Do Kids Learn to Read in Kindergarten? One Teacher-Mom’s Honest Answer
Do kids learn to read in kindergarten? Most do—but not all —and my son was one of them. I am an elementary teacher who taught K–2 for years and has presented professional development on early reading instruction. And yet, when it came to my own kindergartener, I found myself at a loss.
My son is in Kindergarten this year. It’s now May, and I have watched him struggle with learning to read.
I have a strong background in early reading instruction.
There are a couple of reasons why my son hasn’t learned to read in Kindergarten this past year. Partly, he’s just a six-year-old boy who would rather play than read and is not really interested in school yet.
The other part is that he just needs some solid, consistent reading instruction, which he hasn’t gotten at school this year. In a way, I’m okay with the fact that the reading instruction hasn’t been solid because he’s not ready for it.
The strange thing is that, as a teacher and a former Kindergarten teacher, I know what he needs. I know exactly what sounds he knows and which he doesn’t. I know that he cannot smoothly blend some CVC words, especially those with stop sounds. He knows all of his continuous sounds, but still struggles to remember the stop sounds. I know that he needs to work on his phonemic awareness skills.
I know all of these things, and at the same time, I have not provided systematic instruction at home for him this past year.
I am pulled in two directions.
What a Reading Teacher Knows When Her Kindergartener Isn’t Reading
In August of this past school year, my son asked me to teach him to read. If only it were that simple. I think he expected to learn how to read quickly, and it was something I could teach him easily, like within a day or two.
At the time, I knew he wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t know many sounds and lacked several phonemic awareness skills that needed to be in place first.
The teacher part of me wants to create a scope and sequence of instruction that will meet his needs and push him to the next level in reading. I can totally do that. I know how to do it, and I can create or find the resources I need to teach him to read.
The teacher in me feels like I am somehow failing him by not teaching him to read.
The Parent Side of Me
As a parent, I want to see him love school. That is the most important thing for me. I had a love/hate relationship with school myself (it was too easy for me) and my husband disliked school (it was boring). I want school to be a safe, comfortable place for my son to spend 6+ hours a day for 13+ years of his life. I don’t want him to feel anxious or stressed about not performing well enough.
My son has gone through his Kindergarten year and has continually told me that he doesn’t like school. His reason? It’s boring. We all know that school is not built for boys, especially little boys who like to run, jump, and wrestle rather than sit still in a classroom. My son does not have a learning disability, nor does he have ADHD. He excels in math. He can tell elaborate stories and wants me to document them. He understands everything read aloud to him and asks great questions when he doesn’t. He can sit still when he needs to.
He would be considered behind by normal, traditional Kindergarten standards. But I also know the research. Most kids learn to read between the ages of 4-7 and some do not until age 8. If kids don’t learn to read in Kindergarten, they’re not behind. They don’t have a learning disability, although some may. They just may not be ready to or interested in reading yet. It’s okay if he doesn’t learn to read until he’s 7 or 8. That doesn’t mean that he’s not learning.
I am pulled in two directions. The teacher in me knows how to provide systematic instruction at home that could meet his reading needs, and the parent side of me that wants him to love learning. Are those two things isolated? No, but when he comes home tired from school, the last thing I want to do is make him sit down and do more “school stuff.”
Do you know what my son can do?
He can run faster than any kid in his class. He’s very proud of that.
He can create elaborate, imaginative stories. He’s always asking us for the paper to draw them out.
He can create whole cities in Minecraft. That’s a lot of geometric and spatial thinking.
He excels in math and can think outside the box when solving problems.
He’s happy, even though he doesn’t like school. It’s not a bad place for him. It’s just not as fun as playing with Legos, engaging in pretend-play with his friends, or climbing trees. That’s okay for now. At least it’s not a struggle to get him to go to school.
Thankfully, we chose a school for him that does not push academics over social and emotional development. At my son’s school, it’s okay that he’s not reading at the end of Kindergarten. He’s not looked down upon, and he doesn’t feel shamed for not reading.
He has learned and grown so much this past year. No, he hasn’t learned to read, but he’s learned other life skills that he will take with him when he leaves Kindergarten.
How We Supported Kindergarten Reading at Home (Without the Pressure)
We have done very few academic things after school. I have tried to work with him in the afternoons, but he is so tired. It’s a struggle to get him to concentrate, focus, and sit still. No, he doesn’t have ADHD. Not even close. He’s just a six-year-old boy who is tired from a long day at school and can’t concentrate on any more reading work at home. It has been difficult for me to be consistent while working with him at home.
What do we do after school? At the beginning of the year, I worked in fun word-play and phonemic awareness activities throughout the afternoon. These were not formal lessons, but just oral sound play.
Now, we work on blending sounds using these blending cards. I developed these CVC Cut & Paste Worksheets & Phonics Cards that we do once a week or so. I love that we can do the worksheet and I can make them into a ring of review cards.
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Short E Phonics Passages$4.95 -
Short U Phonics Passages$6.25
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Short O Phonics Passages$4.95
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Short I Phonics Passages$6.25
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Product on saleCVC Phonics Passages by Word Family BUNDLEOriginal price was: $37.11.$26.00Current price is: $26.00.
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I have put together some reading passages that are highly controlled for cvc word family and sight words. We have just started working on these reading passages and will continue them throughout the summer.
I’ve also started using a computerized program that is geared toward homeschool families called Funnix. It requires that an adult sit with the child to make sure he is pronouncing the sounds correctly and following the program. It does a really good job teaching reading without a lot of teacher prep and materials. As a reading teacher, I can see that it addresses all the important components of reading at just the right pace.
My son is in school all morning long (it’s half-day Kindergarten). He comes home tired. I want him to love learning, and pushing him to do reading after school every day has been a struggle. So, we are not consistent in our work at home. Come summer, we’ll concentrate on it much more when he’s less tired from school.
Do Kids Learn to Read in Kindergarten? What the Research Says
Do Kids Learn to Read in Kindergarten? What the Research SaysNot all kids learn to read in kindergarten — and research supports that. Most children learn to read between the ages of 4 and 7, and some not until age 8. Reading was traditionally introduced in first grade, and studies have not shown long-term academic advantages for children who learn to read earlier. We have moved that expectation down to kindergarten, but that does not mean every child is ready on that timeline.
If your child is not reading by the end of kindergarten, give them time. While you wait, observe. Ask yourself:
- Is your child learning in other areas — math, stories, imaginative play?
- Are they happy at school, even if reading is a struggle?
- Are they making friends and enjoying their days?
- Are they progressing, even if slowly?
If you are curious how this story turned out, I wrote a follow-up post a few years later: When Your Child Struggles with Reading. It covers where we were when he was in second grade and what we did differently.
I love this post. I’ve always felt pressure to get my Kinders reading, but some just aren’t ready and need more playful activities. I think I need to stop pressuring myself! 🙂 Good for you for giving him what he needs and not rushing him!! Thanks for sharing this, and I hope you’ll write more posts about how he does eventually make the transition to reading. 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment. I’m always a little nervous writing about family. I’ve struggle with the issue of him reading all year long. Not pushing him, but just knowing that I could give him more instruction and yet I’m holding back because I know he’s not ready yet. I’ll see about writing a few more posts about his transition.
Have you heard about secret stories by Katie Garner? I use them in my kindergarten class and they have changed the way I teach kids how to read. The growth in a year is amazing! I tell every teacher I meet about them. I have never been more thrilled and inspired by a resource before now. I highly recommend you watch the conference where she outlines the research about why they are so effective, and then visit her website. You will find it very informative at the very least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chbgXCxHKRc
http://thesecretstories.com/
Hello Jessica, my daughter did not do kindergarten, she only did 3 weeks because we returned from our country at the end of May 2016. When I went to register her, I was told in the office that because of her age she should be placed in first grade for the next school year. So last year in August she started first grade, it is important to mention that when she started the 3 weeks of kindergarten she did not speak English at all. We spend many years in Peru speaking Spanish. With all this disadvantages she did first grade. Do not ask me how but she passed the year. Now she is in second grade but she does not even know how to read! She cried all weekend, she did not want to go to school because she said she does not know anything! I am here in my office looking for different way to help my daughter but everything is too expensive. Let me know please if you have any special page or more tips to help her. Thank you!
It’s hard to give you suggestions via a email / comment area on a blog post. I would listen to your heart and make sure she is getting what she needs. If she is not, be her strongest advocate, even if it means seeking outside tutoring or services.
Hi Jessica
My son is a young 6 and just started first grade ( private catholic school ) his 6th bday was just last week oct 9th.
He doesn’t know how to read but gets math! He loves to play and all he wants to do is play with legos.
I knew some of the class work was not being completed but I said ok school jug started he will get.
Well his teacher email me that she wants to see me. I went this morning and she says she thinks he’s not Mature enough for 1st grade. That his level on reading should be C and he’s A ( whatever that means ). She asked me if I have considered putting him back in kinder. First of all why I would think that ?
Second school just started and I feel she’s already giving up on my little boy ?? I am mixed with emotions and I feel like this is failure!! 🙁
She also said “ you are the boss you decided what to do “ but now I am thinking wow only 6 weeks and you already gave up on him.
He said other kids are more mature. And that If i decided to keep him in 1st grade . She can help on Tuesday for one hour after school.
He stays in after care until 330pm.
I don’t know what to do. I’ve been crying all day. I don’t want him to feel bad about himself but I don’t want him to struggle oxox
I love this post!
My son turned 5 and he was already in kindergarten last year
i know this is old but i’ve been paying attention to this subject since my son was born in 2014. When I was in kindergarten we still napped. we didn’t study anything. We learned to socialize and play with others. i love the comment that said 50 years ago they thought it was bad for the kids to be reading in kindergarten. What happened? My son hates kindergarten. he used to love to learn. I am trying to figure out how to get him out as a single mom with a full time job. our education system is broken. our drop out rate is nearly 50% and yet we just push harder with the system we still have. There are so many studies showing little brains are not reading for reading until they are 7. the right synapses aren’t firing yet. There are always exceptions of course. Study the forest kindergartens in Finland. Amazing! By the time these kids finish school they are so far ahead of ours. Why not follow something that works?
I really liked the information given here and I think it’s really helpful. I just don’t understand why you put so much emphasis on making sure people knew your son doesn’t have ADHD. It kind of sounded like you wanted people to know he doesn’t have a disease. ADHD is no a disease or a mental illness. Kids with ADHD are not less than other, they are not retarded or dumb. My son has ADHD and he can function like any other child, be in a regular class and even participate in all activities without exemptions like all the other children who don’t have ADHD. Having ADHD just means that their brain is going so fast that they can’t grasp the information that’s being given. Which is why they are always on the move because their brain is going so fast that can’t sit and concentrate or stay still with one activity. But with the proper therapy or medication they are able to slow their brain down to a level where they can grasp information given ñ, process it and respond to it by doing the work, Learnin it and sitting still like any other child without ADHD. I just think you should be more careful when mentioning certain conditions. I did not see that you mentioned any other condition just ADHD. Having ADHD is not the end of the world and believe me I know kids with ADHD who know how to read in Kindergarten.
I honestly don’t feel that I overemphasized ADHD in this post. It has over 1400 words and I mention ADHD twice. I don’t think that ADHD is a disease or mental illness. I’ve taught quite a few students who have had ADHD, and you’re right, with the proper interventions and modifications, they are successful in a traditional classroom.
This post is about my son in Kindergarten, his struggle learning to read, and how I processed through what I could do to meet his needs. It was written at the end of his kindergarten school year as I struggled to figure out what he needed. I easily ruled out ADHD and wanted to tell why I could see that was not an issue for him. He has dyslexia, which we diagnosed well after Kindergarten. He is now doing much better in reading after we got the right interventions in place for him. You can read a follow-up post that I wrote during his second-grade year here: https://whatihavelearnedteaching.com/when-your-child-struggles-with-reading/
My 6 years old son dull in writing and reading, I took him to a new school today and he couldn’t write his test..I felt so bad that I started crying….pls what can I do pls
My son graduated from college with honors this weekend. He did not learn to read in kindergarten. As a matter of fact, he didn’t learn to read until the end of first grade. And he was an older first grader. Fortunately, when he was in kindergarten 17 years ago nobody was pushing young children to read (at least not in his school). I hate to think of how things would have been if he had been pressured to learn to read earlier. Clearly, learning to read “later” (which really isn’t late at all) had no affect on his academic career. I think we need to lighten up on kids, parents and teachers.
even though this is an old comment I would like to thank you for your input. My son is learning his sight words but I can see that he doesn’t love doing it and I hate having to put pressure on him. I only want the best for him and I can only hope for my boy to graduate college with honors. I only want the best for him and I hope that he will eventually learn to love learning .
I am also a Kindergarten/First Grade teacher and I struggled mightily when my son did not take off with reading in my class. I knew that he had everything in place to go for it when he was ready, but he just wasn’t there yet. He learned the mechanics and when really pushed would comply, but there was no joy. So….I let it be. I wanted him to enjoy learning and have a healthy relationship with school more than I wanted him to prove himself as a capable reader. And it was tough. And then it clicked. The summer between 2nd and 3rd grade I gave him free license to choose any book he wanted in a giant bookstore. The one he picked was not what I would have picked and I knew it was too hard for him. But he was interested in it enough that he struggled and put the work in to raise his ability as he read it – and then went on to read the 15 other books in the series. I regularly thank my stars that I just let him have space and time as now I watch him enjoy learning and literacy.
Reading in kindergarten was thought to do more harm then good even when children wanted to. This was 50 years ago but I think there was a lot of wisdom in it.
Many many kids didn’t go to kindergarten. It was optional and most parents thought it was unnecessary. Testing never showed long term improvements in learning by teaching reading in kindergarten.
Your heart is telling you what to do. This child is not in trouble he will be fine. Go play legos with him and give yourself a break.
these post was amazing! My child does not know how to read and he is in kindergarten. He Excels in math too! he tells me alot of times “i dont really like math but i just get it” We struggle with sight words, one week he gets them, one week he doesnt. We do think he has a hard time focusing and i have tried EVERYTHING besides medication which i am against. I have finally broke down and decided to try the lowest dosage they can give which his teacher now recommended. we will be going to the dr in the next two weeks about it. The school standards are very harsh now. If they cant read by the end of kindergarten he will have to repeat the grade which breaks my heart. Any tips on “fun” games to play as far as working on site words and reading?
That breaks my heart, too. A child should never be retained because of academic reasons. Grade levels are so artificial and not a true measure of a child’s ability. Can the school legally retain him without your consent? If so I’d consider looking at other options that might better fit his needs.
As for fun games to play, we’ve really enjoyed Ukloo. That got my son interested in reading. It’s a scavenger hunt game. We have also played Bob Happy Hats game. It’s entertaining for a bit and will get him reading. (Those are both affiliate links.) .
Pinterest has a ton of games that are more kinesthetic. I know for my son, jumping the sounds or something similar would help him with segmenting the sounds. I do try to have him read to me everyday and practice reading a little bit. I find that the little by little approach works best for him.
Hope those ideas help!
Thanks so much for these! we will try them. The schools have a new “grading” system and they have to have so much percentage to go to the next grade and reading is a big part. His teacher is excellent though, she is working so hard with them, more than a teacher should and we are so grateful for her. She knows his potential and she said he is a Genius but he just isnt too interested in stuff. He is so willing to learn but he just doesnt grasp some things. Thanks for your help!
I know this is a reply to an old post but…
” I have finally broke down and decided to try the lowest dosage they can give which his teacher now recommended”
Ugh! Teachers are not doctors. Teachers are not psychologists or other mental health professionals. Teachers do NOT need to be diagnosing, or suggesting an opinion on diagnoses or treatment!
The usefulness and healthiness of kindergarten, especially full-day kindergarten, has been questioned by many studies. It can be unhealthy and disastrous for boys (who generally are more physically active, etc.).
On top of that, birth dates can effect how a teacher perceives a child’s ability…a teacher may not check to see if the student bouncing around and not being in a desk has a birthday right before or after the school registration cut-off. A child may turn the minimal age the day before the cutoff, meaning he just turned 5, while another student turned 5 right after the cutoff, had to wait a year to start kindergarten, and is starting kindergarten as an almost 6-year-old. A teacher looks at those two kids and won’t know off the top of her head that one is almost a year older, but she might think the first child acts “young” compared to classmates, and she may get annoyed by this and start the “Maybe he has…” nonsense because he doesn’t match the kindergarten picture in her head.
Look for an alternative to kindergarten (or preschool)…can you opt out of kindergartner in your state? Is there a kindergarten that is half day, and maybe not all week? Is it focused on enrichment more than “learn this or else be held back?” Think about learning at this age as exposure to basic concepts and encouraging a curiosity about the world.
Your child should not really even be taught reading in kindergarten. There are hundreds of studies showing that their brains are not ready on a child to grasp that context that the synapses are not firing correctly until they are seven years old of course there are people who can do it but that is not the norm. Read a book about finnish education. They have one of the top education systems in the world we have a Nearly 50% dropout rate by the time they’re in high school. There are a lot of studies that have been duplicated proving their theories there’s a book out now I think I think it’s called finnish education. That teacher should be fired. To suggest drugs for a boy who can’t read in kindergarten? I envy my sons boundless energy. I hare that all he does in kindergarten is read and write
Thank you for writing this! I am a teacher, at the secondary level. I have a daughter in Kindergarten and I just got a notice on her 3 weeks report card that we need to have a academic improvement plan meeting to help her. She is advanced in Math and writing, at grade level for the rest, expect reading foundational skills which is slightly below. They do a timed test called DRA (which is similar to Dibbles, if you are familiar) to determine their reading grade level. They give nightly homework, on top of a reading and writing log-to me this is too much! She comes home tired and just wants to rest a bit and by that time it’s time for dinner, bath, and bed! We have struggled with sight words all year, and finally I said-She will learn them at school-I’ll make a game with them and if we get to them, we get to them.
I didn’t start reading until the 1st grade (reading wasn’t even taught in kindergarten when I went to school). I haven’t had any hindrances in life. I hate the pressure put on me and my child that she is not excelling or at grade level in reading. I finally had to take a moment and realize-she is in kinder! I am not going to pressure my child to read, the skills she develops now will help her in the next grade, but it’s not a race against the other students. The state level for DRA for the end of kinder is a 3 but the districts wants a DRA 6. So searching for answers (should I really be concerned or just let it be) brought me to this article and it helped bring a since of relief. I am also glad to see that you don’t think that your 6 year old son has ADHD. I completely agree with this! They forget that they children at 5 and 6 years old. This is a lot of information for them and any progress they make in kinder is great!
So I am going to go to this meeting with a new mind! Thank you!
Oh, I’m so glad that you’re watching out for your daughter and challenging what is “best” for her. So many kids are not ready to read in Kinder. That’s okay and completely normal. They will survive and be successful humans. There’s also more important things right now, like perseverance, friendships, social skills, and a love of learning that will set a good foundation for future learning.
I’m feeling the same way. So happy to see I’m not in this alone. Hugs!
What a great blog! It is just what I needed. I was wondering if you could help me. My son is 5 (6 in July). He is in an all day program. HIs teacher says I need to do more with him to get him to read. It is alot of what you suggested. But, he shuts down whenever I ask him to do anything. When I ask “why?” he says “I don’t want to” Or “i don’t want to talk about it.” I think he is getting so self conscious that he doesn’t even want to make an effort. Also, he is a big mover who loves to get his hands dirty. He is well behaved in school. But I know it takes alot of energy to last 6 hours there. I tried to talk to the teacher but she seems stuck on the fact that I need to “work with him ever night.” I don’t know what to do. My mom instincts say let him play. But I don’t want to undermine the professional. Any advice you might have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
Go with your instinct. He only gets to do childhood once. As a teacher I always pushed for reading every night. If you read to him each evening that works on his reading comprehension skills and develops a love of stories, books, and information. Just sit and read with him. As for “work with him every night”, maybe try to make it a kinesthetic game and vary the games, like jumping, throwing, skipping, etc. to the sounds in words. Even writing words in mud or building the words with blocks. All of those could also be considered “work”.
Hi new to your blog. I have a son who has been behind as well 1 whole grade reading level basically until now he is in grade 5. No learning disability no ADHD. He doesn’t hear the distinction between sounds so phonics based learning didn’t really help him. There is so much pressure for teachers and parents when your kid doesn’t read. My boy was very curious and so I promoted hand based learning at home with him. I remember his grade 2 teacher freaking out because he was only at a beginning grade 1 reading level. We can’t make them read any faster then when their brains are ready to read. All we can do is continue to our best ability to provide the love and attention and to continue working on skills such as reading. I also didn’t read in Kindergarten. I clearly remember being about 10 before things really went click for me. I believe in nourishing a love for books and reading and removing the pressure on little kids. Things are clicking for my guy now as well and I just wish that more parents knew that if your child is not diagnosed with a learning disability that the reading will come. They do have to read consistently but just keep giving them books they love to read and if you can read to them as well that also continues to help. A variety of learning strategies is also key. There are more and more graphic novels for the younger age and my son was less overwhelmed with them so more likely to read them. He now believes he can read. Found you through the Pinning Perfect Tailwind Tribe. I think you are on the right track.
I’m so happy I ran across this today. My 6 year old starts 1st grade next week and he is so anxious. When I ask him why he says because he can’t read. This breaks my heart. We struggled last year with sight words and him being able to blend his sounds together. He has gotten better but still struggles. He has a huge imagination and the stories he can tell are amazing. I am going to continue to work with him but not put pressure on him. I feel it will come I just don’t want him to be embarrassed or felt left behind in school.
I would have loved to have just my kid be a kid. Unfortunately he was in an all day kindergarten and not reading is not an option. So he is speening his secobd year in kindergarten. He does have ADHD and possibly dyslexia. Struggling to teach him to read. He gies to 1st grade next year ready or not.
Hello.
How old is your son now? Is he reading now?
Is your son reading now?
How old is he now?
Please update.
I ask because my child is not being taught in kindergarten now.
The teacher is just giving failing grades with no instruction.
This was written at the end of my son’s Kindergarten year. He is in second grade now. We are working on decoding short vowels with digraphs and blends in increasing text length and complexity. He is probably about six months below a traditional classroom grade level, but he is making progress.
As for your own child, I would talk to the teacher to see how grades are assigned, what instruction is taking place, and what interventions are available. In my district, students are assessed on the standard and could receive “low grades” based on a rubric score at the beginning of the year if they haven’t learned the material yet. It’s not technically a grade, but a rubric score of not meeting the standard yet. By the end of the year, most students are meeting the standard or receiving an intervention.
Hello,
This blog helped me clear up a bit of my thoughts, knowing I am not alone in this. My daughter is 6, will be 7 in December. She is in 1st grade and isn’t reading independlty yet. The teacher has expressed to me that she is being taken out 45 mins a day and is in a small group setting. I also have a reading writing tutor once a week and my daughter goes to Mathnasium 3 times a week. I don’t think there is anything wrong with her but the pressure is so on that she should be reading, writing independently. She is just 6, I want her to enjoy learning and enjoy school. I am workinf with her at home as well and I hope she gets to where the school wants her to be at the end of the school year.
Any reading tips you recommend.
Thanks
R
Your discription is my son to a T. He is great at memorizing, math, Minecraft, he is a fast runner to name a few. and has always struggled with reading. We pushed his kindergarten teacher who claimed that he was fine and “meeting the standards “. He knew his 31 sight words (keep in mind he is great at memorizing). When he started first grade his teacher do you know that “he can’t read” . Heart broken and relieved…. YES we know! They started with title one help for reading. He made little progress. Following second grade we found a private reading tutor for the summer (she was also a district title teacher. He was totally missing the phonics piece. Our school taught sight words and did not focus on phonics. He made great strides over the summer. Now his fluency is not good and he continues to struggle. He frequently will come home and tell us that he is the worst reader in his class. Technically he is “meeting or partially meeting the standards”. He flat out HATES timed tests. We can’t figure out what else to try.
How did your son progress?
We still struggle with reading but are making progress daily. We are also homeschooling, so we don’t deal with all of the negative aspects of being a struggling reader in second grade. We are using All About Reading. It follows a phonics-based approach. He has done well with it. We also listen to a lot of audiobooks. My son loves stories and imaginative play. The past couple of months he’s been writing stories (he’s on #11 or 12). He draws all the images and dictates the story. Basically, we’ve found ways for him to enjoy books and writing without the stress of having to read it all himself. We do still practice reading daily (which he hates), but he also has a healthy outlet for the other side of reading – the comprehension side.
Some suggestions to try include using audio books, finding an alternative way to record his thoughts and developing a love for stories that will make him want to read. The Read Aloud Revival Podcast has some great ideas and strategies for struggling readers. You might check out some of her episodes, too.
Thank You!
My son loves the comic style books. His favorite is the Amulet series. He has also read Dogman and has started the Bones sieries. These books have harder words but not a whole string of paragraphs. He loves the illustrations. We have been reading daily from the time he was about a week old. It didn’t really make a difference. He needs the confidence to push him over the edge. I am going to try the audio books. I would not have thought of that. I wish that school focused less on “meeting the minimum standards” with testing and more on what they see. We are so thankful for our first and second grade teacher. His school moved the teacher up with the kids from 1-2 grade. That was awesome!
Our son does not struggle with comprehension, characters names or spelling. It is reading aloud and reading fast. I try to encourage him that it will come with practice. I think that it is crazy that in 3rs grade the goal is to read 130/wpm.
Thank you again
Hi Jessica, thank you for your great ideas.
A dear friend’s son is 12 years old and lives in South Africa. He is very smart, curious, practical, has dyslexia and attends a remedial school. He has really, really struggled with reading and writing. He was in a private school for first and second grade, and struggled a lot. He has been at this private remedial school for 3 years. My friend had him assessed privately late last year and was told he has a reading ability of a child between age 6 – 10. So, it sounds like there’s a variety of words/ reading skills he may know, and others he ought to know but doesn’t. Like many dyslexics, he learns by hearing. He is terrific at oral presentations, gives interesting and relaxed speeches at school. He’s now in 5th grade. I so wish I could help him.
He doesn’t like fiction at all, he refused to do a book report on one of Aesop’s Fables! he definitely prefers non-fiction. I was asking him recently about his interests and he said he is “interested in the here and now”, things grounded in reality. He is very practical, loves machinery and equipment, used to love construction and landscaping equipment, and wanted to have his own landscaping company when he was younger! He recently taught himself to weld by watching YouTube videos! He fixed a pump that seemed to be irreparable by taking it apart and methodically putting it back together, projecting what would need to happen and what parts were needed. He fixed it!
He also has an entrepreneurial side to him. I know his life would be so much easier if he could read.
If he were going to use a specific reading program, it would need to be one with British spelling, as SA is a Commonwealth country and the spelling includes letters US English doesn’t. Eg colour, favour, paediatrician.
Do you have any suggestions?
As he is older, I think it is harder for his teachers and parents to get him to do certain activities. I think he says “No” because of years of repeated failure at learning reading and writing, he probably thinks, “What’s the point?”
I have wondered about multi-sensory strategies that incorporate his interests, eg writing letters or sounds in the soil with a stick, or making them out of clay. Also, sitting on an exercise ball so he could bounce while doing homework or trying to read.
Do you think he would need to sort of “go back to the beginning” and learn sounds using phonemic awareness in order to fill in the gaps in his understanding?
I know of Orton-Gillingham though not sure if there’s a program that uses British English spelling.
Or do you think a more context- based approach might be more successful at engaging him if it used non-fiction texts that revolved around his interests: space, technology, inventions, construction, welding, pranks(!), Engineering.
Where could I find non-fiction texts that uses lower grade words but still maintained 5th grade concepts and ideas? From my searches, there seem to be a lot of early readers but the content is too baby-ish for him and would be very off-putting.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
There are a ton of Facebook groups that might be able to answer some of these questions better than I can. I generally work with lower elementary students and most of my suggestions would be appropriate for students through third grade. Plus in a discussion group you’ll get many answers from other parents or caregivers who have direct experience with their own children going through similar difficulties.
Thank you for making me feel better. I received my daughters report card and it said she is not reading at grade level. I feel like the worst mom ever! I have to say I feel like I am partly to blame. I am a working mom like many and by the time I get home there is not enough time to cover everything and she does not practice as much as she should. Any suggestions?
Read to her as much as you can and take a look at getting some audiobooks, like those through Audible. If she listens to good stories it will not only motivate to love reading but also help her with reading comprehension.
Good article. I too am a Kindergarten teacher . I find it very frustrating that in our education system there is so much pressure placed on 4 1/2 to 5 yo to learn how to read, and quite proficiently mind you, by the end of Kinder. We forget they are children and there is no research that I’ve found that surmises that they will be left behind for the rest of their school life. Utterly ridiculous. Let them play and discover.
I feel like I could have written this. I used to be a Kindergarten teacher. My daughter is now in kindergarten and everything you wrote about your son is what I’m going through with my daughter, right down to doing great in math and being curious and thoughtful. Yet, she still cannot read. I’ve been inconsistent. I’ve been resistant to putting her on a program at home, though I have everything she would need right here. I want her to love school. I want her to love reading. Well, now she’s the lowest reader in class and I think it has started to embarrass her. My wild child, who loves to dig up dirt, play with bugs and climb everything without a care in the world is becoming self-conscious. Of course I’m questioning myself. I’m beginning to put her on a schedule with me. I’m praying I find the right balance because I love my wild girl.
There is a lot of discussion about reading and making children read at an early stage. I know children who didn’t have any material to read as children but then when they grew up they had become avid readers. Today’s world is under constant pressure to perform and WIN. Early reading definitely can make children better at reading but every child has it’s time to perform.
I am concerned about my nephew with regard to learning his letters. One day he will recognize a letter, and later in the day, he has to be “retaught” a letter that I was sure he had mastered. He will be 6 this month and has just started Kindergarten.
Should I be concerned? What can I do to help him?
The best thing to do is talk to his teacher about your concerns and stay in contact with him or her about your son. Kids make so much growth over their kindergarten and first-grade years.
To help, expose him to good literature a lot of read alouds and time enjoying good books. As you’re reading, point out words and letters. Play games to see if he can find all of a certain letter on a page, etc. Just make learning fun.
I really appreciated reading this. My 5 year old son is going into grade 1 and when I asked him if he is looking forward to it…he simply replied “no, because I can not read a book yet”. My heart broke for him in that moment, but as you mentioned, I am taking some small steps with sight word flash cards and letter sounds etc…to help him feel a little bit more confident. I too have stressed to him all of the things he CAN do, so that he does not focus solely on the negative, but he still seems to feel a sense of failure about not learning to read in kindergarten.
I am alarmed that children these days seem to be shouldering a lot more pressure educationally, at such young ages. My little guy should be excited about going back to school and making the leap to 1st grade…not have anxiety about his learning before he even gets there.
My daughter is six years old and in Kindergarten. Sight words and phonics were just introduced to her three months ago. She struggles to be at the pace of her other peers who had so much more introduction to developing sight words . Her teacher has recommended for my daughter to get testing for a learning disability but I feel confuse as my daughter does very well in math, she’s able to follow directions, can stay still, does imaginative play and I see her progress so much. But
She’s extremely shy and lacks confidence, I know for fact she won’t answer all the questions if she’s given a test.
What should I do? Should I test my child for learning
Disability.
Sofia
It’s really hard to watch our children struggle in areas that are difficult for them. Talk with the teacher. See what her concerns are regarding your daughter and make a decision together about the best way to move forward. The right early intervention is great for students who are struggling in the classroom. At the same time be sure to hold onto her love of being read to and listening to stories. Help her to love school and enjoy being there, despite the struggle with reading.
As a mom first, educator second, this article really eases my nerves. My son turned 5 last week and starts K this coming Monday. We took an extremely relaxed approach towards this summer and now I’m thinking “oh jeeze, why didn’t we do more [enter frivolous, anti-boy development related activity here].” Like you and your son, I can’t take that time developing his own self-awareness away from him. But I’m torn going into the school year, because I want him to know early on that doing well in school is important.
Thanks for the article.
I was just scrolling as we often do an the title just stood out to me. Granted I was just having a panic attack about 4 weeks into kindergarten year an the lack of effort and battles on my little dudes part. Your words just touched my heart and soul. I was not looking at the whole picture. You could have described my son down to the T and added motorbikes. My husband and I have never pushed because there was no interest. We were more concerned about kinetics, mathematics and being outside. After reflection not all kids fit in the box so to speak. In the future I plan to take more creative scope and gear that towards our sessions. Fingers crossed I too can figure out how to unlock the puzzle that my son holds the master key to! It will happen when He is ready and not a moment sooner. 😉
Thank you for your wonderful article!
I’ve come back to this post 4 or 5 times in the last year. It’s literally reassuring me that my son will be okay. He’s struggled with reading since preschool and had zero interest in learning anything in a classroom. But he knows a million random animal facts and excels in math. Reading bores him and he just doesn’t want to do it. Thank you for the peace and guidance!
Thank you so much for your article! We are having the same problems with our son and it has been frustrating getting him to focus.
I read your blog with interest. You mentioned that you could have provided your son with reading instruction and that he asked you to teach him to read but that you did not. Why not? Reading is a critical skill! Once students have learned to read they can read to learn.
In order for our children to remain competitive in the world it is important that early literacy is strong and mastered at an early stage. They need highly developed literacy skills when they enter today’s workplace in addition to other life skills not one does not replace the other. Plently of boys enjoy school! Do they have to learn that there is a work time and a play time? Of course! That is an important life skill! I worry that the recitence I see in educatiors and parents to teach kids the academic skills they need and overly worry about pushing them a little is going to leave American students further and furthter behind. Yes students need to play and have down time. If they are behind in reading then we need to help them catch up otherwise they will get further behind. There is so much worry about self-esteeem these days! Graduating from a postseconday program builds self-esteem as does having a paycheck and being self-sufficient. Providing schooling for a child who is behind helps them to catch up and access information that will fuel their interests not stamp them out.
If you’ll recall, this is what I said in the post, “In August of this past school year [kindergarten], my son asked me to teach him to read. If only it were that simple. I think he expected to learn how to read quickly and it was something I could teach him easily, like within a day or two.” This was August of his Kindergarten year. I knew before he started Kindergarten that he would have reading difficulty. I wasn’t aware of how much difficulty until mid-way through third grade. At that time, we hired an outside tutor who has since labeled him as “profoundly dyslexic”. While I did teach him how to read, which you can see in this follow-up post, I (even as a credentialed teacher who taught many K-2 students to read) struggled to teach my dyslexic son to read. He needed more than I could give him.
We chose to develop his oral comprehension skills and develop his love for stories. He LOVES listening to audiobooks and can recall minute details. He still cannot read well, but he has made a ton of progress. His timeline is different. He is using a specific program designed for people with dyslexia. It teaches specific rules and focuses on the rules before the fluency and practice. He has done so well with it and has made HUGE strides. Is he done? No. But he has done well.
I also chose not to provide my son with reading instruction because he was going to kindergarten for many hours a day. When he got home he was exhausted. While I could have done more, he wasn’t ready for it. I paid attention to his signs and his ability to process everything. He wasn’t ready to do the intense reading work that needed to be done, yet. I have often asked myself if we had started earlier if things would be different. Maybe. It’s hard to figure out what could have happened if I had gone down a different pathway. I knew that he was not at a place to receive the instruction and we had other anxiety-related issues to work through before we could work on his reading issues. I *think* that if we had started earlier with reading instruction, we would likely be at the same place we are now. He was ready when he was ready.
All this to say . . . pay attention to your kids. Yes, the goal is that they can grow up to be competent adults who have a “paycheck and are self-sufficient”. We now homeschool to provide flexibility and focus to reach that goal. While my (now 4th-grade son) is not reading at grade level, his vocabulary and articulation on some things are way beyond his years. In other ways, he is still below grade level. Reading and academic learning will always be a difficulty for him, but he has other talents in which he excels. His “job” will play to his strengths and downplay his deficits, as it is with all of us. We gravitate to jobs and careers that give us joy and in which we sense that we have success. During his early years of learning, I don’t want to destroy his love of learning, love of stories, and talent in art to pursue things that are not meaningful to him. Does he need to learn to read? Yes. Does it need to be on the same timeline as traditional kids, no.
This blog post was written at the end of my son’s kindergarten year. He is now at the end of his fourth-grade year. I would not have changed his pathway. It is just what he needed.
I am literally in the same shoes. I am a 6th grade English teacher with a kindergartener who can’t read and really has no interest to. He is amazing in so many other ways, just as you listed. I found myself Googling this morning “how to help your child who is behind on reading in kindergarten.” I appreciate you writing this post and making me feel a little better about it. I don’t remember reading in Kindergarten, but I remember leaps and bounds of change in first grade. I figure it will click when he is ready.
Can you help me understand what phonics has to do with reading? I don’t get why phonics based instruction is important, like sounding out the words? It’s not like there’s a voice in our heads that speaks words silently to us as we read, that would be crazy. So why is it taught that way? Is this why some people talk out loud to themselves as they read? Do they actually start to connect reading to sounds? And how can you prevent that? I feel like reading out loud impairs comprehension as you focus more on the sound than on the actual reading. Once you get the actual concept that the words on the page have the same meaning as the words you verbalize, what’s the benefit to continue to connect these processes? Is it actually normal to associate words with sounds, am I weird for not doing that?? What if there is a whole group of people out there who hears words in their heads??? Can you help me understand this process? Thanks!
As an adult, no you likely don’t associate sounds with the words you read. If you come to a word you don’t know you may use some of your sound-spelling knowledge to figure it out. Phonics has to do with learning how to read. If you’ve already learning how to read, you don’t depend on your phonics knowledge until you come to words you don’t know. For further research on learning to read, take a look at the National Reading Panel Report. It’s a good summary of research on this topic.
Great article. My wife and I can really relate with the experience we had with our son. By winter break, he had made little to no progress with reading and we were helping him after school. Long story short, reading was not that interesting to him, he would rather be playing with something else, etc.
Hello
Thank you so much for your advice. I have a smart 6 year old boy that simply decided not to read. Maybe he is bord being home or bord with the teaching routine. Some days I give him a short day. Not every kid learns at the same pace. He is really knowledgeable about science and math but English is a struggle. Thank you for your quick response. I tell him lets keep Tracking learning words like a train.
01/13/2021
I agree with you in so many ways! My first grader she loves to learn and used to love doing her homework has now become uninterested in it. They have the same homework everyday. They read a book, they are timed on sight words that they havent even learned , then is crammed with learning 10 to 12 spelling words Everyday after being at school allday. I feel like i am cramming stuff in my childs head and not actually teaching her. It is hurting her more than helping her. Thank you for your page.