My 5 Year Old Can Read…sort Of? Teachers, Please!?
My 5 year old was not old enough to enter Kindergarten this year. We were going to have him tested to enter early, but he is VERY shy and would not even look at the person giving the test. So, socially, he was not ready, but academically he was.
He can do basic addition, read and write the alphabet, etc…
Well, he can read. Sort of. He can read an entire level 1 book. He can read most of the words in a level 2 book as well. No one has ever taught him how to sound out letters, so he must just be sight reading?
Will this have a negative impact on him actually learning how to read when he does go to school?
Absolutely not! Any reading you do with him at home will benefit him. I teach fourth grade, and I wish my students would go home and read more often. Whether he is reading to you, you are reading to him, it is all good! Exposure to books of all kinds help academically, but they may also help him socially. He will have more to talk about with the other children when he is ready.
Make sure he is comprehending what he is reading. That is key. Many parents of new kindergartners say their child can read, but that means nothing if they do not know what they just read. I am not saying that you are one of those parents, but the actually reading of the words on the page is only the beginning.
Well done Mum! Learning to read pre-school is fantastic and it most certainly not going to have a negative impact on your son. Get him to read as much as possible and encourage him to copy words out too, this will help with the reading. Keep up the Good work….Oh dear I really did sound like a teacher.
Alison Basi.l Cert ed. Qualify 2008
You made a GREAT decision not putting him in Kindergarten yet. My youngest was similar to yours…he was amazing on the academic side, yet he needed the socialization. I was an early reader as well, and in talking to a gifted psychologist for my son, heredity is a factor. Get your son in a pre-k program, a full day one if you can. He will benefit from the social interaction, and it will help prepare both of you for his transition to Kindergarten. Keep up the good work.
I’m glad to see more proof that reading to children pays off. My daughter learned to read before entering school, and this was a great advantage to her. You son can read; there’s no “sort-of” about it. You might want to start now helping him sound out words that he doesn’t know. He’ll easily catch on to sounding out words if this is a concern to you. Take turns reading with him. Choose slightly more challenging books so that he has new words and sounds to learn. He’ll do great.
i dont know the answer to your question but your son is very smart if he can do all that at 5!! =]]]] you should be very proud!
As long as you are not pressuring him he will be fine. Make sure he has lots of interesting books at his disposal, rather than boring leveled readers. he seems to have taught on to the basics, now let him work on it on his own.