Can children normally read by the time they start school?

Question

My daughter will be starting in august and she'l be five in October. She can only recognise a few letters, wheras me and my three sisters could all read quite fluently by the time we started school.

Answer 1

every child is different i have 6 and all learn at own pace.my 8 & 6  year old  very clever and could write/read etc before school  my 10 year old not so bright in reading etc did write his name but nothing else but excells in sports.my 4 year old going this year can read and write his name but only just.it depends on what the child wants to learn and what time you can put in to help.all kids are different mine are and all good at one thing but not the other.she will soon catch up and alot of kids will be the same dont worry to much she has 4-5mths to pick up things your be suprised what they can learn in this time.teach her a few words with phonic cards i put words around house ie kettle,door etc they will learn the words and letters and teach her name time and patience make it fun you write it ask her to copy do this intill gets it then ask her to do one letter a time then her whole namesounding the letters.hope this helps.xx

Answer 2

What age were you when you started school?  I could read by the time I started school but I was 5 (just) and my mum was a trained primary school teacher!!!  My daughter starts in September and she has just turned 4.  She recognises all the letters and recognises a few words - mainly her name, on, off, mummy, daddy, tesco, sainsburys etc.  Recognising that a particular set of letters is a known word is not the same as being able to apply the rules of spelling/reading to work out what a string of letters says so it also depends on your definition of reading.

All children learn at different rates and many teachers prefer to teach reading etc by their own method so like to start with a clean slate.  It's certainly not something to worry about but if you do want to help her I would concentrate on helping her to recognise the different letters.  Don't overdo it - just 5 minutes once a day when you have the spare time to turn it into a bit of a game.  Keep the atmosphere light and don't show frustration when she struggles.  Most of all, don't worry!!!

Answer 3

Reading is highly developemental (and age of onset does not predict future intelligence!)  A child is will not learn to read until they are ready.  The time period is different for every child, but can range from preschool- 1st grade.

Answer 4

i only learnt to read in year 2 lol

Answer 5

not always

Answer 6

I don't know about your daughter but I could.

Answer 7

Very few children can actually read by the time they get into Kindergarten. Some parents swear up and down that their children can read, but reading means fluently reading on your own with no help. That is great she is learning her letters. That  is a good start. Most children will learn how to read fluently on their own by the age of 9, but ocassionally you will have some later readers and it has nothing to do with intelligence. Some really bright children read later on. Don't let anyone worry you. This is what Kindy is all about is learning these things. You can help at home by teaching her ABC's and some of the sounds they make. She will learn soon enough. No rush to make her learn something that she isn't ready to.

Answer 8

not all children r da same.... it Dpends upon da child.

buh dont  force her or else she might do worse!

Answer 9

No and you shouldn't compare - everyone is different - try letterland books for FUN - don't push her, she may come to associate reading with your apparent dissappointment with her

Answer 10

then someone must have sat with you and taught you.

No it is not 'normal' as such as very few children can read when they start school.

The best thing you can do is treach her ro recognise her own name and to write it ; also teach her to dress herself and change her own clothes and do up her shoes.  Oh and handle a knfe, fork and spoon properly.  Plus read plenty of stories to her so she knows how to sit and listen not wander around.  The teachers will be more than grateful for that.

Answer 11

Hi my first could read and my second couldnt. But now my second, who I worried about, is in her second year and reads really well. So I think they all do it in their own time. Dont worry there will be the ones that cant do a thing. The ones whose parents dont give them any time at all. Just keep on. Its amazing how the teachers just seem to manage it when we cant. Its lovely that day that you realize. My God she is reading!!! And then there is no stoppin em!

Answer 12

Children are not expected to be able to read when they start school. If they can recognise the phonic of each letter of the alphabet (the sound the letter makes rather than the name), then that is excellent, but any knowledge of letter sounds is a bonus. The foundation stage (that includes reception, 4-5 year olds) does not focus particularly on being able to read, but to consilodate the knowledge of phonics and being able to put the letter sounds together to form words. Some children can 'read' before they enter school, but it will not give them any advantage, it is not how the curriculum is structured. I am a teacher in a First school.  Don't worry, your daughter will be absolutely fine. She'll flourish at school & learn lots of skills to enable her to read properly & with meaning.

Answer 13

My daughter is in her first year at school and she will be 5 in July, she has been reading quite well for only a few months (only small words but in sentences) whereas my son could read very well when he was 3. All children are different, you will find when she goes to school she will learn really quickly, thats what teachers are for!!.DONT WORRY!!

Answer 14

carnt remember lad

Answer 15

no if your child could read by the time she started school that would be a bonus.  A child of your daughters age should be having letters introduced to them ( mainly the sounds such as a for apple) its easy for children 2 remember word but then when it comes to a word they dont no thats when they struggle. work on sounds and then build simple cvcs such as c-a-t everytime your child reads something or writes something go through the letters. before a child reads ty should know that print conveys meaning and have an idea about authors titles etc. Theres plenty of time. rush your child and they would go the other way

Answer 16

they can ready a few words but thats about it-at about 3 yrs old i could read the name of the paper and small words such as cat, dog, bath, bed etc

at 5 a child should be able to ready a book with about 6pages with no more than about 1-2lines of about 4-6 words per line.

by 6 a child should be able to read about 2pages of A4

Answer 17

I could.

Answer 18

Every child is different and every parent different from their parent, don't stress she do fine,

put more time in and that will help i had the same stress and my daughter's doing great now and she's seven with a reading age of about 9/10 years. good luck

Answer 19

Children will learn when they want to.  Children who start before they go to school (either self taught or taught by a parent) can take the initial stages much more slowly.  Children who learn at school are automatically put in a pressured situation no matter how hard the school tries to avoid this (and schools do).  The good news is that most kids manage.

The parents 'teaching the wrong way' problem is a bit of a fiction and I haven't seen any real research on it  However I am sure parents can damage their children's attitude to reading (eg making it too important, creating feelings of failure . . . ). Learning to read should be a fun and relaxed activity both at school and at home.

So to answer your question; children can read quite normally by the time they get to school, but no, it is does not normally happen. I only taught my children to read preschool because I had been taught to read and loved it.  Reading was one of my childhood joys.

Any questions contact me through Yahoo.

I am a Primary School teacher.

Answer 20

It depends if they have gone to preschool, montessori... depends if the child has been homeschooled... most children don´t know how to read when they start school.

Answer 21

it's not normal to be able to read before you get into school but some children have the ability to be fast learners especially in reading, i strarted reading on my own when i was 2yrs old now im' only 17 and read shakespare very well

Answer 22

Ok..my opinion...whats school for?? Thats why they go to school to learn all these wonderful things!!

Don't presuure kids, they will only hate learning if it's not fun!

All kids develop at their own rate, please don't compare.

Let kids be kids, they grow up way too fast these days.

I think it is fantastic that she can recognise some letters!! Give her a hi5 and a sticker from me for being so clever!!!

Cheers

Answer 23

Yes your child need to know how to read by the  time she starts school. I'm a preschool teacher, and the schools told me that children need to able to read by the time they start first grade. Its okay if she doesn't though because every child learns in the own way. Now when she gets older and if she still has trouble you should think about get her some special help, either from her teacher or an outside source.

Answer 24

All children are different, and develop at different times. Don't worry, she will soon get reading and wont be able to put a book down.

Answer 25

generally speaking, most children are expected to be able to write their names and know the letters of the alphabet. Some kids can read (most can't) and some don't know any letters going in to it.  They all catch up by grade 1. Not to worry.

Answer 26

It depends on the individual child because they learn at their own pace. With kindergarden, they have students ranging from non readers (knowing alphabet or letter recognition) to readers. However, you can lay the foundations for reading by reading to her predictable books but also the alphabet themed books featuring the letters of the alphabet. Sesame Street is another great option. There is also a wonderful line of flash cards and workbooks that can be used to get her ready for kindergarden in the stores, too.

Answer 27

I learnt how to read in primary school, in primary 1 and 2. So I find it wierd that you could all read fluently lol.

And times may have changed alot since you and your sisters were at school. Anyway - dinnah fuss. lol

Answer 28

Children will learn to read when they are developmentally ready.  This varies from child to child.  Some children are not ready until about 7-8 years old.  It is not common for very young children to read.  I am a Master Reading teacher with a masters degree in early childhood/elementary education.  

Please continue to encourage your child to "Play" with language and reading.  Reading street signs, cereal boxes, helping to read directions, etc.  There are many games you can play with her and I am sure you already know many of them.  Also read to her and encourage her to talk about what you have read.  Allow her to "read" her favorite books to you , I am sure she knows some of the by heart.  

Please do not push her or hector her to read beyond what she feels comfortable with.  You will do more harm than good and may cause her to dislike reading altogether.

Whe will be "pushed" enough once she starts school because the teachers are under great pressure to have all their kindergarten children reading by years in.

Believe me,  this quest is futile and is doing more harm than good.  Jean Piaget had it right years ago when he said that every child will learn what they are ready to learn.

My daddy was right when he said, "You can flog a dead horse, but he ain't gonna get up and go."

Good luck to you and your daughter.  Enjoy her babyhood - she will grow up all too fast.

Answer 29

No - in fact, at my daughter's school they want the children to be taught by them - in case you use the 'wrong' method and the child gets confused!!!

Answer 30

No its not normal to be able to read before starting school. We when young were almost forced to from an early age but this is no longer the norm. They don't really expect them to be reading fluently until primary three or so. They also have much different methods of teaching word recognition now that our teachings would be wrong. So let your daughter enjoy the summer and her play until she gets to school. If she is looking like she is not mature enough for starting then you can always defer her a year but doesn't sound like she will have any problems. Both mine started in the August and they were not five untill the end of November and December. They are now 7 and 10 and doing very well and niether of them read a word before starting school. So stop worrying man.

Answer 31

MY MOM PRACTICED WITH ME EVERYDAY, WITH DR SEUSS BOOKS.  I LEARNED TO READ AT 4 YEARS OLD, HOWEVER BASIC IT WAS A GREAT START.  PRACTICE WITH YOUR BABY, AND MAKE IT FUN.  CATER TO HER INTEREST.