When did your child learn to read?

I just heard that a 5 year old girl is reading a level 2 book.

DD is in preK and will be 5 in February and we read books all the time together, she is learning sounds and knows how to write her letters but ive never attempted to have her start reading.

When did you start? I know she is learning the sounds of letters but not the sounds of words yet.......

How did you approach reading with your child? A 5 year old reading a level 2 book seems amazing to me. i know my daughters will remember sentences in a book as though they are reading the book - but its because we read it often and they remember the words. When does actual reading take place?

Message edited 11/23/2010 4:59:50 PM.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

My DD learned last year in K and she was reading level 2 so I can see a 5 yr old doing it. I would consider her an average age to have learned.

My DS #1 was 3 1/2 and basically self taught. I know it sounds exaggerated but literally a handful of times I taught him how to sound out words and he got it instantly. He went into the 2nd year of PreK (he was almost 4) reading really well. *Brag over*

I found trying with my DD a bit frustrating, mostly bc of her older brother's early learning, she didn't get the sounding out part. We worked on it a bit but when she started K, a few months in, it kicked in. She's in 1st grade now and reads very well.

I know someone who recommended a book "Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons" I got it but it was tough with her so I really didn't want to torture her. but my friend swears by the book with her DD.

DS #2 is 4 1/2 and isn't reading yet. I'm not worried.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

I'm not a teacher but I think it starts with memorizing the sentences as you read them, and then the words start to click.

DD was reading Level 1 books herself toward the end of pre-k (late winter/early spring-ish)and now in K reads Level 2 totally herself and attempts Level 3 books herself. Sometimes she needs help with a word or 2 but for the most part wants to (and is able) to read them herself. She's going to be 6 at the end of February.

But every kid is different, there are kids in her K class that still have problems identifying some of the alphabet. I've been told by a few elementary school teachers that by 2nd grade it all evens out so being advanced in K doesn't mean they'll always be advanced, and kids who need more help in K won't always need extra help.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

My son was reading full (simple) sentences by 3.5-4yo. His last test indicated that he can read at a high school level. I'm not sure how much weight to put into that or what exactly that means. My daughter was reading full sentences by 5. She is currently getting assistance with reading & is making strides.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DS was a baby genius of some kind. He was reading at a little bit before 4 ( I know this because we have him on video at his 4th birthday reading Horton Hears a Who). He's 10 now and reads on, as his 4th grade teacher says, "a college professor level."

But thank goodness I knew that he was not normal because my DD will be 5 in February and has NO INTEREST in anything school related. Recognizes maybe half of her letters, no numbers, and could give a sh1t about learning them. She's a fantastic artist, is socially intelligent, and puts on makeup like a pro, but isn't a reader.

We raised these children the same. We read to both of them, only let them watch PBS Kids, and took them to museums. EVERY KID IS DIFFERENT. Take everyone's one-up-man-ship with a grain of salt, and don't let anyone make you feel badly about your kid. Every kid is different.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Thanks Ladies for your input. I know the learning curve for all children is different and they should never be compared to others - but sometimes you just wonder.....
I can also tell my two daughters have different styles of learning and one is often times more interested in something than the other one....

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DD is 4.5. She is not reading. She is learning what you said yours is...the sounds of letters, how to write them , both upper & lower case, etc. She definately has a bunch of her books memorized so she "reads" them to me, but thats about it. I am surprised at the answers to be honest. Ive been told she is alittle advanced and always has been...but going by this thread...not really.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

At the end of pre-k he was reading sight words, and parts of the level 1 books... (He was 4.5)

He turned 5 in September and is now reading level 2 books...

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Once it starts, it will go fast.

One guided reading program Fountas and Pinnell is broken into A-Z levels for K-8 grade.


by the end of 2nd grade, students should be at M - half way - so keep going and encouraging.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DD started sounding out words toward the end of PreK last year but we didn't push it over the summer so I think she regressed a little. Now in K she is really picking it up quickly and sounding out words she sees all the time.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Ava started reading at 3.5. I have no idea how, really. I mean, we'd work on letters and letter sounds and I taught her to sound words out, but we never really pushed her or anything.
It's really a developmental skill and they will learn when they're ready.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DD1 started reading around 3....which from what my mother told me is when I started so I thought it was totally normal.
She turned 5 in September and in Kindergarten. She was reading anything and everything she could get her hands on very early on (car trips are still a whole lot of fun (SARCASM LOL) since she will read every sign on the highway or on stores) They just started sending them home with books and she started at level H....I didnt know what that meant until a teacher friend of mine told me that most children are at level D by the end of Kindergarten. At open school the teacher did tell me that she would be making DD work with another teacher since she was reading at a pretty advanced level.

But you have to remember that each child works at their own pace but once they get started its like a wildfire

Message edited 11/26/2010 10:12:30 PM.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

i think by the end of K they want them reading level 2 books.

My dd was reading by 4. She's also a nov baby so she was in K at 4. so she was the young one.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DD just turned 4 and is no where near reading. She pretends to read with books though.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Posted by dawnygirl25

DD is 4.5. She is not reading. She is learning what you said yours is...the sounds of letters, how to write them , both upper & lower case, etc. She definately has a bunch of her books memorized so she "reads" them to me, but thats about it. I am surprised at the answers to be honest. Ive been told she is alittle advanced and always has been...but going by this thread...not really.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Every kid is so so different. My son is in Kindergarten (turned 6 in Oct....Sept is our cutoff in OH for Kindergarten) and readng is just starting to click. There are kids in his class that are reading at a 4th grade level and some that still don't know their letter sounds.

DD is 4 and just came downstaris with a box of toys that she wrote "Poor People" on to donate to Goodwill.

Same house, same reading time at home, two different kids.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DS is in K and is reading at Level 3 with some help here and there. He started with sight words when he was 3.5 and really started reading simple sentences shortly after he turned 4. He has a natural curiousity about learning and picks up things really quickly. He'll be 6 in June.

DS#2 will be 4 in March and still have trouble identifying all of his letters. He definitely doesn't have the same level of interest in learning like his brother. DS#1 was so easy, but like everyone said each child is different so we have to work a little harder and more consistently with DS#2.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Mid Pre-K DD was reading level 1 books. She is in 1st now and on a 3rd grade reading/comprehension level.

Each child is different. After volunteering in my daughter K class all children were reading by year end. It was an awesome progress to go through with the class. I got to see how to handle each child at different levels. I appreciate that because my youngest is so different. I'm curious where she'll be at that age.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

DS was reading (not memorizing, since it would be posters and signs as we were driving) at around 3. At 6, he was reading Edgar Alan Poe.

DD is 4.5, and just starting to read words. We don't compare the two DC, we just encourage each of them individually.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Posted by dawnygirl25

DD is 4.5. She is not reading. She is learning what you said yours is...the sounds of letters, how to write them , both upper & lower case, etc. She definately has a bunch of her books memorized so she "reads" them to me, but thats about it. I am surprised at the answers to be honest. Ive been told she is alittle advanced and always has been...but going by this thread...not really.

Re: When did your child learn to read?

Carolyn was completely reading when she turned 5 in sept and started kindergarten. she might need help with certain words now, but pretty much can read 75% of what is put in front of her. She reads level 2's.