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If you have an average 1st/2nd grader..


What can your 1st/2nd grader read?  

  1. 1. What can your 1st/2nd grader read?

    • Sight Words
      13
    • Simple Sentences (The ball is red)
      46
    • Intermediate Sentences (The small ball is shiny and red)
      42
    • Beginner Chapter Books (Frog and Toad, Dr Seuss, Etc)
      105
    • DC cant read yet
      6
    • Other
      34


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My second grader is just barely starting chapter books. My third grader just started chapter books this year. My 5 year old is techniquely registered as kindergarten, but he is doing grade 1 and 2 work and he is reading intermediate sentences.

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My ds6 (first grade) can read beginner chapter books (needs a little help), but he doesn't often choose to read himself. He does go through spurts where he enjoys reading (usually when he's progressing to the next level) but then he prefers to do other things besides read, usually (science-y stuff, drawing, etc.)

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My 6.5 year old first grader can read easy Doctor Seuss books, most level 2 readers, and the first 100 sight words. A few months ago, he was struggling with anything beyond cvc words. He still hiccups at some digraphs, but I suspect we will see another huge jump in his ability sometime soon if he follows the trajectory my older children took.

 

His weak areas within language arts are phenomic awareness, spelling, and handwriting....

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6 1/2 yo ds in 1st reads easy chapter books. At this age with my kids anything goes- some have been reading Harry Potter in 1st some were still working through 100 Easy Lessons. So far they have all turned into book lovers. I hope the trend continues with my last 2.

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Then from the land they could hear horses running. Turning, they saw men on horses, with a shining lady riding along with them. She was the queen - Queen Elizabeth.

 

This was a page from Ds's book today. He is a new 6, so he would be a young 1st grader. He still sounds out most of the words and didn't know could without a blatant prompt - as in "ould says ood".

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When my boys were 6 yo, they were in really different places with reading, even though I would say they were both pretty average. One could read books on his own, but nothing too difficult. All easy readers. He really liked Cynthia Rylant - by the time he was almost 7, he could read things like Magic Treehouse, though he didn't tear through them. His twin could read what you termed "intermediate sentences" though he sometimes had trouble with even that sort of thing.

 

Your terminology in the poll, by the way, is a little confusing. Frog and Toad and Dr. Seuss are not chapter books. They're easy readers and the sentences you term "intermediate" are exactly the sort of sentences common in them. Some easy readers (such as Frog and Toad) are broken into chapters or stories, but they're not chapter books per se. Chapter books are things like The Magic Treehouse. The next level up, in the publishing world, is called "middle grades" books, but those are also sometimes colloquially referred to as "chapter books."

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sentences" though he sometimes had trouble with even that sort of thing.

 

Your terminology in the poll, by the way, is a little confusing. Frog and Toad and Dr. Seuss are not chapter books. They're easy readers and the sentences you term "intermediate" are exactly the sort of sentences common in them. Some easy readers (such as Frog and Toad) are broken into chapters or stories, but they're not chapter books per se. Chapter books are things like The Magic Treehouse. The next level up, in the publishing world, is called "middle grades" books, but those are also sometimes colloquially referred to as "chapter books."

 

This is why I didn't vote. Ds could read some Dr. Seuss type things, but he doesn't have the stamina for an 80+ page chapter book. So I gave a sample instead of voting.

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Your terminology in the poll, by the way, is a little confusing. Frog and Toad and Dr. Seuss are not chapter books. They're easy readers and the sentences you term "intermediate" are exactly the sort of sentences common in them. Some easy readers (such as Frog and Toad) are broken into chapters or stories, but they're not chapter books per se. Chapter books are things like The Magic Treehouse. The next level up, in the publishing world, is called "middle grades" books, but those are also sometimes colloquially referred to as "chapter books."

 

This is why I didn't vote. Ds could read some Dr. Seuss type things, but he doesn't have the stamina for an 80+ page chapter book. So I gave a sample instead of voting.

 

Sorry i didnt know how to really word it. I mean what you said, the words just werent there. :blush:

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My 6 yo (would be first according to some districts) can read easier Dr. Suess and Level 1 readers on her own, Level 2s stretch her ability. Sometimes she likes to attempt harder stuff where she really needs a lot of help--I think she is kind of in a holding pattern in her reading skill right now until the next developmental breakthrough.

 

My 7yo second grader is not "normal" for reading (can and will read anything put in front of him.)

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Sorry i didnt know how to really word it. I mean what you said, the words just werent there. :blush:

 

No big. I just thought it might mess with your results. :001_smile:

 

There's a big range of normal at this age, IMO. Much bigger than in a few years when it's evened out a bit more. When my kids were 6 yo, I felt like some of their friends were reading really difficult stuff and others couldn't even sound out a BOB book. Now that they're 8 yo, I feel like while some of their friends love to read more and go through lots of books, if I were to give everyone something to read aloud in turns in co-op, they would be much closer together in ability.

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Sorry i didnt know how to really word it. I mean what you said, the words just werent there. :blush:

 

I didn't mean to make you feel bad. In our curriculum, Frog and Toad and Peter Rabbit are the last books just before the beginning chapter books, so I'd have lumped them together, too, in my mind. I just don't know how to vote. FWIW, I know I'd have something unclear in a poll if I made one. Or leave something out. Or put something in that shouldn't be there.

 

Ds is in that "just before fluency" stage that took my Dd9 about 5 minutes to move through and Ds8 about 2 years. I'm hoping Ds will be able to read chapter books by the end of the year.

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My first grader can read almost anything I put in front of him. Maybe not comprehend, but he can easily read HP, Percy Jackson, etc. Its making school difficult because he can't figure out why I'm making him go through spelling and phonics at all - I just want to make sure he doesn't miss something, kwim?

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My six-year-old is maybe a bit above average and is reading chapter books. She's right at the point where MTH and simialr books are too easy, but other chapter books are intimidating. She's reading Stuart Little as assigned reading.

 

My nearly-five-year-old is reading simple Dr. Seuss. He's right at the threshold of fluency.

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I put simple sentences. My 1st grader is using Reading Eggs and he's at the stage where he's reading sentences like: The fish hid in the tin. The cat can see the fish. Etc. He really enjoys Reading Eggs and is doing well with it, but we use it for fun. Our main curriculum, Oak Meadow, doesn't push a lot of academics in K and 1st and is gentle and Waldorfy. We are pretty laid back right now at this age!

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Average books I saw my daughters friends reading in...

Kindergarten (4,5,6 year olds)were everything from Dr. Seuss to what I would classify as beginner chapter books like Magic Tree House.

1st grade (6 & 7)were things like Little House in the Big Woods, Charlotts' Web, etc.

2nd grade (7 & 8) it seemed like they were almost all into the Harry Potter series.

 

This is an age where there is such an acceptable range of normal, that as long as you are seeing progress, your child should be right on track!

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I put simple sentences. My 1st grader is using Reading Eggs and he's at the stage where he's reading sentences like: The fish hid in the tin. The cat can see the fish. Etc. He really enjoys Reading Eggs and is doing well with it, but we use it for fun. Our main curriculum, Oak Meadow, doesn't push a lot of academics in K and 1st and is gentle and Waldorfy. We are pretty laid back right now at this age!

 

This makes me feel better. C can read the book part "Learn To Read" on Starfall. She has some trouble with The or Says, but she can read the sentences.

 

I know shes making progress. Slow, but there progress.

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This makes me feel better. C can read the book part "Learn To Read" on Starfall. She has some trouble with The or Says, but she can read the sentences.

 

I know shes making progress. Slow, but there progress.

 

My son was the same. I think he was a bit behind average but he has caught up beautifully now a few years later, he was just slower to start. He is now devouring books for fun and I am constantly hearing him say, just wait until I finish this page.

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My 2nd grader is just starting to read beginning chapter books like Frog and Toad. He can easily read through stories like One Fish, Two Fish ... those types of books. He has struggled with reading though until the last few months it has gotten a bit easier for him. My K'er is reading simple and some intermediate sentences ... doesn't seem to be struggling, though like her brother.

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I didn't vote because mine are 8 and 3rd grade and I didn't read any replies after the first page because the site is so slow right now.

 

However, there would have been a big difference in my vote at the beginning of 1st grade to the beginning of 2nd. One was reading not a bit (couldn't even really sound out "red" sort of not reading) at this point in first grade. He was easily reading chapter books by 2nd grade though. A lot can happen in that year in my experience! The other wouldn't have been as dramatic but he, too, changed a lot in that one year.

Edited by sbgrace
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I have a well advanced, reading college level, 6th grader who couldn't read a bit until she was 8 years old. She's a phenomenal reader who devours books at a record pace. But when she was 1st/2nd grade age she couldn't read Hop on Pop. In one 3 month time span she went from being a non reader to reading on a 4th grade level, and she never looked back.

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Kids are so all over the place at this age. In a 1st grade classroom, I'd expect one or two at a 4th grade or higher reading level and some needing readers to be predictable or simple CVC words.

 

The average child in my daughter's Kindergarten class (she went to school last year) could read simple readers like Clifford, Curious George, etc. Many could read Amelia Bedelia and Arthur books. The top few could read Junie B Jones or Magic Treehouse. There were no children who couldn't read at all. All knew most letter sounds, could sound out words and knew at least 35 of the 50 kindy sight words.

Edited by 2J5M9K
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My oldest is 1st grade. She's 6-will be 7 in December. While I think she's bright she's probably only a little above average. Her spelling is awful! :glare: Math is getting there......... Her reading is probably her best skill. She is reading Magic Treehouse and Goddess Girls books by herself right now. I have no idea what her reading level is, but after struggling mightily to read last year she suddenly took off-having her vision tested and getting her some glasses helped too! :tongue_smilie: Now she reads like crazy.

My son who is almost five can sound out a few words like "cat" and "sit". He's got a ways to go.........:lol:

But it seems like every kid blossoms in reading ability at such different times. Once they take off, some of them go very quickly. Others take longer to get to the same spot. I do wish I had All About Reading when I started teaching my daughter because I think it would have lessened the frustration. It's working out well for my son.

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I don't know that dd6 is average. She's a later reader than her older sister, but she's just starting to get interested in Magic Tree House books now. Her reading aloud is generally a little laborsome and monotone. She spent most of last year belly-aching about reading until I brought home some new books that were "hers" - the McGuffy's Eclectic Readers. She went through the Primer under her own power and on her own time and has begun to enjoy stuff more since.

 

She still prefers me to read picture books to her, though.

 

Mama Anna

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My 1st grader who is about to turn 6 is currently reading "Little Bear" (similar to Frog and Toad) pretty comfortably. I would consider her to have average ability overall, but in KG she had to memorize about 220 sight words, so that gives her a little leg up (though she has forgotten many of them). She has poor visual memory so she needs to read a lot in order to keep up her skills. We got lazy over the summer so she's behind where she was at the end of KG.

 

My younger 1st grader is not "average" so she is way past the options you put in the poll.

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Average is so very relative. With that, my youngest (1st grade) is young, could have been red-shirted this year. She is a fairy who has not landed on this planet. Her sister, however, was always a wise, old, soul who could read at 3 to 4 years old. Every kid is different. I'm enjoying teaching my 6 year old to read, it's fun and different from her sister who just read on her own. Although my youngest is an amazing singer, artist and pianist; so each has talents to themselves. :)

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I voted for the beginning chapter books. He can phonetically read pretty much anything but his comprehension level when reading by himself is the beginning chapter book level.:)

 

He's in 2nd grade and just turned 7 on Sept. 9th.

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I voted for beginning chapter books, as I think that's closest to the average for my four readers who are at least those grades or higher.

 

Kid #1: Chapter books

Kid #2: barely reading small sentences, but took off near the end of 2nd grade

Kid #3: Chapter books

Kid #4: Novels along the lines of Percy Jackson

 

My current 2nd grade is not average, especially in reading. She's read a few books measuring on the Lexile grades 6-8 band with apparent ease. (Not many at that level actually appeal to a seven year old's interest, though.)

 

My preschooler is somewhere between small and intermediate sentences. She'll begin K next fall.

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I selected "other" for my second-grade son, who will be 8 in February. He was really only ready to read a year ago but has progressed quickly in a few months. He can read Magic Treehouse and Ready Freddy books mostly on his own; he has the stamina to read about a chapter at a sitting (7-10 pages or so) but needs my help with a handful of words in each chapter.

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If I can corral mine to read at all, then he's reading chapter books. He loves Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the Phineas and Ferb books when HE decides to read. He goes in spurts, though where I have to force him to read even one sentence, then other times I have to pry the books out of his hands.

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Mine is in the land of leveled readers- he is 6.5

He can read little bear (level 1) and frog and toad (level 2) easily.

Amelia Bedilia (level 2) and Nate the Great is a struggle, but he can read them.

Magic Tree house is more difficult, not because of the sentences, but because of the lack of picture clues. He is intimidated by them and hasn't jumped in yet.

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My just turned 6 year old can read simple sentences. I've decided to let her have an extra year and not start 1 St grade until next year. She misses the cut off by 2 days.

 

It is very odd, because my older children were reading better than this when they were 3 years old, but this one just has different strengths, and a different learning style.

 

We are just going to keep plugging away. So long as I see continuous progress, it is all good.

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My 2nd grader is average in everything but reading.

 

Same here. The first book she chose to read to herself this year was The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was a bit above her ability--mostly it was too long. She did well with Martin's Mice and Aristotle, both by Dick King Smith. I consider dd average because while she does quite well with reading she's still doing first grade math. Even with manipulatives math doesn't make sense to her like reading does.

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My oldest son could barely read at 6. Simple sentences would be a struggle. The odd thing is that my oldest is very intelligent. But he had some sort of block with reading. He finally got over it at 8.

 

My youngest son could read Frog and Toad type books at 6. And, not to sound mean or anything, but my youngest is very normal in intelligence. Not as smart as the oldest, and yet, he picked right up on reading.

 

Each kid is different.

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My son just turned 7 the end of August. I count him as 2nd grade but he'd be just starting 1st grade if he went to school.

 

He can read novels and sometimes will read things that I"m reading over my shoulder (I lean toward science fiction/fantasy) but he won't read much on his own. He prefers non-fiction and encyclopedias.

 

I didn't do anything really. We did ETC and are doing AAS but he's consistently been able to read way in advance of what we are actually doing in "school". :001_huh:

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I put simple sentences. My 1st grader is using Reading Eggs and he's at the stage where he's reading sentences like: The fish hid in the tin. The cat can see the fish. Etc.

:iagree: That is where my 1st grade DS is but we don't use Reading Eggs., we're using Blend Phonics. We don't do any sight words so I think that makes thing slower in the beginning.

 

 

I have a well advanced, reading college level, 6th grader who couldn't read a bit until she was 8 years old. She's a phenomenal reader who devours books at a record pace. But when she was 1st/2nd grade age she couldn't read Hop on Pop. In one 3 month time span she went from being a non reader to reading on a 4th grade level, and she never looked back.

Thanks for that.

 

If you spend too much time on these boards looking at what other kids are doing, you start to get the impression that all 5 year olds are reading novels and that's really not the case.:001_smile:

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