they really start "reading" reading until the end of kinder, maybe the beginning of 1st. Most of it is phonics, etc... I think most kids can read words, etc... by the end of kindergarten. I do have friends whose 4 year olds are reading really well, but I am not sure why there is such a push to start them reading so young. I read something once that said that a child's eyes aren't fully developed and really ready to ready until they are around 8 years old, and yet we push them to be reading younger and younger. Don't get me wrong, I think that if your kid is ready to read, by all means, let them read. However, I don't think there needs to be a big push to read so early. When my son was in 1st grade, about half of the class could read, while the others were learning. Now in 2nd grade, they all read great. I think the most valuable thing you can do for your child is read to her. I have found as my kids have gotten older that by 4th grade everyone can read just fine, but reading comprehension is a different story. That can be tricky no matter what age they start to read. I think if you are reading to them from a very young age, and talking about what your are reading, the comprehension comes easier. The sounding out words to read thing is the easy part! I am sure your daughter will be just fine!!!

Let your daughter inform your decision. I was reading at 3 years old, and was always younger that everyone in my class (late December birthday). If she can't keep up, hold her back for another year of Kindergarten. If she's doing fine, let her keep going.

I was born in July and was 5 when I started kindergarten. I could read when I started. every child is different, of course, but your daughter isn't too young for either thing, at least that's what I believe. :)

Standards are getting pushed to younger and younger grades but usually by the end of kindergarten to the middle of first grade they start to pick it up. She'll learn all of her sounds this year which will translate into sounding out skills this or next year. Definitely practice her high frequency word lists that are coming home. They make up the majority of text so with those under her belt she can focus her attention on the unfamiliar phonetic words. I'm a December baby and was in the same boat as a kid. I did feel young throughout schooling but did just fine. Every child is different, but if the teacher hasn't expressed any concern to you don't worry yourself with other mommy speculation.

Normal children vary greatly in when they are developmentally ready to read. Unfortunately, California state standards completely ignore this reality and we are pressuring very young children to become readers before many of them are developmentally ready. The research shows that children are developmentally ready anywhere between 4 and 8 to truly grasp reading. Reading to them at home makes a difference, but you still have to wait until their little brains are ready. I personally worry that we are effecting our young children's self concepts when they are totally normal by putting so much pressure on them to read when they may not developmentally be ready. To tell a 5 year old they are a failure (which we do in subtle ways, if not overt ways, like making them repeat a grade) when they are totally normal to me is a horrible side effect of No Child Left Behind and California's extremely high standards for young children.

S.

S.

The reason she may be too young is that she may not be socially ready. I recommend to everyone to wait until they child is 5 to start, let them spend that extra year at home. My birthday is in November and I always got along better with the kids a grade below me.

In my sons Kindergarten class there were 3 kids that were repeating for that same reason. Those three seem to be doing well all around socially and academically. There is a girl that her parents chose to move her on (her birthday is October)she is now in the 4th grade and her immaturity is showing through the older the kids get.

Hi Kristina,
My granddaughter was born late in October and was reading words BEFORE she got into kindergarten. Don't worry about a "general age." If your daughter is keeping up with the class and is getting along socially with her classmates, she's fine. If not, she's young enough to hold back without a problem. You be the judge.
E., a 72 year old Grandma of two lovely granddaughters--13 and 8.

Hi Kristina
I don't think age has anything to do with reading. My son is was 3 1/2 when he started reading 3 letter words. We made it fun for him to learn the sounds and blend the sounds. My son also has a child who just turned 5 a couple of weeks ago and he's learning to read just fine. So I wouldn't worry about her age. Just make it fun and she will love it. We use to play games like I would say door. and we would say "d" duh, duh, "d". we would do this all the time. I am now doing it with my 2nd child. He loves it too.

My son (who turned 8 in July) was reading easy "chapter" books by the end of Kindergarden. He's in 3rd now, and reading above the 6th grade level. My daughter, who started Kindergarden this year and will be 5 on Saturday, is not really reading books, so much as constructing sentences on her own.

Example: I see the bat. I like the bat. The bat is black. She can write simple sentences on her own like this, and uses the sight words that her class goes over on a daily basis.

Each child is different, and not every child loves to read. I haven't been worried about my daughter being the youngest in her class. Mid-November is not that late in the school year. Read to your daughter as much as you can. She may want to sound out words herself, or she may just like to sit and listen to you read. Either way, just encourage her, and she'll get it in time.

There are a lot of books that have basic, most common words used that are age appropriate. Border's has a great selection of books that are actually broken down by age and reading level. You can also talk to your school's librarian (if you have one). He or she should be able to recommend some age appropriate stories to read with your daughter. Local, free libaries also offer story times for different age levels. Anything to spark that interest in reading and your daughter will be reading sooner, rather than later.

Why are other moms giving you their opinions about your daughter and her ability to do well in Kindergarden? Ignore them and talk with her teacher. We just had Parent/Teacher conferences this week, and that is a perfect time to sit with her teacher and discuss any concerns you might have. Her teacher will have a much better understanding of your daughter and whether or not she's doing well in class.

Really, ignore the other moms. That's just rude!

I didn't read all the responses, so just some thoughts. Kids read at different ages, just like they walked at different ages. What probably matters most is the type of kindergarten/school she is going to. Some kidergartens have the majority of kids reading by Christmas or by the end of the year. So it may matter how well she fits with the program. The studies are not showing that earlier readers do better in school. Some kids will grow up liking to read others will never be fond of it. The whole issue about sending kids to kindergarten young or old is difficult. Personally I sent mine as old. When my daughter was tested for the private kindergarten they wanted her in their preschool for a year because she couldn't write her name. She had gone to a Japanese preschool and could write her name in Japanese for the previous year, just not in English. We love the private school, so we had her go to their preschool. She is now a freshman in High School. She loves being an older kid in her class. Having watched my 17 year old son (birthdate in April, therefore not young or old) go through jr high school and high school, I think it's easier for the kids to go through those years as older than younger. Also when I think about sending them off to college, sending my daughter off after just turning 19 seems better than having just turned 18 (she's Augsut). My youngest was born in Novemeber, so I had him wait to be an older kid. My oldest (the 17 year old) tells me that the age spread in his class is a little over 2 years (including the younger to the oldest). Interseting food for thought. Not sure of the "correct answer" Goood Luck

Dont worry about it! Just read with your children as often and as much as you can. Something I did with my son was to read and point to the words as I read them, so he'd notice that those black squiggles were words. Then from there I progressed to having him read one word that was "his" (a word that appeared often in the story and was easy to recognize & pick out. Like 'zoo' from Put Me In The Zoo, or 'Max' from a few storybooks we have.)
When he was 4 1/2 yo and we were shopping in Office Max, my son suddenly noticed and cried out MAX!! from one of the overhead hanging signs inside the store. That memory brings me smiles.

When he turned 5 and was getting birthday cards from family, we read them to him then he'd read them again on his own. We thought nothing of it, that he was just remembering what the cards said. But when the last card came the day after his birthday, my husband brought in the mail and gave him the card and he and I were talking while he opened and read his card. He read it out loud to us, and I was shocked because I hadn't read it to him yet. I can't remember now exactly what the words were but it had words that weren't on the other HB cards. That is pretty much when his reading took off, although he'd been reading 'in tandem' as described above with us for probably over a year then.

Now he is 6, in the first grade and reading at the 2nd/3rd grade level, because his FAVORITE thing to do is READ!

It REALLY depends on the child and the environment. I know kids who are watching older siblings learning to read, and are picking it up as they are watching like hawks!

Stores/Websites like Lakeshore sell flash cards (yeah, they probably don't match your districts list of 25 words) and Hooked on Phonics has some great computer games. (Kids have to learn the different parts of English different ways. Words with old spellings and Anglo-Saxon roots often don't work with phonics (sounding it out) as nicely as the Latin based words.) Other kids have everything CLICK after watching the DVD Letter factory? Word factory? It's at the library and made by LeapFrog.
Thing is - what if your child doesn't have the temperment? That is the sign they are not ready to read. My daughter was really interested, and would choose on her own to do the Hooked on Phonics yellow book. I could show her 5 flash cards at a time (the thing is to add one card a day from the base, and it's just frequency like every meal, but don't let it get boring.) If you have an active mover of a learner, you may have to play tag in the back yard for every flash card.
My experience is that reading is a skill that has to be taught with group lessons (school) and by one-on-one tutoring (parent) even if it's just reading and looking at books.

I took a lot of comments about my child (end of Sept), but her preschool had always told me she was MORE than ready. Also, I have a November bday, and was personally used to being the youngest in the class. So I just shot back to the other mom's that were apparently threatened by my choice "Well, I have a bias, my birthday is Nov 1x and I came out okay."
One of the most picky girls in my daughter's class (don't draw outside the lines!) has an Oct 22nd bday, and was best friends with the oldest girl in the class. GO FIGURE.

I have seen kids who were really stressed out, and kindergarten was too much of a challenge. It's a SUPER hard call, and a ton of parents have economic pressure. Our kindergarten teacher has pointed out attendance isn't manditory at that age, and you could work out taking the kid home early if they don't have the stamina for it.

THE OTHER THING IS.... now my daughter is in first grade. While kinder was "easy" the long day of first is a grind. The classroom is a million times more strict and things like spelling tests are daunting. No more activity time! It's all silence and academics. It's a bit intense. That is the only thing I would caution moms about: if kinder is borderline..... next year might be REALLY tough. Go see a couple of the first grade teachers, and how much homework a week is being sent home. I was rather surprised!

Another good resource is ARBOOKFIND.com look for books with a reading level less than 1 (one is first grade) like .5 (5th month of kindergarten). It will give you a good idea of what level they expect your child to read at.)

And those 25 sight words to graduate from kinder? Those will be the first spelling words in first grade by end of Sept.

Hi Kristina.

My son also started K at 4 and was having trouble with reading. The teacher made it worse by letting him know he was behind. The kids made fun of him and he cried every day. I took him out and homeschooled him and he read like a champ within a month or so. He's now in 3rd grade and testing at 4th grade level. I put him back in public school this year and they won't allow him to read at his level because they don't have the personnel to teach him at his level, so he is stuck doing lower level work at school, but a higher level at home. All this to say you child only needs some personal attention and she will be reading fine. They all seem to catch up or move ahead by 3rd grade, so don't worry about her. Of course, you always have the choice to keep her back one year and have her do K when she is 5. Either way, I wouldn't worry about her reading. I'm sure she'll do fine.

Hi Kristina,
As has been mentioned several times before, it truly is individual. My first daughter starts a new grade with turning the next age during the first week of school every year. So when she started kindergarten, she was 4 and turned 5 by the end of the week. Her teacher was worried she would not get it, but she is a typical Type A first child and has always been at the top of her class. My second daughter, however, is an October baby. She just turned 4 and is a typical 2nd child...happy go lucky, in no hurry to learn anything. I would like for her to start Kindergarten next year, but chances are she may not be academically or emotionally ready for it. So we'll have to wait and see. Whatever happens, try to see into the future and know that, while small decisions like this can influence the rest of their lives, most of the time it really ends up not mattering at all. If these are the biggest worries we would ever have with our children, life would be a breeze! (Ah, if only!)

There is no one age. It comes with exposure and when it comes. I would suggest supplimenting in fun ways. My daughter LOVED starfall.com. It taught the sounds with songs (She's and artistic soul.). In fact, she is 7 and still goes back to starfall.com to explore. Now reading the site is easy for her, so she reads it with confidence (There are stories they can read/have read word by word.)

She's young to be in K and keep in mind that she will always be young. It will be challenging for her to be nearly a year behind her friends. She'll still see everything as black or white and her friends will have moved on to gray. My daughter is one of the youngest in class, and often she asks why we put her in kinder instead of another year of pre-k (moved to new school).

Stephanie

I, too, was born in mid November and one of the youngest in my class. Don't concern yourself with what others have to say. You child will either "get it" or not. Perhaps you can read to her more often and help her sound out words. Even those who are nearly 6 will have problems. Like you said, it all varies among children so don't be too concerned just because yours is the youngest. In my case, I learned and did better than most of the older ones.

Every child is different. I know that when my kids were in kindergarten, they didn't even start with the "reading" part until after Christmas. They did the phonics and grouping to get them started, and I think that you should just hang in there. Worst case scenario, you keep her back a year, and she is that much more advanced next year in kindergarten. I don't think that you should be too worried about it! They will send books home to practice with and they are great for when the kids are just learning. I wouldn't expect that she would be able to sit down and read a book that you probably normally read to her, they are much more advanced then what they start with in their classes. Good Luck, and Don't Stress!!! All will be fine! and to answer your question, I don't think that there is any "general age" that kids start reading on their own. Every child is different!

Children read at their own pace. Sara was 3 yrs. old, Jessie was 5 yrs. old and Jennifer was 4 yrs. old. They all had stories read to them from the time they were babies. They start holding the books and turning the pages when they were big enough. They start asking about the words on their own. Your child is not too young. She is an individual and will start reading when she's ready, not when some law that someone made up tells a child that they are of the appropriate age to read or for that matter do anythingelse. Encourage her. Remember your doing a wonderful job.

I really just don't think reading is one of those things where age has very much to do with it. The reason for holding a kid out of kindergarten would be much more about emotional and social maturity than her ability to learn the content.

The age kids start reading varies a LOT because it has to do both with kids abilities and interest in reading as well as the instruction they receive. I come from a family of early readers(by 3), but that is not the norm. I have had 12 year old students who hadn't really masterd independant reading.

If you are concerned getting her interested and ready for reading... I love the Leapfrog video series, "Letter Factory" and "Word Factory" They are fun videos with catchy songs that teach kids some basic phonics.

Hope this helps.

T.

Kristina-
Our twins started reading at 4, phonics at 3. It was probably not the norm. They were at a Montessori pre-school starting at 2 years old. I used a dvd at home call "letter factory" from leapfrog, which teaches in a fun way the "sounds that letters make". It was the greatest tool to teach phonics (I might be a bit biased, I worked at Leapfrog for a couple of years). There are subsequent DVD's that teach the basic 3 letter word spelling/reading too.

I had some of the same concerns as you did. The twins birthday is late August. They just turned 5 when K started. So far, 2 months into it they are fine. I was not worried academically, but more socially.

If you are worried about her reading/phonics, but her social skills and developmental skills are ok, I would just suggest doing some supplementary work at home on reading and phonics.

The preschool used workbooks by eps (see link below). THese in addition to starting early with phonics were the foundation of the twins learning to read, write and spell so early. The books are amazing, I supplement their K work at home with a few pages of "Explode the Code" at night, so that they don't get too bored in K. Once they were able to figure out the phonics code, everything else fell into place. Spelling and reading became very easy for them.

http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/subject.asp?subje...

Hope this helps.
K.
Mom to Taylor and Dylan 5 years old

I don't really know what you mean by "on their own." do you mean sit down and read a simple book cover to cover with no assistance? If so, that doesn't come until probably mid to end of first grade. My granddaughter, who is in first grade and had no preschool, can read some of the simpler cat in the hat books almost by herself, but not completely. And, each child learns differently and at a different rate, but I don't think that your child is too young to learn to read. Children are learning sponges - they can learn anything that's taught to them. If your child is doing well socially, then she's not too young for kindergarten. Keep working with her and you will be amazed. I am still amazed each night when my granddaughter is able to read some of the story to me instead of the other way around!

I dont think there is an actual age, every child is different. My little girl will be 6 in December and is in 1st grade. We had a few parents that said the same thing about her when she started Kinder, and now she is at the top of her class! She struggled a little bit when she first started reading and then it just suddenly clicked and she is reading everything now!

I wouldn't worry about what other parents say, you and the teacher are the ones that know how your child is doing, and if the teacher thought she was not ready, she would let you know.

Take care!

L.

I think you can rest easy. I was in the same situation as your daughter - in Kindergarten at age 4 w/ a birthday in October. I don't remember ever having problems with learning or reading but do remember school being lots of fun. The only traumatic part was when all my classmates were getting there drivers license a year before me...but you have a few years before that :)
If your daughter seems happy and comfortable don't worry what the other moms are saying - who knows what their motives may be.

M.

Hi Kristina,
My daughter was 4 starting kindergarten and turned 5 in October that year. Though she is always of course younger than her friends, academically she is on the same level as well as socially being there too. She struggled with reading and sounding out words in Kindergarten but by the end of the school year, the light went on for her and it clicked. She is that way every year and is now in 3rd grade. We have to help her more and give her that extra push at the beginning of the school years but by mid year she is towards the top of the class and it clicks for her. Good luck!!!

don't be discouraged, my daughter is 4 and is reading and she can't even be in school because her birthday is late december. Just keep working with her at home. My 4 year old is even doing first grade math. I have to make copies of her big sisters homework and she loves doing it. I don't put too much pressure or supervision on her work, but she does very well on her own. Make her flash cards with the site words that they are learning or get her ahead of they game and find those site words and more online, that's what I did. They absorb so much so fast, maybe that one on one time with her can get her caught up if she is behind or ahead. Good luck!

Each child reads at his or her own pace. As a first grade teacher I highly recommend just reading to her every night. Does she know her letters and sounds? Start modeling and blending the sounds together to make words. I wouldn't worry about the age too much although some will disagrEe. All children are different but if you feel she is struggling or not able to keep up you can always consider having her do k again.

Hi- I have two girls who had very different early ed experiences and who were both young for their grade. My oldest (Oct. baby) started Kindergarten at 4 years and went to a school that did not push academics. They read to the kids, a little phonics and letter learning but by today's standards not super academic. She did not read well until first grade. No one really "taught" her she was just read to tons since birth and picked it up naturally by being constantly exposed. She is now in 5th grade in a very academic school with all A's and LOVES to read. She spends hours each week reading by choice and enjoys school. Second daughter is 6 (July baby) started Kinder at 5 in the academic school they are both in now. Reading was taught and there was lots of academic work, homework and a very long school day. She was reading books by the end of the year. Here's the catch, she is now in first grade at the same school and the emphasis on academic is depressing. She has homework every night, spends seven hours a day at school with much of it sitting still and does a fair amount of "worksheets". She is still happy in school but I've noticed a lot of the excitement over learning has been replaced by responsibility and stress. I am concerned that by 4th & 5th grade she will be burned out. Most kids will just naturally start reading when they are ready. This push in our schools to have all the kids at the same level at the same time is a product of the testing system that dictates how we teach or children. They have to be reading well by 2nd grade as that's when the tests start and if the school doesn't do well, we all know what happens. Children do not learn to walk, talk or potty train at the same time why do we expect that developmental differences just go away at 4 or 5 years old? Most likely your daughter will start reading when she's ready and her age has little to do with that. More important is how she's getting along in Kindergarten. Is she fitting in with the other kids, is she comfortable and happy? Please don't focus too much on the point at which she starts reading but the whole experience of school. Learning at this age should be fun, follow you intuition and don't listen to other parents. Good luck!

When my daughter started Kindergarten, 2 kids could already read on their own. By the end of the year there may have been a couple more.

Now in the fall of first grade, my daughter (who has always loved books) is just starting to read on her own. She turned 6 in July. I think she is about average in the class, some are ahead, some are behind.

Being "too young" for Kindergarten generally refers more to social skills rather than academic. Does she listen well, play well with others, work on her own, sit still when necessary? That sort of thing.

Good luck!
L.

Well I started reading on my own without any help outside of my parents reading to me daily by 3 years old. Then there's my kids and most others I've seen...

There are many ways to answer this question. Most kids are ready to read small simple books realistically around age 6 or 7. In Waldorf schools they don't have the kids reading books until they are 9, but they teach them how to write at 7.

My kids started in public and switched to Waldorf later and I can honestly say I believe public schools push to kids too hard too fast. This comes from my many conversations with their teachers in public school as well as taking a childhood development course in college. Personally I would consider waiting another year for kindergarten if it can work for you and your daughter. It may be hard since she already started.

My kids were challenged with reading until about age 9 then they zoomed and really began to love it. Now they read all the time!

But take heart if you decide to stay in kindergarten. My youngest is a rather late bloomer and her kindergarten teacher was concerned that she might be too immature for first grade, but she shifted right towards the end with her teachers help. She did fine in 1st grade, but was again challenged in 3rd grade when the work gets much harder and more disciplined. After that we switched to Waldorf. I don't regret it for a minute! She actually loves school again...

Ultimately it really depends on your family and what feels right for you. If it feels right to hold her back then do it, if not, don't. Is she struggling and unhappy or is she rising to meet the challenge and feeling proud? There is no one steadfast rule for when a child automatically is able to read.

Hello,

My daughter turned 5 in November and started Kindergarten when she was only 4, thus she has been the youngest. My daughter and many of the other kids could definately not read by Kindergarten. I notice she started reading in the middle of Kindergarten and that progressed in 1st grade. Of course, she is in 3rd grade now and is a very good reader. I used to try to teach her before Kindergarten and she just was not interested and couldn't get it. I think it has more to do with when they're ready. Many kids start Kindgarten at 4 and they are not too young. I'm sure their abilities also have a lot to do with whether they were taught things at home or involved in a pre-school prior to Kindergarten. I wouldn't listen to other parents, you know your daughter and whether she is ready for Kindergarten. My daughter could not stand one more year of preschool and was definately mature enough and ready to focus on work when I decided to put her in Kindergarten. You will see one day it just suddenly kicks in - I was even surprised.

Don't worry too much about what other mom's are saying. I was a late October baby and started Kindergarten early too. My sister was working with me on my reading skills and believe it or not I was ahead of the other kid thanks to her tutoring. My advice would be to read with your daughter every evening and have her spell out the words with you. You can tutor her and bring her up to level. This one-on-one is extremely helpful. Good luck!