He/She Knows How To Read?

[IsabelC]

I see it as a continuum.

 

My 6yo is just beginning to develop some fluency, and has enough confidence that he will read things I am not asking him to read, however he is still learning the phonics rules and needs help. He is well on the way to being an independent reader.

 

My 4yo is confidently sounding out cvc words, and know the combinations of th and ee. She will read short sentences with encouragement, but does not yet attempt any reading on her own initiative. She is a beginning reader.

 

My 1yo "reads" by holding her book the right way up, turning the pages the right way, pointing out and naming the pictures she recognizes, and pretending to sound out words like her sister. Sometimes she can identify the first letter of her name. I'd say she is doing pre-reading skills at this point.

 

If I had to specify a moment when they move from pre-reading to reading, I'd say it is when they go from saying "c-a-t" but not being able to hear what it spells, to actually getting "c-a-t, cat!".

[FO4UR]

I will call my dc "fluent readers" when they can sound out any word in the English language and can also read the most common English words w/o having to sound them out.

 

ds6 is slowly getting there....slowly....He can sound out most words, but is not yet fluently reading.

[JudoMom]

I consider my boys readers when they are able to pick up a book and read it with very minimal involvement from me.

[Laura Corin]

I would say that a child who can read a simple sentence without sounding each word out is really reading.

 

Laura

[Tree House Academy]

I said my son was "reading" when he started to sound out words and such. Now, he can read or sound out almost anything and has begun to read fluently very well. At this point, I consider him an independent reader.

[Amber in AUS]

For me i said my DD could read when she was reading a very basic reader through fluently and comprehending it. My DS can sound out most cvc words but i wouldn't call him a reader just yet ;)

[Jumping In Puddles]

My son can read almost anything but he reads v e r y s l o w l y. He can read green eggs and ham easily to his sister as a bed time story and it is not too bad, but today he randomly picked up The BFG and he read a few sentences but it was word by word and almost all sounding out.

 

I don't consider him a reader. I consider him learning how to read.

 

My dd reads BOB books and I consider her beginning to learn how to read.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

when I see them reading without a lot of mistakes and stumbling over words. Also, when their comprehension is good and they can discuss the story/book.

[johnandtinagilbert]

2 things:

1. when they can read the instructions in their math workbook (Singapore or MUS) without getting me for reading or comprehension.

 

2. I'm really happy about their reading though, when they hit the chapter books (even the easy ones).

 

ok, so one more...when they read to themselves (for real) at bed time.

 

so to be a teacher: when word recognition and decoding is performed mostly independently and when cannot be, context is used so comprehension is not lost on the other two ;)