If you have an early reader, is it because of anything YOU did?

[lotsofpumpkins]

I myself was an early reader. As far as I can remember, I just figured it out from being read to (Green Eggs and Ham stands out in my memory). I guess I always thought that my children would "figure it out" early like I did. Well, I started my oldest in ETC 1 when she turned 5, and she struggled along (frequently using the pictures as clues instead of really reading the words), until a few months before her 6th birthday things "clicked", and her reading took off. ds6 could not sound out words at all until a year ago (when he was a few months shy of his 6th birthday). We tried several programs, and nothing worked. He knew all the letter sounds but couldn't put them together. Now he is capable of sounding out words, but he does try to guess sometimes. Now I'm trying to teach ds5 to read too (he turned 5 in December). He has known all his letter sounds for a long time, and if I say the sounds of a word, he can tell me what the word is. He has no trouble hearing it. BUT, if I put a word in front of him and tell him to sound it out, he tells me he can't. I know that he can figure out what a word is if he just tries, but for some reason I can't get him to do the sounding out himself (we are working on ETC 1 right now). I'm getting Phonics Pathways to use with him (keeping ETC as a supplement to that), so hopefully that will help.

 

I guess I'm wondering if there's something I should be doing with my 3.5 year old to help get him reading earlier than his siblings. I know in the end it doesn't necessarily matter; my dd is a great reader now; you wouldn't know if she started reading at age 3 or age 6. But I think that 1st grade goes a LOT smoother if they can already read some. My 6 year old has had to work very hard this year; phonics and reading were much more difficult for him than they were for his sister. I know a lot of that has to do with where his strengths lie (he's the mathy one), but could I have done anything different to force the reading to "click" sooner? From my observations of my children, I believe you just have to wait for their brain to be ready to read. So, is there a way to force the brain to be ready sooner? :)

 

ETA: Please don't take my use of the word "force" to be harsh. I've just been reading some of the threads about rigorous homeschools, early reading, etc, and have been wondering if maybe I'm not doing enough.

Edited April 9, 2010 by lotsofpumpkins

[Kuovonne]

From my observations of my children, I believe you just have to wait for their brain to be ready to read. So, is there a way to force the brain to be ready sooner? :)

 

I don't think that you can force the brain to be ready sooner. However, I think that you can provide lots of opportunites for the necessary neural pathways to grow and hope that they take.

 

My oldest was an early reader, and it's looking like my younger will also be an early reader. I read to them. I have them watch the LeapFrog videos to memorize their letter sounds. We frequently sing songs that require oral blending in the car. I work on letter recognition, blending, and memorization of letter sounds all independantly in the preschool years. By the time I start formal reading instruction, these sub-skills (letter recognition, sound recall, and blending) are already mastered, making the process of learning to read easier.

[Mom22ns]

The only thing I did that I think impacted the fact my children read early is that I read to them a LOT. Without that constant exposure, I don't think it would have happened. However, most kids with constant exposure won't start reading at 2.5 like my oldest did and plenty will not even start at 4 like my second did.

 

I think it is about them, not us.

[momofabcd]

I think that you teaching yourself to read is a rare case. I have a friend who's son just figured it out when he was 3. But, a good majority of children need to be taught to read sysematically. I really don't think you need to do anything more with your 3.5 year old than you have already done with your other dc. Children develop in their own time, and eventually it all evens out whether a child learned to read at 4 or 7. From what I hear, Phonics Pathways is outstanding. It will most likely get your ds over the hump because it teaches dc to blend two letters together first, then it moves on to three letter words.

[blessedmom3]

Some children read earlier , some later . I don't think it's beneficial to teach them reading if they are not ready. All my three dc started to read fluently by 4 or 5 . We used Leapfrog DVD and Leapfrog fridge magnets ,Starfall, Bob Books then Adventures in Phonics .

[songbirdie]

I think that there are alot of "experts" and others who would say that it's something someone does to cause a child to be an early reader. But I have found that by beginning early with both of my children, one of them read as she was turning 4 and the other couldn't really read until age 9. I used multiple teaching methods so that each child could learn it in their own way. So that says to me that it may be a little more inborn than some people are willing to recognize.

[mrsdrcook]

My oldest is only 6 1/2 but she just tested at the level of an 11yo for phonics. We went to Learning RX to have her checked out for difficulties with math. (Another topic). We read to her and started teaching letters early. She spoke early and often as a baby and was advanced in learning basic toddler stuff so I started at age 3 1/2 teaching with The Reading Lesson. We did 1 page per day for the first year or so and finished the book before she turned 5. I didn't push her to do any additional reading until she was able to blend sounds together well at about 4. Then we did Bob books and MCP readers.

 

My middle child is about to turn 3. She is not as advanced with language but still very cabable of learning the alphabet at this stage, so we will work with her to learn the alphabet and wait and see when she shows readiness to begin learning to read.

 

Hope this helps. :)

[OnTheBrink]

Both of my kids read early; I read early, too. With my son, he taught himself. He came out of his room when he was 4, plopped down and opened Green Eggs and Ham and started reading. I hadn't intentionally taught him anything, other than to read to him a lot.

 

My daughter demanded to learn how to read when she was 4, so I did teach her. But, she was read to frequently, too.

 

My dad taught me to read when I was 4. He was in a doctorate program and to keep me from pestering him while he studied, he'd hand me textbooks and teach me how to sound the words out. I'd go off, work on what he'd given me, then come back and read it aloud to him. Obviously, I had no clue what most of the words meant (his Ph.D was in business and aeronautical engineering) but I could read well enough to skip K and go straight into 1st grade at age 5. So, his methods worked for that! LOL Also, he'd read Dr. Seuss to me every. single. night.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Looking back I realize that learning to read is like potty training.

It happens when the child is ready.

[Dmmetler]

Heck, no! About the most I can take credit for is having books available and reading to her-but there is NO way I taught my DD to read, given that I'm not even sure exactly when she began to do it! (I knew she was reading words here and there by about 18 months, but at age 2, when she not only read her birthday cards but the safety warnings and labels on her toys at her birthday party, I had to accept that she was really reading) My parents claim I was the same way, and was reading the newspaper at age 2 1/2, so I'm guessing that it's just some sort of freak of genetics.

[Dinsfamily]

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, but I have theories :tongue_smilie:.

 

I guess both of mine would be considered early readers although the 2nd read much earlier than my 1st and has a natural fluency my first was lacking. I don't think that anything I did during preschool years besides having a literature-rich house influenced their reading. I read to them A LOT! We also play a lot of games like what sound does bat start with? or end with? Those were just fun ways to pass the time in the car when we were driving. I now realize (after reading it in SWR) that those were good activities to increase phoneme awareness. We'll continue to do things like that. My 2nd ds also benefitted from the Leapfrog videos, but I don't think they alone caused him to to pick up a book at 3 and read it. I do recommend them, though. We also have the closed captioning enabled on all of our tvs. We did it because my dh has some hearing loss and I don't like the tv blaring, but I've noticed that my ds6 is reading the tv now. LOL! Jim Trelease mentions CC in The Read Aloud Handbook but I never gave it much though since we always have CC on anyway.

 

I did try to teach my oldest how to read around 4 because he'd known all of his sounds for well over a year, but I quickly saw that it wasn't fun for him and we stopped. I think we made it to lesson 12 in 100 EZL. I don't think it's bad idea for all kids, but I could see that it wasn't good for him. He did learn to read CVC words at that point, but it was painful. We didn't do anything else formal until Kindy when we started SWR. His brain must have been ready because he increased 3 grade levels in about 3 months and his fluency still shocks me. Plus, he LOVES to read! So much so that we had to institute a lights out rule at 10pm (he goes to bed at 8).

 

I will say that getting my dc to read early isn't one of my goals. Like you said, it doesn't matter in the end. I'm really just trying to sneak in that early stuff (like the phoneme awareness and LF videos) to make it easier down the road when they are ready to learn. It does make me happy that my 3yo is such a natural reader if only that I'm hoping he won't ever be frustrated in that department. He isn't one of those kids that begged me to teach him (so I didn't). He doesn't even seem that interested in reading most of the time. He can just do it when he wants. Maybe he's a genius with a type B personality :lol:.

 

HTH,

[Cinder]

Ds1 and ds2 were early readers. Ds1 was one of those that learned to read at 4yo by himself with no instruction. Ds2 was 4.5yo when he showed readiness. Everytime I read something to him he'd ask me to point to the word I just said. He wanted to see what the words looked like. So I decided to start him on Phonics Pathways. We went slowly, taking 2 weeks to get the short vowel sounds down, but after that he made steady progress. Now with dd, even though she was trying to sound out words on her own, I delayed starting until about a month ago. She turned 5 a couple months ago. I'm using PP again and she has all the vowels and blends, but gets tired of the review pages. So sometimes we work on it, sometimes not.

 

I think the biggest help was reading to them. We read a lot of books. For ds1 and dd they also learned to write their letters at 3 yo (their insistence). Then they'd ask how to spell words or names and write those down. I think that kind of "play" had a part in their learning, too.

 

 

Cinder

[Guest]

I think my daughter came pre-wired for early reading and language acquisition of all kinds. Like many others say about their own children, she was read to and I answered her questions about what things said, but she was reading before I ever got around to phonics when she was four.

 

I have read that around 60% of kids learn to read through being read to, general exposure to words and literacy in various contexts, having their questions answered, and some very rudimentary phonics. The others, for various reasons, need more systematic phonics, for longer, and have more trouble attaining reading fluency. I've also read, numerous times, that kids who do need the systematic lessons but who are exposed to formal reading lessons later, around age 7, have far fewer problems than kids who are taught formally at age 5 or earlier. (Sorry, I know it's annoying to read statistics without sources, but I came across all this some ten years ago when my daughter was beginning to read and have no idea where I found it.)

[Dmmetler]

Looking back I realize that learning to read is like potty training.

It happens when the child is ready.

Personally, I would have rather had early potty training ;). I think it would have been less problematic. Having said that, it is helpful to have a child who can read books to herself WHILE you're in the potty training stage!

[Orthodox6]

Reading "happens" when it "happens." Being read to daily fertilizes the field, but I don't personally incline toward hothousing. We read many books to each child, every day without fail, because they insisted on it. We also spoke a lot to our children, and they noticed us reading often.

 

I taught myself to read when barely four. So did one of my sons. Now I know that is only because we both have Asperger's.

Edited April 9, 2010 by Orthodox6

[Dinsfamily]

Personally, I would have rather had early potty training ;). I think it would have been less problematic. Having said that, it is helpful to have a child who can read books to herself WHILE you're in the potty training stage!

 

Funny, I have early readers and late potty trainers. I wonder what that means? :D

[LydiaG]

I taught my oldest son to read when he was 2. I used "How to Teach Your Baby to Read", which uses whole words on flash cards. I am now going through Reading Reflex with him to make sure he understands phonics and how to sound out words that he's never seen. These lessons are super easy for him because he figured out phonics on his own.

 

I taught my second son to read using 100 Easy Lessons, starting when he was 4, maybe 4 1/2. We stopped around lesson 80 (should've stopped WAY before then- the whining was horrible during the last 20 lessons) but he still wasn't a fluent reader. He went to public school for a bit (treaded water with reading), and is now home using Reading Reflex and doing fantastically.

 

I am currently using the word cards with my 2-year old, and he loves them. He can read about 20 words after 2 weeks, and will most likely progress at 20 new words a week. I will continue doing the cards and home-made books with him for about a year or until he can read fluently, and then start phonics when he's 5 or 6.

 

So, my experience has been that you can teach young children to read (and it's been easier and less stressful than the phonics method), but I haven't used a phonics method until they are older.

[Shelly in the Country]

My dd10, ds6, and dd4 all learned their letters and letter sounds with no help from me. Recognizing letters came around 2 years old for all of them (and my current 2 yo ds knows many of his letters right now). Knowing their letter sounds came around age 3 for all of them. I didn't do anything to teach them this directly, but I've always had them watching educational videos and playing at Starfall.com, PBSkids, etc on the internet.

 

I began formal phonics training with all of them at age 4. My ds was already "teaching himself" how to read at 3 1/2. He was constantly writing words and sometimes messages on his toy chalkboard and his Magnadoodle. I started with ds in a hurry when he turned 4 because I was afraid he would pick up bad habits if he didn't learn phonics. With my daughters, they were not teaching themselves to read, but they knew all their sounds and they were both begging to do school work, so what the heck?

 

As for my own history, according to my parents I was reading simple words as early as 2 1/2 with no instruction from them. My mother taught me to read and write before I entered Kindergarten. I was very bored during that year of K.

[mrsdrcook]

"Personally, I would have rather had early potty training ;). I think it would have been less problematic. Having said that, it is helpful to have a child who can read books to herself WHILE you're in the potty training stage! "

 

Dittos on the first part. My first born was reading before she was potty trained!

[MissKNG]

Here's our "story":

 

I think my big girl (4 next month) reads at about a K level. She got there by all the things KarenAnne listed:

 

"""""I have read that around 60% of kids learn to read through being read to, general exposure to words and literacy in various contexts, having their questions answered, and some very rudimentary phonics"""""

 

I tried some phonics work with her and she resisted so I stopped. Then I just let her do whatever she wanted (readingeggs, starfall, being read to, asking how to spell stuff). So she got to a K level through those means.

 

Even though she LOVES being read to, her interest in reading herself isn't huge. I think her reading will "take off" once she becomes really interested. I mean, that's what happened with her writing. Last month (March), she could barely TRACE numbers and now she can write any number (needs help with 2 and 5) between 0-9 and the numbers beyond (ie. since she can write 1 and 7, she can write 17).

[lovemykids]

I was an early reader using Dr. Suess books as well. ;) My two youngest school age kids learned to read, almost effortlessly, at four and they were fluent by five or six.

My oldest, who had some language problems, and didn’t speak until she was three or four, learned to sound out CVC words at five but she didn’t gain fluency until she was seven. Being my first, that was a long two years, um, whew! I actually started teaching my oldest when she was very young, but then we tapered off, and did very informal preschool. She was always too busy doing art and pouring over science encyclopedias, as a result, she was not interested in learning to read. (she is my super right brained kiddo- although the others seem to be as well) She could spell from an early age though, and has the most beautiful handwriting, exactly like mine at a young age (it's a mess now! not hers-mine), so she's not your typical dyslexic. I chose not to have her evaluated and she seems to be fine. :)

My youngest dd loved workbooks, and I printed out many worksheets for her even though I used Montessori type methods w/ her as well. My oldest boy was taught beginning reading primarily w/ Montessori methods blended w/ computer games and Leapfrog DVDs.

I also used tons of good read aloud literature for all of them. Wind in the Willows was a long time favorite bedtime read aloud. We really need to read it again!

[Gratia271]

FWIW, I believe it has far more to do with the children than it has to do with the parents in the early years. I know parents who read to their children all the time, but their children didn't take off with reading for whatever reason. Parents should provide a nurturing environment that engages children and enriches them. My children happened to follow my childhood experience of being very early precocious readers. What I did with them was .... read to them, converse with them, and engage them continuously from birth. What they did was... absorb everything like sponges.

 

Like adults, children are widely variant in their responses to their environments. Not getting quick results doesn't mean there is something wrong with the environment or with what you are doing. IMO a results driven focus with young children, whether it is results parents observe in other’s kids or in terms of what parents want for their own children, can lead to misery for everyone. I don't believe that children should be "forced" into learning (I don't think they can be anyway.) Young children grow and develop on their own schedule. I don’t know what posts you are referring to about rigorous environments and early reading. Maybe there are moms/dads out there who drive their young children to excel. Personally speaking, I have not met any people who are like this with little ones. I have met parents who, like me, are characterized that way because our children naturally excel. For me, the goal has always been to nurture my children's delight in life and in learning. Having grown up in a private school where everything was rigid and forced, I determined that my children would not be driven by me to perform. They can acquire their own baggage later in life. :tongue_smilie:

[lovemykids]

I agree, I don’t think it was necessarily anything I did or didn’t do, as in the case of my oldest. It was the individual child in each case, primarily, and then gentle prodding and game playing along with a ton of read alouds.

I do think that a proper environment lends itself to early literacy. Making it fun and giving each child what they need does play a part, but the motivation is up to the child in the long run. Each child has a different timetable for various abilities.

[lovedbyGod]

I don't have an early reader, but I am convinced this sort of thing is at least partially inborn. I have 3 boys aged 9,8,5 and a girl, 3. With the first two boys we did everything you are supposed to do. Constantly read to them, parents read all the time (for ourselves), books all over the house, TV rarely on (and hidden away in the unfinished basement, no cable), no video games at all, regular library trips, stories on CD, playing with magnetic letters, etc etc. Well. Teaching ds 9 to read was like pulling teeth, ds 8 slightly better, but they definitely didn't teach themselves!

 

Fast forward to ds 5 and dd 3 - they watch FAR more TV than the others did, and play occasional Webkinz, and are read to less than the others were (we still read to them a lot, but now the time is split more ways because even though the older two can read, we all enjoy family reading aloud). And ds 5, while not self taught, is far more interested in learning to read, and is picking up phonics much more quickly, than the older two ever were/did. Today he asked me what letter makes an "aw" sound (like in "fall") - that would never have come from the older two - and he's always trying to sound out signs etc, again, which the other didn't. DD 3 is always asking me to teach her to read and recently sounded out the word "sat" with prompting.

 

Maybe it's because the younger two were exposed to "school" but I'm not convinced that's the whole explanation either. I'm sure that all things we did for the older two bore fruit - they are good, enthusiastic (if not avid) readers now - but it sure didn't get them to teach themselves!

[Mabelen]

The only thing I did that I think impacted the fact my children read early is that I read to them a LOT. Without that constant exposure, I don't think it would have happened. However, most kids with constant exposure won't start reading at 2.5 like my oldest did and plenty will not even start at 4 like my second did.

 

I think it is about them, not us.

 

:iagree: I have two children. I read a lot to my oldest because I only had one and I was the typical anxious first time mom, worried about things so I made sure I read to her since she was a baby. The thing is, other than reading to her I did nothing (no tapes, etc) and she learned to read by herself very early, she was a natural book worm, reading words by 2, reading books by 3 and fluently reading in two languages by 4. With my youngest I didn't spend as much time reading to her, partly because I wasn't so worried and partly because I was busier, although I still read to her quite a bit. She still wasn't reading at 5 1/2 so I started Starfall and ETC at the same time she started public school kidergarten. She needed that instruction to learn to read, and now at 6 she has become a fluent reader in both languages but not as advanced as her sister was at 4. I don't think my youngest would have read any sooner even if I had read as much to her as I did to my oldest, they are just wired differently.

[nova147]

DS learned to read when he was 3 years 3 months old. I claim no responsibility for this. I read to him. When he started to be interested in letters, I gave him more letter-related toys. As he got closer to reading, I got Bob books for him. But other than providing him the tools, I didn't do anything to teach him to read.

[FO4UR]

:lurk5:

 

My oldest is just barely taking off now (7yo)....reading level 1 type stuff.

My middle one was reading CVC words at 3yo, and is reading level 1 type stuff like her brother.

My youngest is 3, and knows his sounds but isn't reading.

 

There are so many factors that go into reading...the ability to hear the sounds, see the letters as written on the page, associate the letters with sounds, etc... Early readers have put together all those components...early. I would guess that doing things to develop those individual skills would help.

 

-play "glue" and "unglue" the word for practice hearing sounds

-lots of activities with letters, finding letters, writing letters, dot-to-dots with letters. Anything that forces them to discriminate between b, d, n, m, u.... without the pressure of actually reading.

-teaching sounds first, as opposed to letter names. People look at me funny when ds3 calls B /b/, but the boy knows his sounds!:D (and sings the ABC sing, etc so he's learning the names too, just in a different context)

 

That's what I've learned trying to teach my ds7 anyway....

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Of course it is. I contributed to the gene pool from which his reading ability was drawn.

 

:D

[lovemykids]

Of course it is. I contributed to the gene pool from which his reading ability was drawn.

 

:D

 

Yes, I agree. (with an air of superiority) Pppbbtt! :lol:

[lotsofpumpkins]

Of course it is. I contributed to the gene pool from which his reading ability was drawn.

 

:D

 

:lol:

 

I didn't mention in my first post that my dh was a late, struggling reader. It's quite sad actually-- when the class would take turns reading aloud, his teacher wouldn't let him read because she said something about it being too hard for the other children to follow along. It turns out he probably had mild dyslexia. The boredom he experienced once they put him in LD class caused him to dislike school and it wasn't until the middle of college that he started to take learning seriously again. Everything turned out great though- he went on to seminary and spent 4 years reading a TON of books, and now as a pastor, he reads aloud long passages from the Bible to the congregation each Sunday. You wouldn't know that he was the child that the teacher wouldn't even let read aloud. So, although I was an early reader, dh was late, and although I would expect a mix of abilities from our children, so far they all seem to be following the same pattern of being close to 6 before things really start clicking. My 5 year old seems like he has more natural ability to hear the sounds in words, but he is LAZY. I try to play little games with him, asking him what sounds he hears in a word, or give him sounds and ask him to tell me what word I'm sounding out, and he just doesn't want to play. He's like this with most schoolwork though. I'm not asking much of him as far as written work- just one page of ETC, one page of earlybird math, and either handwriting or a page from one of the R&S ABC workbooks. When my 6 year old was this age he was setting goals for finishing workbooks, and doing far more than I required of him each day. They are just completely different personalities. I was just hoping that teaching the 5 year old to read would be easier than it was with the 6 year old. I think if we can get past the laziness and he actually desires it, it will be super easy.

[LibraryLover]

Well, except for DNA, no. One of mine learned to read and I didn't find out until dc read a deli board menu one day. Hot soup etc Wha??? DC was still wearing cloth pull ups at night at that point. lol

Edited April 9, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Krista in Colorado]

Without reading all of the wealth already posted here, my two-cents worth:

 

I think it's (or can be) both. I began using Phonics Pathways with my oldest at 3 1/2 years. (I was a little over-zealous to begin homeschooling. :001_rolleyes:)

 

She did just fine until we reached 3-letter words, and she balked because the words were "too big."

 

So, we set it aside (much to my chagrin ;)) for a few months. We picked it up again and she's been reading voraciously ever since. She read Narnia (the whole series) at age 5.

 

So, I tried, but she set the pace. I didn't do anything but encourage her as we went through Phonics Pathways. Her learning speed and proficiency are gift, I believe.

 

Now, math . . . that's a different story. :svengo:

[nmoira]

I claim no responsibility. DD the Elder started reading at about 2-1/2 (self directed study... she let me know exactly what she needed and when... loudly), and DD the Younger, about 3 months shy of 6, is just getting comfortable with CVC words using Phonics Pathways. We have a language rich environment and are constantly reading to the kids. If anything, DD the Younger has had even more language exposure because she's often around when I'm reading higher level materials to her sister (and she appears to follow along for the most part).

 

FWIW, I think that vocabulary development is far more important than encouraging reading in the early years.

[JustGin]

I myself was an early reader. As far as I can remember, I just figured it out from being read to (Green Eggs and Ham stands out in my memory). I guess I always thought that my children would "figure it out" early like I did. Well, I started my oldest in ETC 1 when she turned 5, and she struggled along (frequently using the pictures as clues instead of really reading the words), until a few months before her 6th birthday things "clicked", and her reading took off. ds6 could not sound out words at all until a year ago (when he was a few months shy of his 6th birthday). We tried several programs, and nothing worked. He knew all the letter sounds but couldn't put them together. Now he is capable of sounding out words, but he does try to guess sometimes. Now I'm trying to teach ds5 to read too (he turned 5 in December). He has known all his letter sounds for a long time, and if I say the sounds of a word, he can tell me what the word is. He has no trouble hearing it. BUT, if I put a word in front of him and tell him to sound it out, he tells me he can't. I know that he can figure out what a word is if he just tries, but for some reason I can't get him to do the sounding out himself (we are working on ETC 1 right now). I'm getting Phonics Pathways to use with him (keeping ETC as a supplement to that), so hopefully that will help.

 

I guess I'm wondering if there's something I should be doing with my 3.5 year old to help get him reading earlier than his siblings. I know in the end it doesn't necessarily matter; my dd is a great reader now; you wouldn't know if she started reading at age 3 or age 6. But I think that 1st grade goes a LOT smoother if they can already read some. My 6 year old has had to work very hard this year; phonics and reading were much more difficult for him than they were for his sister. I know a lot of that has to do with where his strengths lie (he's the mathy one), but could I have done anything different to force the reading to "click" sooner? From my observations of my children, I believe you just have to wait for their brain to be ready to read. So, is there a way to force the brain to be ready sooner? :)

 

ETA: Please don't take my use of the word "force" to be harsh. I've just been reading some of the threads about rigorous homeschools, early reading, etc, and have been wondering if maybe I'm not doing enough.

 

I have three children, I did all the same early learning things with each of them, reading aloud, reading in front of them, taking them to the library etc. I taught them the letter sounds, we played with letters, you name it. Oldest dd was a book/story lover from the get go. I mean she would insist on sleeping with her favorite books the way other kids do with blankies. All of that and she did not achieve real reading fluency until age 11! I know there are those who would say she had a learning problem that should have been addressed, and perhaps so, but now she is 14 and reads wonderfully and in fact her comprehension on last year's 8th grade CAT was 11th grade. Middle kiddo - she does have a diagnosed learning disability and no one (except me) expected her to ever read beyond a very basic level. Well, she is still struggling, but she has progressed to within 2 years of her grade and that is great except she does not like to read at all. So much for that.

Then there is my son, same early learning as his sisters, but by 4 he was reading fluently and this before we even got to the actually teaching of reading. So in answer to your original question? I feel, do the best you can to give them early exposure to print, and stories, written and oral, and then let their individual readiness guide your actual teaching plan. Hope that makes sense.

[LibraryLover]

I think when a 3 or 4 yr old is reading big fat words...one of my children read a sign outside the car that said Boston University, without a moment of phonics lessons...is when you relaize this thing sort of early reading is more innate than anything. One could work with some children for years before getting to this point. (I have a child gifted with dyselxia as well, so I know).

 

One reason, however misguided it might be at times, Whole Language came into being is because researchers studied how early readers read...they didn't mess with phonics.. They saw the words and knew. Of course, this approach doesn't translate for all kids.. that's why we have so many systems...some good, some not. ;)

 

A steady, thoughtful combination of phonics and whole language (which I think of in the home setting as labeling and listing, and the child making continual connections) seems to work for a lot of children.

Edited April 9, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Melenie]

My oldest started reading at 3 and the youngest started at 2, both of them were early talkers as well. The only thing that I can think of is the constant reading and talking to them. My oldest never wanted to leave my side and to keep us both amused I read to her. We read loads of books! I also spoke to her about everything. What I was doing and why, what we would do the rest of the day and so on.

 

Around her 3rd birthday she asked me to teach her how to read and I showed her how to sound out the words.

 

My youngest saw how her sister and I did it and she ran with it.

 

I do believe the constant talking and reading was the key to them becoming early readers.

[lovemykids]

I think when a 3 or 4 yr old is reading big fat words...one of my children read a sign outside the car that said Boston University, without a moment of phonics lessons...is when you relaize this thing sort of early reading is more innate than anything. One could work with some children for years before getting to this point. (I have a child gifted with dyselxia as well, so I know).

 

One reason, however misguided it might be at times, Whole Language came into being is because researchers studied how early readers read...they didn't mess with phonics.. They saw the words and knew. Of course, this approach doesn't translate for all kids.. that's why we have so many systems...some good, some not. ;)

 

A steady, thoughtful combination of phonics and whole language seems to work for a lot of children.

 

:iagree:

 

I really like the blend of sightwords and phonics as well. Using just one or the other is a mistake, I believe.

[Aubrey]

I didn't read to mine as much as I should have...no regular story times or bedtime stories. Yet they've all "played" reading. Sometimes w/ the books upside down, sometimes w/ the stories memorized, pretending to read to a younger sib. They've all loved books so much from such a young age that I've repeatedly tried an experiment: we actually sit down with the stack of books they've brought to me, usually as tall as they themselves are, & we read until one of us can't. take. it. any. more. It's *always* me. The kid goes off to find another adult. :001_huh:

 

So I taught mine to read as a measure of self-defense: if they can read to themselves, they'll bug me (slightly) less. And their sibs will, too. :lol:

 

Alphabet by 2. Why? If they can sing Barney songs, they can sing the ABCs. If they can identify body parts & colors & shapes, they can identify (w/ a little more effort) their letters.

 

Reading CVC by 3. Although if one is going to defy this, it will be my current 2yo, lol. She barely even talked until she was 2 but now she can suddenly count, add, & dress herself. She's *fiercely* independent, so her reading skills will be acquired (I imagine) at whatever speed *she* sees fit. It's a careful dance w/ that one.

 

I do think reading is a lot like potty training, but I wouldn't say it's as simple as waiting until they're ready. I think there's a window of opportunity, when they're interested & able to learn the new skill. Too soon, & you'll frustrate both of you. Too late, & it will be a long, hard battle. It's like...past a certain point, they *realize* the work of learning something new & it's not so worth it. Before that, though, they want to work toward the *independence* the skill offers.

 

Just my thoughts. Like I said, dd2 will probably have me eating crow soon enough! :lol:

[lotsofpumpkins]

:iagree:

 

I really like the blend of sightwords and phonics as well. Using just one or the other is a mistake, I believe.

 

We use Rod & Staff phonics and reading in 1st grade, and it uses both. It is intended to teach a child to read from scratch, but I found that it was much easier if they could already read a little bit (at least CVC words), since it gets more difficult pretty quickly. That's why I don't want to just sit around and wait for my 5 year old to turn 6 before working on reading, since I do think he is ready. And while I'm at it, I might as well let the 3.5 year old observe lessons to see what he'll pick up!

[lotsofpumpkins]

[quote name=Aubrey;1620077

It's like...past a certain point' date=' they *realize* the work of learning something new & it's not so worth it. Before that, though, they want to work toward the *independence* the skill offers.

 

 

That's where I think my 5 year old is. He realizes that he'll have to work to learn to read!

[KinderSafari]

There are so many factors to consider - learning style, brain readiness, exposure to reading, genes, personality of the child, personality of the parent, time of day, health, etc. etc.

 

We basically taught all five of our kids the same way. Lots of reading, lots of exposure, etc. With the things we COULD control.

 

Results?

Child one - taught himself how to read at 4 1/2

 

Child two - LOTS of effort on our part, finally "clicked" just before 6th birthday, still lots of reading comprehension struggles - definitely an auditory learner.

 

Child three - reading at 5 through "normal" paths, easy to teach

 

Child four - took 18 months to learn the alphabet and sounds by age 6, reading 3 letter words at 6 1/2, STRUGGLING reader, intense, intense daily work with this child for reading - bright otherwise

 

Child five - learned to read by himself just before he was three.

 

So I think the question you're asking is - can YOU control how and when your child reads?

 

My answer is: to a limited extent.

 

Do what you can, but observe the rest and don't feel frustrated if it doesn't click. Keep at it, and keep watching for other possible learning struggles, vision struggles, comprehension, etc. etc.

 

I think a lot of people may compare it too much and force it too much and it becomes a chore for the child. Keep reading FUN! If it's fun, if it's a topic they're interested in (comic books, or dinosaurs, whatever it is) - they will try that much harder.

 

Have fun! :)

[GoVanGogh]

DS started reading a few months before his 4th birthday.

I don't think it was anything special that we did, other than read a lot and I often read while pointing to the words. And we always, always answered his questions.

He would ask constantly, "What does this say?" and we would tell him, then sound it out slowly. Ex: He asked what "push" on the water fountain said. He told him the word, then said, "P says... U says... SH together says..." He could then translate that info from the words on the water fountain to the words on the door at the supermarket. We just built up on that. Exit -- that word is everywhere! Freeway exit, store exit, fire exit, etc.

I do see a lot of parents (IRL) that brush aside their young children's questions and lose that "educational moment." :tongue_smilie:

 

We also always made books available to DS. We have photographs of him at 10 months, sitting and looking through board books and pointing at pictures and words. I do believe that children need to be immersed in books from an early age. (Soapbox issue of mine. We live in an "affluent" area and I am shocked at how many friends do not have books available for their children! One - the mother is a former elementary teacher and the dad is a dentist! It is not an issue of money or education. :001_huh: The mother has told me that she doesn't like the 'clutter' that books create. And she wonders why her children don't read.)

[rafgaf4]

Just keep reading to your child. Exposure to great literature will give your little one a jump start to loving to read. If your child developes a love of books, a love to read will naturally follow when the time is right.

[peacefully]

.

[Momling]

I agree! Reading happens when it happens. I like the toilet training analogy that someone brought up... you can do intensive "elimination training" on a baby and spend a lot of time and energy to get your child to sort of use the potty... in the same way that you can use flashcards and get a baby to kind of read. But real reading and real pottying comes when a person is ready to do it. Some kids just need to be shown the potty. Some kids need parents to be a lot more involved. But ultimately they all get there.

 

My older daughter never did any kind of phonics curriculum... just me pointing out how letters sounded around 4, plus a bit of starfall and between the lions, a lot of accessible easy readers, and the next thing I knew she was reading full-length chapter books - at 5.

 

My younger daughter is reading Frog and Toad and such, but I think she is right on target for her age (6)... it all clicked a few months ago. I have been using ETC and actually trying to teach phonics, but I'm not convinced that she needs it. She'd probably do just fine with practice.

[LibraryLover]

That's where I think my 5 year old is. He realizes that he'll have to work to learn to read!

 

 

This makes me so sad. So you expect him to hate learning to read? If it were my child, I'd chill on the formal 'teaching' and let him disocver the joy of books and language through your voice or his father's, or even audio books. Knowing there is joy in reading is going to go a lot further than tortured reading lessons, which is what it really is for some young children, esp little boys. It's why so many kids think they hate to read.

 

Charlotte Mason, Charlotte Mason.

 

I'd say John Holt, John Holt, but he's from the unschooling world, so i know schoolers are not going to go for him. lol

 

But he does have some books that say important things. A couple are:

 

How Children Learn

How Children Fail

[lotsofpumpkins]

This makes me so sad. So you expect him to hate learning to read? If it were my child, I'd chill on the formal 'teaching' and let him disocver the joy of books and language through your voice or his father's, or even audio books. Knowing there is joy in reading is going to go a lot further than tortured reading lessons, which is what it really is for some young children, esp little boys. It's why so many kids think they hate to read.

 

Charlotte Mason, Charlotte Mason.

 

I'd say John Holt, John Holt, but he's from the unschooling world, so i know schoolers are not going to go for him. lol

 

But he does have some books that say important things. A couple are:

 

How Children Learn

How Children Fail

 

I didn't say I expect him to hate learning to read. He's just used to doing whatever he wants (drawing, playing, etc), so he is still a bit opposed to the idea of doing schoolwork. He does enjoy being read to. He just isn't thrilled with having to sit down with his ETC workbook and figure out that p-i-g spells "pig" (and yet he CAN).

 

My copy of Phonics Pathways came in the mail today, so we'll see how that goes. I'm certainly not going to torture him with reading lessons, but I see nothing wrong with having some requirements put on him. It was a struggle teaching my 6 year old to read (not because he didn't want to though), and we stuck with it, and now he is reading for fun. If I had just laid off because it was hard, I'm pretty sure he would not be reading yet. He's the type that needed lots of help and hand-holding through the process.

Edited April 9, 2010 by lotsofpumpkins

[LibraryLover]

I know a lot of folks dont like to hear this, but I know hs'd children who 'hate' to read. It's not just public school kids, not by a long shot. How one learns to read can set a child up for joy or sorrow in the printed word.

 

The reason early, spontaneous readers are mostly book-lovers tells us this. (Painless process equals no bad association). Waiting until the time is right for *formal* instruction will often mean the difference between a reader and a non -reader.

 

Notice I say Formal Instruction, not No Exposure. Reading, making lists, labeling toys, playing with words and poetry and singing etc are all literary acitivities that will serve children well.

 

Just keep reading to your child. Exposure to great literature will give your little one a jump start to loving to read. If your child developes a love of books, a love to read will naturally follow when the time is right.

[lotsofpumpkins]

I know a lot of folks dont like to hear this, but I know hs'd children who 'hate' to read. It's not just public school kids, not by a long shot. How one learns to read can set a child up for joy or sorrow in the printed word.

 

The reason early, spontaneous readers are mostly book-lovers tells us this. (Painless process equals no bad association). Waiting until the time is right for *formal* instruction will often mean the difference between a reader and a non -reader.

 

Notice I say Formal Instruction, not No Exposure. Reading, making lists, labeling toys, playing with words and poetry and singing etc are all literary acitivities that will serve children well.

 

I do agree with you, but I think there's a fine line there. A child who is capable of learning to read, and yet is perhaps a bit lazy (see my other thread on this if you want to), should not be allowed to call the shots forever. How do I know that at some point he'll say, "I'm ready to learn to read now" ?

 

And I'll repeat what I said in my other reply- I'm not going to torture him. The lessons are short and I try to keep it fun.

[kmacnchs]

I'm not sure if my early readers have anything to do with me - I think it does, but I'm no expert. I thought dd1 was just bright but then dd2 started learning the same things around the same time and they are TOTALLY different!

 

Things I did (lots of what others did):

***Read to them all the time (others mention potty training - mine were poop-potty trained before they were 2 1st b/c we would just spend the whole day on the potty reading books! They LOVE being read to, so it worked :)

***When they dropped their morning naps (around 20 mo), I started having "structured time" in which we would do Melissa & Doug ABC & # puzzles, color, play-doh, Bible reading, memorizing scripture, etc. Doing this everyday, by the time they were 2 & a couple of mo, they both knew all of their letters & sounds

***I did starfall.com towards the end to "test" them. We also have leapfrog magnets to play with.

***As soon as they knew their sounds & letters (big & little), I started OPGTR. For the first 26 lessons, it was review but a lot of fun and after that, we do 1/4 of a lesson to 1/2 of a lesson (dep. on difficulty & attn. span).

***We read bob books for our structured time too.

 

My dd1 is almost 4, just finished OPG and is reading on a 3.7 grade level

My dd2 is 2.5 and is still sounding out every letter and needs help putting them together and is on lesson 40 in OPG (dd1 was about the same).

 

Again, I used to think dd1 was just unusual but b/c it is happening to the little jumping bean, it makes me wonder...