Comments on: My 5-Year-Old Can’t Read

By: Amber

Amber — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:32:30 +0000

I just wanted to tell you that Hannah is now 6 1/2 years old, and in grade one. She’s learning to read – but she’s still not there yet. It was only in the past 6 months or so that she mastered all the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. But she’s an amazing and talented artist, a fabulous singer, super-active, outgoing and all those great things. Her teachers aren’t concerned, either. I’m convinced that by the end of this year she’ll be reading, and that in a year or two no one will be able to tell the difference.

As I said in the post, I was a later reader myself. I graduated first in my high school class of about 500 students, and went on to earn an engineering degree that was fully funded by scholarships. Clearly, the fact that I couldn’t read a book at 6 1/2 has not harmed me in any measurable way, and I’m certain it won’t harm our daughters, either.

By: Kristy

Kristy — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:58:50 +0000

This discussion actually brought tears to my eyes. I’ve been so anxious about my daughter’s lack of reading skills. She started kindergarden this year and even though she’s not at the bottom of her class in skills, she’s still not progressing as quickly as she is expected to. My husband and I are very upset about this and it’s causing anxiety all around.

This morning I was speaking to a co-worker about a new schedule that I’ve created to that I can spend more time with my daughter to help her with school. She asked me if my daughter could read. I said no. She was continued to explain that this is a serious problem and that her three year old granddaughter already knew how to read. As to what level, I was too mortified at my child’s lack of reading ability to ask.

It’s nice to know that my daughter isn’t the only child out there who isn’t a genious, that there are folks out there that are feeling what I feel. Thank you so much for sharing.

By: Mel

Mel — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 05:10:41 +0000

I’m very grateful to have found your discussion on reading ability even though it’s been over 1 year since posting.

My daughter is turning 6 next week and she’s been in P1 for 3 weeks now.

Her teacher at school and at her tuition centres had been telling me how she’s behind in reading and can’t even read or write simple phrases. Yet, I see her doing well in her doing her worksheets because she’s using her cognitive ability aka guess the word through context or picture.

I feel my daughter is creative in many ways and able to think like an adult, no problem with logic and common sense. But her vocabulary and literacy skills is not up par with her peers. I’m frustrated wondering is it because I didn’t give her the right support or is it because she had started P1 too early.

Either way, after reading this discussion post, I feel much better and consoled. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences.

Mel in Asia.

By: Strocel.com | Drama in the Little House Books

Strocel.com | Drama in the Little House Books — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:01:30 +0000

[...] daughter, Hannah, is 6 years old now. She still can’t read on her own, but she’s enjoying increasingly complex books that we read to her. On a whim at Christmas [...]

By: Allie

Allie — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:35:30 +0000

I love this post ! I am so glad you shared it, it addresses the worry all parents feel at some point with their child’s development. I loathe those baby reading programs, like a previous commenter said a love of reading is more important than reading in preschool.

By: Christie

Christie — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:35:36 +0000

I just wanted to applaud you on your position and finding a comfortable place lacking panic regarding reading by kindergarten. I have a daughter who just started and she can not read however she is in nearly the same place her two older siblings were when they began and I am confident she will be a strong student later.

I have a middle schooler and a 6th grader and both are extremely confident and qualified students. In fact one is extremely advanced and the other nearly so. Neither of then could read upon entering kindergarten.

If you want a great read, research an article, The Creativity Crisis by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. (I have forgotten where I found it.) It is far more important she encourage what you have been than forcing them to read. It will come in time and your daughter will turn extraordinary because of all the well-rounded attention you have given her.

By: bythtnoth

bythtnoth — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:43:55 +0000

More troubling, I think, than children who don’t yet read at six are cases like the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kVwMT26ZUE

By: Zoey @ Good Goog

Zoey @ Good Goog — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:44:06 +0000

One of the most interesting books I’ve read on early reading is Reading Magic by Mem Fox. One of the things she is really passionate about is that a love of reading is far more important than anything else and making it fun for both parents and kids. Another thing that stuck out to me when reading it was that contextual reading is far more important – because as adults that’s how we read words we don’t know. Well worth the read.
.-= Zoey @ Good Goog´s last post ..In the Wet =-.

By: kat

kat — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:42:50 +0000

The thing I worry about, especially since my baby was born in September so the cut-off for school may be good or bad for her, is that very often children get categorized early and then it follows them.

By: Amber Morrisey

Amber Morrisey — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:48:19 +0000

I wondered if my comments on facebook should show here, sadly not. Note to self, click your link!

Thanks for this blog post.