Not reading in K in PS. Thoughts

[athomeontheprairie]

There's a child in my life I'm wondering about... I'm curious what other's thoughts are.

 

She is in K in a PS in a good school with a good teacher in a small classroom. Completely not reading. Knows some (less than 20) sight words-but some of them are still guesses. School will be out in a couple weeks.

 

Is not reading at the end of K (not even a little) enough reason to hold back a (very young) K'er? Would you? Or is it really fine if they aren't reading until later? (Obviously this is a homeschooling board, and many have students that don't read until later-which is perfectly great. My question has to do with NOT reading in a PS. It seems so much emphasis is placed on reading in the schools. Will a child be hindered by not being able to read going into first, or will they easily catch up on their own)

 

WWYD?

 

If you'd move her to first, would you do anything specific in regards to reading over the summer?

[Arcadia]

My neighbor's younger daughter is a late reader in public school 1st grade. Her daughter is still not reading well but not considered behind since public school expect late bloomers to catch up by 3rd grade. She has to read her child's word problems homework to her.

 

My kids went to public school but both were early readers in a K classroom with readers. The "late readers" were in another K class with a teacher that does lots of teaching by talking instead of more writing on the board. They have 6 kindergarten classes in my kids cohort so easy to do ability grouping.

 

Edited for a weird autocorrect.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Arcadia

[MrsWeasley]

It really depends on the school. My daughter attended a well-rated public school. The school didn't focus on reading instruct, just writing weirdly. Many kids at the end of kindergarten couldn't read and still went onto first.

Edited April 20, 2016 by MrsWeasley

[almondbutterandjelly]

I think that's normal.  My dd, at a private school, wasn't expected to read until late 1st grade.  If you are concerned, maybe have her watch some Leap Frog videos this summer.  Those things are amazing.  You could also try to use some of those little readers, like Bob books only colorful.  Barnes and Noble has lots.  Can't hurt to do some fun reading stuff during the summer.

[Guest]

It foes depend on the school. I know a little girl who could not read at the end of k and her parents were presented with the options of repeating k or moving to 1 with a school-supplied reading tutor. They chose to move her ahead with the tutor. I would have held her in k, but i guess it all worked out.

[ReadingMama1214]

How is the school teaching reading? Is it heavily sight words? I assume so if she knows 20 and it sounds like they think she's behind. I think I'd move her onto first grade, but start doing gentle phonics at home. It doesn't need to take much time at all. We do phonics in 15 minutes or less a day. I would even start now if it's not too much for your daughter. But, I'd definitely do something over the summer. Probably more of a phonics based program than whole language.

[Plink]

How is she at the many skills related to reading?  Can she rhyme?  Does she have any speech delays?  Does she mis-label items (red/green, two/three, square/circle) often in speech or when pointing?  

 

If the answer to all of these is "oh, she is fine," then I'd move her up and not worry about it.  If there are any concerns, then I'd talk with the specialists at the school and ask them to do a pre-screening for dyslexia and other learning difficulties.  Keeping her back may or may not be the best choice, but getting a baseline test and getting her involved with specialized tutors/therapists early is well worth the effort if she needs it.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Plink

[desertflower]

I think it depends on the child.  I know a child who couldn't read by the end of K (according to a public charter school), but moved forward to 1st.  This child still couldn't read by the end of first and now is going to go to summer school to catch up.  This child may have to repeat first grade.  It has come to light that this child is dyslexic.  So hard to tell when someone is 4, 5, or 6 yo. 

 

K is not required in my state.  There is no harm in repeating K.  I rather my child be mature and able to move forward when my child is ready instead of moving forward and hoping for the best. 

 

Best wishes.

[Farrar]

Obviously well within normal development.

 

In terms of school expectations, totally depends on the school and district. My guess is that it would be enough in some schools to have a conference with the parents and encourage them to hold her back - sort of a second red-shirting, which I've heard of happening in some places. But my guess is most schools would promote her.

[MistyMountain]

If she is on the young side of her grade that would not surprise me. It really depends on what else is going on. What concerns me about being in school is most schools are not even looking for dyslexia and they do not start even looking into what is going on until the end of second. If I could work with this child I would work on some phonemic awareness type stuff and then do something like phonics pathways or Don Potter with them and see how she does with that. I think it is worth considering having a young for grade child that just misses the cut off especially one on the slow to mature side repeat but not otherwise. It usually does not solve the problem and statistics show that kids that are held back do not do better. I would work with the child in the summer regardless of whether or not they repeat.

[Ellie]

There's a child in my life I'm wondering about... I'm curious what other's thoughts are.

 

She is in K in a PS in a good school with a good teacher in a small classroom. Completely not reading. Knows some (less than 20) sight words-but some of them are still guesses. School will be out in a couple weeks.

 

Is not reading at the end of K (not even a little) enough reason to hold back a (very young) K'er? Would you? Or is it really fine if they aren't reading until later? (Obviously this is a homeschooling board, and many have students that don't read until later-which is perfectly great. My question has to do with NOT reading in a PS. It seems so much emphasis is placed on reading in the schools. Will a child be hindered by not being able to read going into first, or will they easily catch up on their own)

 

WWYD?

 

If you'd move her to first, would you do anything specific in regards to reading over the summer?

 

I don't care what sort of instruction is going on, I am still not concerned that a child isn't reading in kindergarten, especially if it's sight-reading and not phonics being taught, which is my guess based on your comment about the sight words.

 

I would absolutely not make her repeat kindergarten, but I would absolutely encourage the parents to find a good, simple phonics method to use at home (AlphaPhonics, Victory Drill Book, Explode the Code) and do that with her.

[OneStepAtATime]

I would get her an evaluation, preferably through a neuropsychologist, and I would do it before the start of the new school year if at all possible, instead of wondering whether to repeat a grade.  Why?  Because if she has anything like dyslexia, holding her back won't help.  Targeted instruction through a tutor trained in Orton-Gillingham would be best but the parent could also work with her at home.  Until they know what is slowing her down, though, they won't know how to help her.  The sooner they have actual answers the better off they will be.  

 

Plus an evaluation will show not just whether the child is dyslexic but also where other areas of weakness are that may be exceedingly difficult for a layman to tweak out (low working memory, word retrieval issues, etc); many things that trip a student up could be remediated if there was confirmation.  It would also show them where her strengths are, many of which may not yet be recognized.  Going private frequently means they get a much more detailed evaluation that doesn't just focus on what the child needs to function at grade level in a classroom but how to thrive now and throughout life.

 

I waited.  I had DD repeat a grade.  It was a mistake.  In 5th grade she still could not read fluently.  When I finally got evaluations we found out so many things, things that helped me help her, and allowed me to tap into some amazing strengths she had that were not being utilized.  And she got moved into a program that actually worked better for her brain.  She improved her reading ability by multiple grade levels in less than 2 years because I finally had answers for what was happening.  

 

I am not the only one.  There are tons of parents who did the same thing.  They waited, they had their child repeat a grade, they hoped the student would improve.  Some do.  But even if they do, they may not thrive, only survive.  Just hop on the Learning Challenges board and read through past threads.  Most are very grateful to have real answers, not guesses and hopes.  Evaluations are not about labels.  Evaluations are about getting answers that help the child to thrive.

 

ETA:  At the very least, suggest to the parents that they read The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide.  That would be a good starting point before making any further decisions.

Edited April 20, 2016 by OneStepAtATime

[KrissiK]

There's a child in my life I'm wondering about... I'm curious what other's thoughts are.

 

She is in K in a PS in a good school with a good teacher in a small classroom. Completely not reading. Knows some (less than 20) sight words-but some of them are still guesses. School will be out in a couple weeks.

 

That was my dd last year. This year, first grade I put her through CLE's 1st grade program. And now she's reading. She goes to the library and gets those "I Can Read books" (the second level) a whole pile of them and just sits down and reads. And she can tell you all about the book, too. She's definitely reading them. But she's mature, does well in math... She is not a kindergartner. And this is the beauty of homeschooling. I can teach her at her level and not worry about whether she is at the same level as the class. She was just not ready to read and now she is. I have no answer for your friend, other than some kids are not ready to read in kindy and that doesn't mean anything is wrong with them, Edited April 20, 2016 by KrissiK

[RootAnn]

I agree that it completely depends on the school. At the B&M schools on the East Coast where some of my nephews attended, there would be targeted intervention during the summer and a probably hold back of the kid(s) with a repeat of K if they aren't caught up with their cohort by the end of July.

 

In the middle of the US public schools where my nieces attend, they would probably highly encourage some sort of summer school reading program (private or through PS), but pass the child onto first grade & do pull-outs under the Title 1 reading program. That would continue until/if the child ever caught up with their cohort.

 

Happens a lot around here, which is one of the many reasons I didn't send my eldest off to public school. She would have been labeled from the get-go & probably never succeeded.

[calihil]

I think it really depends on the school. A friend of ours has a child in public school and in K they were obit going over a letter every week and towards the end, just a little blending.

[MotherGoose]

My main concern is what the school will do to potentially label her if she's not reading. Is she going to be tracked into a lower group that's expected to achieve less or something? Maybe that's not how things are done now in p s. If she's young for her age I'd consider holding her back.

[AggieMama]

Like other posters said, it all depends on the philosophy of the school. Some schools expect their kids to come in reading, and others start from scratch. At the school I teach at they would probably recommend summer school and they would have been doing Tier II interventions since the beginning of the school year as well as tutoring. They wouldn't hold the child back because they promote socially, although they say they don't. They would probay start pushing for special education and or dyslexia services by the beginning of 2nd grade. As for what to do, I would say homeschool if possible, if not expose the child to a lot of literature over the summer and keep working on phonics skills.

[mamamoose]

If she is on the young side of her grade that would not surprise me. It really depends on what else is going on. What concerns me about being in school is most schools are not even looking for dyslexia and they do not start even looking into what is going on until the end of second. If I could work with this child I would work on some phonemic awareness type stuff and then do something like phonics pathways or Don Potter with them and see how she does with that. I think it is worth considering having a young for grade child that just misses the cut off especially one on the slow to mature side repeat but not otherwise. It usually does not solve the problem and statistics show that kids that are held back do not do better. I would work with the child in the summer regardless of whether or not they repeat.

This is my concern as well. If she moves on and doesn't get good assistance in 1st grade, and the school systems believe kids will catch up by 3rd grade which is often true, she may get "left behind". Most experts agree that students with dyslexia are so far behind, educationally and emotionally, that they struggle to make up the ground.

[Bluegoat]

It depends on the school's approach and expectations.  It's not odd developmentally.

 

So - is the school ok with this?  Are they likely to have expectations she can't meet next year, or will they push her into being labled inappropriately?  Are they keeping an eye out for real reading issues?

 

I would not think holding her back was probably appropriate, though there are exceptions.

 

[lllll]

nm

Edited April 22, 2016 by _ ?^..

[vonfirmath]

I think that's normal.  My dd, at a private school, wasn't expected to read until late 1st grade.  If you are concerned, maybe have her watch some Leap Frog videos this summer.  Those things are amazing.  You could also try to use some of those little readers, like Bob books only colorful.  Barnes and Noble has lots.  Can't hurt to do some fun reading stuff during the summer.

 

At our school, many classes were still focusing on reading in 1st grade.  Our next door neighbor's daughter really struggled with reading. They worked with her K and the summer after and it clicked in 1st grade.

 

I guess I'd look at how the progression has gone in K when deciding whether to hold back.

 

My daughter is starting K next year and cannot read (my son could at this point). She "reads" the first letter or two then guesses at the rest of the word from context (pictures, etc). We are getting a book called Phonics Pathways and going to work on that with her over the next year.  Because reading is definitely an advantage for learning other things.

[Reefgazer]

I don't think a young kindy child, not reading at the end of kindy, is a big deal.  IOW, in the absence of additional information indicating another problem, I don't think this indicates an academic difficulty.  However.....current school expectations are such that she will need her to be reading at the end of kindy or she will be put in the lowest reading group in first grade and it will be very difficult for her to meet expectations as she gets older because she will be perpetually "behind" the school's expectations.  Ridiculous, but IME, that's the way this will play out.  I would hold her back; I held DS back for far less than that (he was reading slowly by then) and it was a fortunate decision for him.  Alternately, I would work on phonics with her *if the child had the interest* and see where that takes her,  If the phonics is really successful over the summer, she can pop into first grade.  But as it stands now, no, I would not send her to first grade. 

Edited April 21, 2016 by reefgazer

[wapiti]

In my area, a child reading at a low level would be getting remedial help if the level is low enough.  PS typically will test regularly and the teacher should be able to identify the reading level and the name of the test/scale.

 

My advice:  I'd ask the K teacher what the level is and then follow up in Aug/Sept with the first grade teacher.  I would also do an annual vision checkup over the summer, preferably with a COVD optometrist who may screen for issues at the regular checkup.  Obviously, the summer might be a good time to work together at home.

 

If there is a history of, say, speech delay, sensory issues, etc., then I might consider looking further, but otherwise I wouldn't be particularly concerned just yet beyond keeping close tabs.  I would not consider it a reason to hold back.

 

(FWIW, of my six kids, two were not really reading at the end of K, coincidentally both my girls.  Both started in a remedial reading group at the beginning of first grade.  The older one ended up doing some vision therapy during first grade for tracking issues.  While she doesn't read as fast as she'd like, she is currently attending a rigorous private high school and getting top grades.  The other, my youngest, had some sort of developmental spurt and is now reading slightly above grade level as she finishes up first grade.)

Edited April 21, 2016 by wapiti

[Tsuga]

Parent to two bio, two step public school kids here.

 

There's a child in my life I'm wondering about... I'm curious what other's thoughts are.

 

She is in K in a PS in a good school with a good teacher in a small classroom. Completely not reading. Knows some (less than 20) sight words-but some of them are still guesses. School will be out in a couple weeks.

 

Is not reading at the end of K (not even a little) enough reason to hold back a (very young) K'er?

 

No.

 

Would you?

 

No.

 

Or is it really fine if they aren't reading until later? (Obviously this is a homeschooling board, and many have students that don't read until later-which is perfectly great. My question has to do with NOT reading in a PS. It seems so much emphasis is placed on reading in the schools. Will a child be hindered by not being able to read going into first, or will they easily catch up on their own)

 

In a good school, they will have well-educated and well-supported teachers that understand that reading is a developmental milestone as well as a skill, who will treat all children as having equal potential regardless of reading skill in K. Might have leveled reading groups but definitely would support group reading (i.e. teacher reading to kids) and 100% oral instruction for all non-reading-skill activities through first.

 

WWYD?

 

 

If you'd move her to first, would you do anything specific in regards to reading over the summer?

 

Yes, I had two kids who didn't read after K. We read and read and read and read and read. My kids like math and science so we read a lot of math and science puzzles. Both of them did most of their school-related reading from math book word problems.

 

And then read to her, and if she has time, read some more.

 

If the child is not sounding words out halfway through first, or regresses on letter recognition, I'd consider evaluation, eyesight first, then others. 

 

FWIW, both my kids started in first grade "on track" meaning they could theoretically sound out words but did not read per se. They could connect letter sounds.

 

Both were at the top of the percentiles by the end of first, currently my 9 year old is at the top of her class, off the charts. She learned to read at 7 years and about 3 months. Second child is earlier blooming and really just started devouring books at around 6 years, 9 months or so.

 

Neither bio kid was in any sort of remedial program.

 

Step-kids could both theoretically read by first, however the standard for reading at that age for their family is lower... they weren't reading chapter books so I'm not sure what they meant by "they could read".

Edited April 21, 2016 by Tsuga

[Tsuga]

I would get her an evaluation, preferably through a neuropsychologist, and I would do it before the start of the new school year if at all possible, instead of wondering whether to repeat a grade.  ...

I waited.  I had DD repeat a grade.  It was a mistake.  In 5th grade she still could not read fluently.  ... They waited, they had their child repeat a grade, they hoped the student would improve.  Some do.  But even if they do, they may not thrive, only survive.  Just hop on the Learning Challenges board and read through past threads.  Most are very grateful to have real answers, not guesses and hopes.  Evaluations are not about labels.  Evaluations are about getting answers that help the child to thrive.

 

ETA:  At the very least, suggest to the parents that they read The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide.  That would be a good starting point before making any further decisions.

 

Okay, would you agree that not reading at the end of kindergarten, in a district which presumably is not forcing the issue, is completely and totally different than not reading at the end of second grade?

 

I would absolutely have a child tested and require remediation if a child were not reading by the end of second grade.

 

But those two years are enormous developmentally! I mean really huge.

 

I do not think it is helpful to suggest to parents of a five or young six year old that they should be looking into diagnoses for what is 100% normal development around the world. Most kids aren't even in school at five.

[OneStepAtATime]

Okay, would you agree that not reading at the end of kindergarten, in a district which presumably is not forcing the issue, is completely and totally different than not reading at the end of second grade?

 

I would absolutely have a child tested and require remediation if a child were not reading by the end of second grade.

 

But those two years are enormous developmentally! I mean really huge.

 

I do not think it is helpful to suggest to parents of a five or young six year old that they should be looking into diagnoses for what is 100% normal development around the world. Most kids aren't even in school at five.

I agree wholeheartedly, those two years ARE huge.  I don't think ALL kids at the end of kindergarten should be expected to be reading.  If the child were homeschooling I would suggest that they maybe give it a bit more time, with some targeted phonics instruction and see how it goes.  

 

The reality is, though, that many schools ARE expecting students to be reading by the end of Kinder.  Most schools will not be understanding if a child in 1st grade does not have basic reading skills.  Most kids can read by that age.  And the reality is that if the child is dyslexic or has CAPD or a developmental vision issue, holding them back probably won't help much at all.  The reality is that dyslexia is usually diagnosable by 6 and early, targeted phonics instruction designed for a dyslexic brain may mean that the child may never have to fall behind in reading/spelling/writing (as long as there are no co-morbid issues).  Dyslexia isn't a disease.  It is a difference in the way the brain processes information.  It has benefits, too.  It just means that usually reading/spelling/writing can be challenging and need specialized instruction.

 

This child is in school, I assume has had at least some reading instruction (I don't know of a single kindergarten these days here locally that does not do a LOT of reading instruction)  and is possibly going to be held back because they aren't reading. There are a lot of kids out there that will not be helped by being held back a year because holding them back isn't addressing the problem.   The problem may be they need phonics based instruction, not whole language.  The problem may be they are mildly dyslexic or moderately dyslexic or profoundly dyslexic and need OG based instruction.  The problem may be that they have developmental vision issues.  The problem may be CAPD coupled with vision issues.  There are many things that could be causing the child to not yet be reading.  That is why I recommended reading The Mislabeled Child.  Evaluations can take months and months to get scheduled and completed.  Reading the book might help them know what to keep an eye out for and whether they want to even look into evaluations at some point.

 

I admit I am coming at this through the lens of a parent whose child showed classic signs of dyslexia but they were not recognized.  No one, not the teachers, not my reading specialist mother, not the pediatrician, not my dyslexic husband, wanted to acknowledge that there was an issue even though it was obvious in hindsight that there was.  We waited.  We should not have.  I KNEW in kindergarten, when I would substitute teach in that classroom, that every other child in the class was MUCH further along in acquiring pre-reading and then reading skills than my daughter.  1st grade she showed a bit of improvement but not as much as classmates.  She just got further and further behind.  I wish someone had acknowledged my concerns, not dismissed them out of hand, and supported my desire to dig deeper into what might be happening before her belief in self was so undermined and before she had fallen significantly behind.  

[Tsuga]

I agree wholeheartedly, those two years ARE huge.  I don't think ALL kids at the end of kindergarten should be expected to be reading.  If the child were homeschooling I would suggest that they maybe give it a bit more time, with some targeted phonics instruction and see how it goes.  

 

The reality is, though, that many schools ARE expecting students to be reading by the end of Kinder. 

 

This child is in school, I assume has had at least some reading instruction (I don't know of a single kindergarten these days here locally that does not do a LOT of reading instruction)  

 

 

I do feel for you that your kid's issues were missed for five years. That is a long, long time to struggle. :( And like I said, absolutely test and get support by the end of second, probably if no progress by the end of first (i.e. kid stalls at decoding and just can't make it past at all) then sure, test at the end of first when the child is likely seven.

 

It is not true that where I live, in Washington State, most kids are expected to read at the end of kindergarten. Most kids are asked to know the letters and sounds of the alphabet and to be able to sound out CVC words slowly, although many children are not quite there yet. I have family with kids in schools around the state including in our top performing districts and I promise you that I have never heard a word about a kid not reading at the end of K.

 

Now in first grade, they do ramp it up and mid-first I think they identify a lot of kids who are not pulling through.

 

So I think the scenario as it's presented here doesn't lend itself to immediate testing or remediation. I would keep an eye out but what OP described, at face value, would be a very normal situation here.

 

I think it's sad that so many kids are being forced to develop this skill before developmentally ready. I don't think that can be good in the long run. It doesn't make sense to me.

 

At the same time as a parent I do believe that when kids are showing difficulty we should help them, but not if the difficulty is with an inhumane system that pushes kids too far, too soon. In that case I would want to change the system.

[OneStepAtATime]

Yeah, honestly I am horrified at the direction of local schools. It is a big issue here. For example, one of my close friends had her 4k son last year come home in tears because the teacher told him he was behind and needed to work harder to catch up. Why was he "behind"? Because he was still learning letter/sound associations and color recognition and his letter formation was shaky. Uh, teach, did you even notice these kids are 4 and 5 year olds?

[Tsuga]

Yeah, honestly I am horrified at the direction of local schools. It is a big issue here. For example, one of my close friends had her 4k son last year come home in tears because the teacher told him he was behind and needed to work harder to catch up. Why was he "behind"? Because he was still learning letter/sound associations and color recognition and his letter formation was shaky. Uh, teach, did you even notice these kids are 4 and 5 year olds?

 

:scared:

 

That's awful. It just makes me so grateful for what we have here. There is no need to label a child as "behind" in anything at that age. He won't forget that, either.

[OneStepAtATime]

:scared:

 

That's awful. It just makes me so grateful for what we have here. There is no need to label a child as "behind" in anything at that age. He won't forget that, either.

Yeah, I agree.  Made me so mad.  

[Spy Car]

As a public school parent, I'd take a multi-pronged approach.

 

First, seeing if there are learning difficulties that are undiagnosed.

 

Two, look at the methods of instruction to see what could be improved. Phonic understanding is critical and things as simple as Leap Frog videos can be a start. Then there are a myriad of good phonics based programs and early readers (like Bob Books and I See Sam) that can be done at home over the summer and through the year. We loved the Leapfrog Videos (Talking Letter Factory and Talking Word Factory I and II) as something a child could watch over-and-over-and over (voluntarily), paired with Bob Books and Explode the Code (Primers then 1-6). ETC can be done orally or with finger tracing (instead of writing when started early). All these are funny, and I dubbed them "The Cartoon Road to Reading."

 

There are other, more serious toned, phonics approaches. Find one that fits.

 

Plus amp up parent read-alouds with children. And co-read when possible.

 

Three, if the child just isn't ready for a breakthrough on reading I would repeat K. No question. However loaded the term, one does not want a child to be "behind" their class in a significant way in public school. Far better to "have the gift of time" repeating K, with the factors above addressed as well.

 

In our local schools a student would be significantly hindered if they were unable to read proficiently on a beginning level. I'd take the year. The demands on Kindergarteners are  different than in the past. This works for some children (like my son) but not for all. No shame in being in a classroom where the instructional goals are developmentally appropriate to a student's level. It is the smart play IMO.

 

Bill 

 

 

[SKL]

I agree that it depends on the school as well as the child.  If the school starts back at a very basic reading level in 1st grade, and has flexibility to accommodate non-readers early in 1st, then late bloomers will be fine.  But then the next question is, why isn't she reading yet?  Does she have undiagnosed issues such as vision problems, or is she generally unready due to age and maturity and IQ?  Is she asynchronous in her development - on target or ahead on other stuff but just not quite there in reading?  Does she speak in an age-appropriate way?  Or is she below average generally?  If reading seems to be the only issue, I'd get her evaluated for possible vision problems and whatever else they can reliably recognize at 5yo.  If she checks out fine and is generally bright, I'd power on.  If she's generally behind, I'd start talking about a 2nd year of K.

 

I have a daughter who was young in K and about average in most areas.  She was reading (had about 200 sight words at the end of K) but she had learning problems that slowed her down.  I moved her forward because she was generally average and ahead of where the 1st grade started instruction.  She has always had to work harder than average, but over time it has gotten easier.  In her case it was the right decision for several reasons, but some kids aren't good candidates for never-ending hard work.

 

This being someone else's child, I would not pressure the parent in either direction, but I'd comment if I felt the child was generally bright and might benefit from specific evaluations or interventions.

[Reefgazer]

I actually wouldn't assume there's anything wrong with the Young kindly who couldn't read at the end of kindly. That seems perfectly with the normal to me.

 

 

I agree that it depends on the school as well as the child. If the school starts back at a very basic reading level in 1st grade, and has flexibility to accommodate non-readers early in 1st, then late bloomers will be fine. But then the next question is, why isn't she reading yet? Does she have undiagnosed issues such as vision problems, or is she generally unready due to age and maturity and IQ? Is she asynchronous in her development - on target or ahead on other stuff but just not quite there in reading? Does she speak in an age-appropriate way? Or is she below average generally? If reading seems to be the only issue, I'd get her evaluated for possible vision problems and whatever else they can reliably recognize at 5yo. If she checks out fine and is generally bright, I'd power on. If she's generally behind, I'd start talking about a 2nd year of K.

 

I have a daughter who was young in K and about average in most areas. She was reading (had about 200 sight words at the end of K) but she had learning problems that slowed her down. I moved her forward because she was generally average and ahead of where the 1st grade started instruction. She has always had to work harder than average, but over time it has gotten easier. In her case it was the right decision for several reasons, but some kids aren't good candidates for never-ending hard work.

 

This being someone else's child, I would not pressure the parent in either direction, but I'd comment if I felt the child was generally bright and might benefit from specific evaluations or interventions.

Edited April 23, 2016 by reefgazer

[Storygirl]

 

 

ETA Geez! No desire to offend here but the idea that a child who isn't reading before 1st grade is suspected of learning disabilities and might be held back is a pretty side indictment of our current standards. When I was in K, we learned the colors, numbers and letters. No one learned to read. My parents didn't even attend Kindergarten. What are we doing to our poor kids?!

 

Well, it's possible to accurately diagnose dyslexia now around age six. And early intervention has been proven to make a big difference in long term success for people with dyslexia. If someone has a learning disability, it's better to know sooner. And if they do the testing and find out there is not a disability, then the parents can have peace of mind.

 

DD was not diagnosed with dyslexia until age ten, although I suspected it by the time she was four or five. If I could have those years back to help her better, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[Tsuga]

Well, it's possible to accurately diagnose dyslexia now around age six. And early intervention has been proven to make a big difference in long term success for people with dyslexia. If someone has a learning disability, it's better to know sooner. And if they do the testing and find out there is not a disability, then the parents can have peace of mind.

 

DD was not diagnosed with dyslexia until age ten, although I suspected it by the time she was four or five. If I could have those years back to help her better, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

Yes, but there are many other signs of dyslexia that go beyond, and which are more specific than, not reading. On the contrary, the signs of dyslexia at four or five are not "not reading" but other sight, speech, and receptive speech issues.

 

Many children, I daresay most children globally in developed countries, are NOT reading more than a few CVC or sight words by six. I wouldn't suggest ignoring the warning signs at all, but that "not reading" is not a warning sign at that age.

[ReadingMama1214]

Yes, but there are many other signs of dyslexia that go beyond, and which are more specific than, not reading. On the contrary, the signs of dyslexia at four or five are not "not reading" but other sight, speech, and receptive speech issues.

 

Many children, I daresay most children globally in developed countries, are NOT reading more than a few CVC or sight words by six. I wouldn't suggest ignoring the warning signs at all, but that "not reading" is not a warning sign at that age.

I agree with This. I was kind of surprised that so many people jumped to getting the girl tested learning disabilities. She's well within the average age of learning to read and I don't believe there was enough info given to make anyone jump to that conclusion. The OP hasn't given any feedback that would imply that there are learning disabilities

[Storygirl]

I agree that the OP doesn't suggest the possibility of learning disabilities or offer enough information to know if there are any signs. Honestly, a lot depends on the type of instruction that has been offered in the school. The parents of the child in question should have a good talk with the teacher to see if they can figure out together what the issues may be and decide if another year of kindergarten would be helpful. If the school is not offering solid phonics instruction, working on phonics over the summer could be very helpful.

 

If the teacher or parents do see some red flags for dyslexia, however, it's not too early to do testing.