Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

I wanted to ask boy moms because girls are always geniuses and do everything waaaayy before boys do it

I was curious how well your kindergarten boys are reading, and how much time you spend at night having them read.

Cailen seems to be struggling with reading when he is with me. I have to admit - I teach all day, so I don't want to be a teacher with him, so I have been lax with him. I am starting to have him read more though because he is recognizing sight words, and we have some Star Wars phonics books he is interested in. He will try, but he makes a lot of mistakes, guesses, and then loses his stamina.

His teacher isn't concerned at all, so I just have him do whatever he can, give him a few pointers and tips (like recognizing the patterns since the phonics books repeats words and uses word families for easy recognition) but I was just curious how other boys are doing. He will be 6 in April....

thanks!

Message edited 12/27/2012 11:22:08 PM.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

sorry-i have a girl and she will be 6 in june and is not reading yet either! she knows her sight words (at home but performs them terribly at school)
i just wanted to chime in that i would not worry in the least if he is not reading yet. many K kids don't read until 1st grade. i work in an elem. school and it varies so much as i'm sure you know!
you are doing the right thing by reading with him and encouraging him with books that interest him or are designed to help him decode the words.
i have a nephew in kindergarten as well who is not reading yet either so i hth!
i am thinking by the end of the year there could or should be signs of progress for DD-or at least i hope!

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

I have a K DS. I think he is doing well although at parent teacher conversation - reading was not even a topic of conversation so I have no clue if she knew he can read at all. They aren't starting reading/reading groups until aftert he holidays (they have done some sight words though). I think he is above most kids his age but not sure. At conferenes she had a list of 50 sight words and I think he recognized close to 40 of them.

He started over the summer (he was 5 in July). He is definitely way ahead of where my older son was at this age (yet my older son is in 2nd grade and in the top reading group in his class so fast or slower - guess it doesn't matter as much). He read can read simple books with easy - Biscuit, Piggie boks, etc. He does a lot of guessing and is 50/50. He does know a lot of sight words. Lately he has been bored of actually doing the reading but has always loved beign read to but prefers fact books so hard for him to read (think books about states, animlas, dinosaur encyclopedia's, etc). We don't spend as much time as we should - esp I have a 1.5 yr old who takes up much of my time. We read before bed each night - either he reads, I read or we share reading (we act out the piggie books). Your son sounds like my older son. He just couldn't find book she was interested at that age that he could read himself and doesn't like to be wrong so he'd get flustered when he was wrong. So school did the easy books and got him going and he is doing well. He reads fine but still hates reading! lol Now - math - he is a whiz kid though!

Message edited 12/28/2012 8:32:07 AM.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

It's a huge part of it... He hates being wrong. I admit that's where I get frustrated a little. He just guesses and is wrong anyway instead of trying!

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Well I will say on here it feels like everyone is reading. The reality seems to be that most cannot but a few can. I know Dd's school she get 5-7 sight words a week and I think the teacher said she got all but one when tested. There are two boys in her class who can fully read but the teacher said most are at sight words and some not even there. She will pick out most sight words from books and occasionally come out with words I bc they are not sight words or easy words and I had no idea she knew them. She does get frustrated easily. Somedays she will say no for on etc. Or talk instead of said. But the teacher says she is very smart and doing beautifully and it is normal for them to do that. We read for about 30 mins every night (we also read sometimes before school or after school or whenever we are asked so not just at night but we have set reading time at night). I have her read the words she knows and I fill in the rest. Other times I read and just use my finger to highlight the words. DD has been picking up some books recently and getting a lot of what is on the page. I think reading comes when the child is ready. I have seen some kids read young and others were not ready and read later but then catch up quickly and pass the child reading younger.

Honestly it sounds like he is where most of the kids we know IRL are. Does your son's teacher give a list or give weekly words?

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Posted by lipglossjunky73

It's a huge part of it... He hates being wrong. I admit that's where I get frustrated a little. He just guesses and is wrong anyway instead of trying!

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

My DS is in kindergarten. We read to him all the time and have since day one. So, imagine my surprise when he announced this year that he hates reading! He loves to be read to and loves looking at pictures but clearly struggles to identify the words and gets frustrated very easily. I am attributing it to a general resistance to the work he's associating with being in school. I read to him every night and I will point to a word here and there in the book and ask him to help me with it. I only do two or three words so he's still able to enjoy the story but is getting some practice. We've been working on sight words and will make a game of those using flash cards.
His kindergarten teacher has not expressed any concern about this; she encourages us to keep exposing him to books and reading.

I also try to bring all sorts of books in the house for him to explore. Keeping boys reading as they get older is a challenge so I get the I Can Read books as well as some of the easy chapter books geared toward young boys to try to keep him interested.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

I wouldn't worry about reading issues in Kindergarten if the teacher isn't worried.

Keep reading to him & encouraging that love. Eventually he'll want to read on his own if he has that love.

My husband started bringing comic book homes for our son to read,which sparked things even more.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

I have a K boy and he does his sight words and can read a low level book after we read it to him first, but that's about it. I work .2 in a primary school and it seems about right. There are Ks (boys and girls) who can read chapter books, but they are few and far between).

If he is guessing and the word works - let him keep going.

Don't push too hard, b/c like others say - they catch up. My older son was on a B level in the middle of first grade (which is a mid-Kindergarten level). When he came back to school (after 4 months out) he went from a B - J by the end of the year and was even reading L/M books (2nd grade) over the summer (in a reading program). It's really about finding the type of reading material that works - silly, comic, magazines, baseball cards, picture books - there's something for everyone out there. My son was eating up My Weird School books. I hate the kid's attitude and use of "stupid", but those books definitely helped his reading.

And reading to them is so useful. Don't worry about it if you are reading 90-99% of the time. There is so much they can get out of it (like comprehension, prediction, inference, etc).

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

DS turned 5 in August. He knows his sight words (both at home and in school), he guesses some words, and tries to sound out others. He has memorized some books, but I don't consider that reading. He has the Star Wars books too and loves them. I would say he is trying to figure it out, but is not reading yet. I don't recall a LIF post about kindergarten reading this year, was there one?

Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

I have a DD, 6, and she can read almost anything. She has a photographic memory and memorizes all the site words. She already mastered all the 3rd grade site words. BUT she does not understand what she is reading. Her comprehension is low and even though she can read the words doesn't mean she is really reading. I think at this age comprehension is most important. We pulled back her reading levels dramatically and are working on her understanding the stories and being able to recall questions with reader response. So her reading level may be an I but her comprehension is only an E. By the time the kids are in second grade I think it all starts to even out.

Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Don't have a boy but have a 5 YO girl (turned 5 last month) and she is only doing sight words and the occasional book that she probably memorized. IMO I don't consider that full on reading. The teacher doesn't seem concerned and at Parent/Teacher she said they don't even touch reading until after the new year. Honestly I don't know of a lot of 5 YOs that are full on reading. K is early to be full on reading.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

DS will be 6 in a few weeks ( ) and he only knows his site words.
Reading wasn't even brought up at the parent-teacher conference.
He loves to ask me "mommy what does this spell"? and we work on it together, but, other than that he likes to be read to.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

DS turned 5 in Sept. and at that point he knew basic sight words. I dont know what they are doing in kindergarten but he is now a reading maniac! He loves to sound out words and truly amazes me with what he can read/spell. I wish I could take more credit because I read with him constantly for all these years but a few months of school is what did it.

Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Joshs class is broken up according to reading levels. He is at a table of 7..the only boy.
He reads, but i found giving him spelling tests def moved him along. Just reading site words was okay..but being able to spell them took him to a different level. All guessing was gone then. It made him try harder.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

If the teacher's not worried, and you trust her, I wouldn't worry. Try to have fun with him- read things he likes and is interested in without worrying about the academic value. Think outside the box a bit- I read one of Shel Silverstein's books of poems to DD and she loved them. I think 15 minutes a night is sufficient- that's what DD's teacher recommends.

Kids in Finland don't get any formal reading instruction until they are 7, and they kick our asses on every international measure of academic success, so for now, I'd really just emphasize reading for the fun of it. Even if you feel like he's behind, he's taking it all in. My DD is getting reading intervention services in K, which made me feel like I'd failed her, but I'm letter her teachers do the "work" while I just focus on reading to her and focusing on having high-quality books in our house. She loves books and I don't want to do anything to quash that.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

I wouldn't worry too much. DS is an excellent speaker and his kindergarten teacher was shocked when he started off the year struggling with letters and words. But past the mid-year point, something clicked for him. He's in first grade now and they had their DRA back in early October and he was already a 12.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

DS is 5 and in K and I am now seeing that he reads pretty well for his age. Out of his class maybe 3 or 4 at most are really reading. He learned to read outside of school - the most "reading" they are doing in his K class is sight words and they have done less than 20 and they are still doing letter sounds. Sounds to me like your DS is right on track. As to how often he reads - DS likes to read and does book clubs at our library. He reads a book himself on average every day.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Both DS and DD were truly reading and understanding before Kindergarten.... however, it got "balanced" out by them both being extremely immature emotionally and socially for their age. Their little brains are learning at an amazing rate, but there is still a limit to what they can do. If they excel a lot in one area, another area will probably suffer for it. Eventually, it all evens out for most kids.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Thanks guys!

Cailen loves books. He has been looking at books since he was an infant. I read to him every night. We go to the library weekly and he has a list of topics he wants books on (mostly animals). It sounds like he's on par with everyone else. Im not concerned. i trust his teacher. I never push that much because I don't want to be his teacher.... I want to be his mom! I just wanted to see if maybe I need to do more.... But it sounds like I am in normal mom range!

Message edited 12/28/2012 11:45:09 PM.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Posted by lipglossjunky73

I wanted to ask boy moms because girls are always geniuses and do everything waaaayy before boys do it

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Jay will be 6 in March, he recognizes some common sight words and the ones that his teacher is focusing on for the year. We just work with him at his own pace. His teacher gave us some ideas to help him and a couple of areas of improvement.

He's such a different child from Nate, who was reading all by himself at this age and had a great interest in learning. We've had to adjust our methods and try to motivate him into getting excited about learning.

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Ben will be 6 in June. At our Parent/Teacher conference earlier this month, his teacher said flat out "he can't read" but offered no advice or encouragement beyond "but I'm sure he'll get it". Understandably, her tone and statement bothered me so I consulted some other teachers I know and they all say not to worry. He's 3 mos into K, knows sight words, we read to him every night and he has the Tag reading books that he does, which seem to be helping. I've had issues with Ben's teacher since week one so I find it hard to take anything she says without issue. It's through speaking with other qualified teachers that we've discovered he's at a normal level for his age. Just like Cailen!

Re: Kindergarten moms (boy moms)... Question about reading

Theresa..... Did you ask her for suggestions or any documentation when she told you that? At our parent teacher conference she presented his benchmark testing, and told me his actual independent reading level. She still gave me suggestions even when she said he was right where he should be!