What age should kids learn to read
Learning to read: What age is the "right" age?
Some kids just “get” how to read, while others struggle for years. When should parents worry?
Photo: Tony Lanz
Jenna Levinson* was reading fluently by the age of four.
“I remember I was wearing an Earth Day T-shirt with a picture of a globe on it,” recalls her mom, Stephanie. “And she said to me, ‘Why does your shirt say, “Love your mother?”’ I was pretty surprised. We hadn’t ever tried to teach her to read.”
Jenna’s younger sister, Sadie, has taken a decidedly different route toward literacy. Well into second grade, the seven-year-old “is just starting to be able to read a simple book out loud to me,” says Levinson, who lives in Winnipeg. “She’s progressing, but she still guesses a lot, struggles with vowel sounds, mixes up her Ds and Bs—things like that.”
Levinson says she’s read constantly to both kids since babyhood. “Jenna would listen to as many books as you wanted to read to her, and Sadie would grab the book and throw it across the room. ” Watching her daughters’ radically different approaches to literacy has left her, like many parents, wondering if there’s something innate that helps some kids pick up the ability to read easily and if there’s a “right” age to learn how to read.
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Experts say no. “The brain isn’t naturally hard-wired to read in the way that it’s wired to speak or listen,” explains Bev Brenna, an education professor at the University of Saskatchewan who specializes in literacy education. There simply isn’t one age where kids can or should be reading—despite the deeply ingrained North American ideal that children learn to read in first grade, around age six.
“There’s actually no evidence to support that belief,” says Carol Leroy, director of the Reading and Language Centre at the University of Alberta. Attaining literacy is, rather, a very gradual process. It begins with infants playing with or even chewing on board books and being read to by parents or caregivers, and continues through to independent reading.
While some kids, like Jenna, seem to pick it up on their own, most need to be taught how to make sense of those squiggles on the page. And some kids take longer than others to do so.
Home-schooler Sue Holloway, for example, tried to teach her older son, Walker, when he was seven. “I got a ‘learning to read’ book, and he hated it. We fought about it a lot, and I finally just let it go,” says Holloway, who lives in South Gillies, Ont. Two years later, Walker began reading independently. “I have no idea how he figured it out, but he did, and now he really loves to read and does so every night.” Holloway’s younger son, Rowan, is still trying to get the hang of reading at the age of eight. But home-schooling gives them the luxury of being able to learn at their own pace. And Holloway says she often hears of home-schooled kids learning to read at about age nine—and going on to complete high school and attend university without any negative effects.
For kids who attend school, the stakes are different. Even if there’s no biologically correct age to read, students who aren’t reading according to a school’s timetable can fall behind and experience distress as a result. If the gap between slower readers and their peers isn’t identified and dealt with early on, it can widen over time and lead to other issues.
“Kids who aren’t reading can’t participate, because they don’t understand the basic mechanics and, therefore, can’t understand what the other children are doing,” says Leroy. And if you don’t understand the basics, you can’t point out the last word of the sentence when asked or circle all the words that start with S. In gym class, a slow reader may struggle to figure out which sign to line up behind if he wants to play soccer or skip. “Around grade two or three, they start to become really conscious of their reading—they can lose their confidence, stop taking risks, become afraid of being teased,” says Leroy.
“That’s where we start to get behaviour issues; some kids will withdraw or stir up trouble to avoid reading, because it’s so painful for them.”
The effects can last well beyond grade school, says Chicago literacy expert Timothy Shanahan, author of the blog Shanahan on Literacy. A British study released in 2013, for example, showed that children’s literacy and math levels at age seven were predictive of their overall earnings at the age of 42.
Fortunately, says Brenna, today’s teachers are trained to recognize and accommodate the needs of kids at all levels, so everyone can learn. They might use strategies like choral reading—where all the kids in the class read out loud together—or reading back stories they’ve dictated to the teacher.
Any classroom will typically contain students with a wide range of reading levels, says Leroy. The rule of thumb, she says, is to double the grade to get the range. “So in third grade, there could be six years’ difference between the lowest and the highest level of readers in the class.
Similarly, in a first-grade classroom, there’s bound to be at least one kid without any reading skills and at least one kid who’s reading independently.”
So what’s a parent of a late reader to do? Be vigilant, but don’t panic, say all three experts. If you think your child is struggling with reading or isn’t getting the help he or she needs, says Shanahan, the first step is to talk to the teacher—don’t hesitate to bring up the subject and brainstorm strategies for supporting reading. If you’re still concerned after meeting with the teacher, says Brenna, ask for a referral to another member of the school’s or the board’s team, such as a special education teacher or speech-language pathologist. “A team approach is often very helpful in developing an action plan for literacy, and most students respond well to additional supports at the school level,” says Brenna. Your child’s doctor, as well as speech-language pathologists and educational psychologists, can also help to create a support plan.
Above all, say the experts, don’t push, because it will turn reading into a power struggle. “The biggest priority has to be how the child feels about reading,” says Leroy. “So entice kids by making it fun.” And be reassured by the fact that many kids who are slow to pick it up become lifelong book lovers.
If your child isn’t reading at grade level by the end of grade three, Leroy says you should investigate whether she is struggling with other subjects, create a plan with the teacher and discuss having a thorough assessment. In some cases, the delay may be caused by an underlying condition.
“I kept hearing, ‘She’s going at her own pace,’ or ‘She’s behind, but I’m not worried yet,’” recalls Toronto mom Jessica Miller* about her daughter Sabrina’s lagging reading skills in first and second grade. When Sabrina’s school didn’t take action by the end of grade two, Miller and her husband paid to have Sabrina tested privately—and found out that she is dyslexic.
Miller’s first grader, Gavin, isn’t showing any signs of delayed reading, but she’s adamant that she will have him tested at the first sign of any trouble: “I’m not falling for, ‘He’s in the range.’”
Levinson, meanwhile, is doing whatever she can to make reading enjoyable for Sadie. “She loves making up stories and dictating them to me, and will happily read those out loud,” she says. “We get library books on whatever she’s interested in—mummies, wizards, jewellery making. We’ve done treasure hunts at the grocery store and word searches. I have literally done reading time with her sitting on my shoulders.”
That’s the right approach, says Leroy. “If a kid wants to stand on his head while he reads—if he wants you to stand on your head while he reads—do it. With children this age, we forget how much they’re in control of their own learning already.”
Online resources:
ABRACADABRA is a free language and reading program developed at Concordia University in Montreal.
Kids can use the “light” version, which contains activities for teaching comprehension and fluency. abralite.concordia.ca
Saskatchewan Reads, created by Saskatchewan’s provincial reading team, is a user-friendly site with strategies and resources for teaching primary students to read. saskatchewanreads.wordpress.com
Read more:
15 creative ways to get kids reading (that really work!)
Essential tips for teaching kids to read
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FILED UNDER: app-school-age Books Family Literacy Day June 2015 Mcdonalds2018 Reading
When Do Kids Learn to Read?
By Tara Drinks
At a glance
Learning to read is a process that involves different skills.
Kids start to learn to read at different ages.
Some kids need extra help learning how to read.
Learning to read is a process that involves different language skills. It happens over time, so it’s hard to say exactly when kids learn to read. To some people, reading means being able to sound out words and recognize words that can’t be sounded out. To others, reading means being able to read and understand sentences and text.
Learning to read is different for every child. Some kids start to learn to read in daycare or preschool. Others start gaining the skills in kindergarten or first grade. Read on to learn more.
At what age do kids learn to read?
Kids develop reading skills at their own pace. And some kids learn earlier and more quickly than others. Here’s what reading typically looks like at different ages:
- By age 2, kids often start to recite the words to their favorite books. They also start to answer questions about what they see in books.
- In preschool, kids typically start to recognize about half the letters of the alphabet. They also start to notice words that rhyme.
- In kindergarten, kids often start matching letters to sounds. They also start to recognize some words by sight without having to sound them out.
- By second grade, most kids can sound out and recognize words and can read and understand sentences. Most people consider this as having learned to read.
Keep in mind that every child is different. Not all kids develop reading skills at the same rate. Taking longer doesn’t mean they’re not on track to become good readers.
Why kids might have trouble learning to read
Learning how to read can be challenging for some kids. But that doesn’t mean they’re not smart. They just may need extra time and support to become full-fledged readers.
There are many reasons why kids have trouble learning to read. Some have a hard time understanding how language works.
For example, they may struggle with recognizing sounds in words or matching sounds to letters.
In some cases, the type of reading instruction plays a role. Learn more about what can cause trouble with reading.
What helps kids learn to read
Practicing at home can help kids improve reading skills. Here are some ideas parents and caregivers can try and teachers can suggest:
- Make reading a habit. Kids learn from what they observe. Try reading a book together every night before bedtime.
- Play reading games. While running errands, have kids read the road signs out loud. Or play rhyming games together.
- Have conversations. Talk about things you’re seeing or feeling and ask questions so kids can do the same. This helps build the language skills kids need to be strong readers.
Get more ideas to help kids with reading.
Key takeaways
By second grade, many kids can read and understand sentences.
Play reading games and have conversations to help kids learn to read.
Learning to read can be challenging for some kids, but that doesn’t mean they’re not smart.
Related topics
Reading and writing
Tell us what interests you
About the author
About the author
Tara Drinks is an associate editor at Understood.
Reviewed by
Reviewed by
Elizabeth Babbin, EdD is an instructional specialist at Lower Macungie Middle School in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
methods of teaching reading to the first grade
When to teach a child to read
There are early development studios where children are taught to read from the first years of life. However, pediatricians do not recommend rushing and advise starting learning to read no earlier than 4 years old, best of all - at 5–6. By this age, most children already distinguish sounds well, can correctly compose sentences and pronounce words.
Therefore, most often parents think about how to teach their child to read, already on the eve of school.
How to know if your child is ready to learn to read
Before you start teaching your child to read, you need to make sure that the child is ready and wants to learn. To do this, try to answer the following questions:
- Does the child know the concepts of “right-left”, “big-small”, “inside-outside”?
- Can he generalize objects according to these characteristics?
- Can he distinguish between similar and dissimilar forms?
- Is he able to remember and execute at least three instructions?
- Does he form phrases correctly?
- Does he pronounce words clearly?
- Can he retell a story he heard or experienced?
- Can he formulate his feelings and impressions?
- Can you predict the ending of a simple story?
- Does he manage to participate in the dialogue?
- Can he listen without interrupting?
- Can he rhyme words?
- Do the letters attract his attention?
- Does the child have a desire to independently look at the book?
- Does he like being read aloud to him?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, your child is ready and will soon learn to read correctly.
Methods for teaching reading
Most of the methods involve learning while playing, so that the child is not bored and learns knowledge better.
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Zaitsev's Cubes
For more than twenty years, these cubes have been introducing children to letters and teaching how to form words and syllables. They allow you to understand how vowels and consonants, deaf and voiced sounds differ. There are 52 cubes in total, each of which depicts warehouses (combinations of a consonant and a vowel). The cubes vary in color and size, the large ones depict hard warehouses, while the small ones are soft. During classes, parents are encouraged to pronounce or sing warehouses so that the child remembers them better.
K Zaitsev's ubikiSource: moya-lyalyas.ru
Vyacheslav Voskobovich's "towers" and "folds"
windows. You can put cubes in them to make syllables. And from several towers you can make a word.
Voskobovich's "towers"Source: catalog-chess.
ru Skladushki is a book with pictures, educational rhymes and songs. Parents sing them and in parallel show the warehouses in the pictures. The author of the methodology claims that a child of six years old can be taught to read in a month using "folds".
A page from V. Voskobovich's "folds"
Doman's cards
This method of teaching a child to read is based on memorizing whole words, from simple to more complex. First, the child masters the first 15 cards, which the parent shows him for 1-2 seconds and pronounces the words on them. Then the child tries to memorize phrases. This technique helps not only to learn more words, but also develops memory well in general.
Doman cardsSource: friendly-life.ru/kartochki-domana-dlya-samyh-malenkih
Maria Montessori's method of teaching reading
The essence of the Montessori method is that the child is first asked to feel the writing of a letter, and then pronounce it.
For this, didactic materials are used - cardboard plates with pasted letters, the outline of which the child traces with his finger, naming the sound. After studying consonants and vowels, you can move on to words and phrases. The Montessori method not only helps to learn to read, but also develops fine motor skills, logic, and the ability to analyze.
Source: hendmeid.guru
Olga Soboleva's technique
The author of this technique believes that you need to start learning not from the abstract alphabet, but immediately in practice - by analyzing simple texts. The Soboleva program allows you to teach a child to read from the age of five - at this age, children are already able to keep their attention on a line of text. Different approaches are offered depending on how it is easier for a child to perceive the world - by eye, by ear or by touch. In addition to reading skills, the technique develops interest in creativity, imagination, attention and memory.
How to teach a child to read by syllables
Teaching a child to read by syllables should be done in stages. First, explain to him that sounds are vowels and consonants, deaf and voiced. Say them with the child - he must understand how they differ. Letters and sounds can be learned while walking: draw your child's attention to the letters on signs and announcements, and soon he will learn to recognize them.
When the child has mastered the letters and sounds, start teaching him to read simple words - "mom", "dad". Then move on to more complex ones - “grandmother”, “dog”, “apartment”. Show your child that syllables can be sung.
Syllabary for learning to read
Next, move on to word formation. You can cut cards with syllables and invite the child to make words out of them. When he gets comfortable, move on to reading short texts. It is better to start with two or three phrases, and a little later switch to texts of five to ten sentences.
To enroll in Foxford Online Elementary School, a child must have at least basic reading, numeracy and writing skills. To check the readiness of the child for school, we offer to pass a small test that does not require special preparation.
Source: freepik.com
Exercises for learning to read
There are many exercises on the Internet that help children learn to read, you can print them out and start learning right away. Start with exercises that teach you to recognize letters and tell correct spellings from incorrect spellings.
From O. Zhukova's manual “Learning to read. Simple Exercises.Source: mishka-knizhka.ru
When the child gets used to the letters, move on to the exercises for syllables. For example, like this:
Geometric hint exercise. For greater clarity, blocks with words can be cut out.
Such exercises not only teach reading, but also develop logical thinking well:
Gradually move on to exercises where you need not only to read correctly, but also write words:
One of the most difficult and entertaining exercises is fillords: you need to find and cross out the words on the field of letters.
Games for learning to read
With the help of cubes or cards with letters and syllables, you can play different educational games with your child. Let's take a few examples.
Garages
Take a word of 3-4 syllables and place the cards in random order on the floor. Explain to the child how these syllables are read. These will be garages. Give the child different toys and offer to send them to the garage as you wish: for example, the car goes to the TA garage, the bear goes to the RA garage, the ball rolls to the KE garage, and so on. Make sure your child is positioning the toys correctly. At the end of the game, invite the child to make a word from garage syllables. Perhaps not the first time, but he will get a "ROCKET". Gradually introduce new syllables into the game.
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Store
Lay out images of various goods on the table - this is a store, and you are a seller. Give your child a stack of cards with syllables - they will function as money.
The child needs to buy all the items in the store, but each item is only sold for the syllable it starts with. For example, fish can only be bought for the syllable "RY", milk - for the syllable "MO", and so on. Give your child a few extra cards to make the task more difficult. When he gets used to it, change the conditions of the game: for example, sell goods not for the first, but for the last syllables. The game is both simple and complex: it will allow the child to understand that words are not always spelled the way they are pronounced. After all, a cow cannot be bought for the syllable "KA", for example.
Lotto
Game for several people. Give the children several cards with syllables. Take out the cubes with syllables one by one from the box and announce them. Whoever has a card with such a syllable - he takes it. The first person to complete all the cards wins. During the game, children will accurately remember the syllables that they had on their hands.
Summary
Finally, a few more tips on how to teach a child to read:
- It is better to start teaching children to read by memorizing letters.
It is important that the child can recognize and name them without hesitation. - In the early stages, pronounce the consonants as they are read in words: not [em], [el], [de], but [m], [l], [d] - this way it will be easier for the child to find his bearings.
- Sculpt letters from plasticine, draw and color, buy an alphabet with voice acting - use all the channels of the child's perception.
- Gradually build letters into syllables and then into words. Play rearranging letters and syllables, let the child experiment.
- Teach your child rhymes about the letters of the alphabet, look at the primer, use cards with letters and pictures. Thanks to the illustrations, the child will be able to memorize the symbols faster.
- Distribute the load: fifteen minutes a day is better than an hour twice a week. Alternate entertaining and serious tasks.
- You can hang signs with their names on objects in the child's room - the child will quickly learn to recognize them in texts.
- Read aloud regularly to your child and gradually introduce them to independent reading. Every evening, offer to read at least a few lines from a well-known book on your own.
- Lead by example. For a child to want to learn to read, he must regularly see you with a book.
We hope that our recommendations will help you teach your preschooler to read. Even if your child is just learning to read, at Foxford Elementary School he will be able to improve his skills.
At what age should a child be able to read
04/01/2021
The ability to read is one of the basic social skills of a person. Without it, it is impossible to receive and transmit information, therefore this skill should be developed in every person. Modern parents strive to teach their child to read as early as possible, so that by the time they start learning, they already have some knowledge base. So when should a child start doing this?
Content:
- When we start
- Learning Too Early - Why It's Harmful
- What the experts say
- Is it possible to instill a love of reading
- Choosing a teaching method
- Are there any downsides to learning to read at home
- Some important details
When we start
Experts do not have a common opinion about teaching children to read early, and neither do parents.
Someone thinks that a child should get basic reading skills even before entering school: this will make it easier to adapt to the educational process. Others are sure that a teacher in the 1st grade should teach a child to read, since an unnecessarily early start to school is harmful for children: let them enjoy their childhood for now.
Learning too early - why it is harmful
The development of a child's cognitive abilities follows certain patterns, certain stages, it is undesirable to change or accelerate it, and often it is completely impossible. Until the age of five, children think figuratively - in pictures, and it is difficult for them to perceive information in the form of letters, numbers or other signs. And even having understood the general principle of reading, little students read, but they cannot understand the essence of what is written.
Learning to read early can lead to health problems:
- excessive brain tension;
- unusual blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres;
- visual strain.
Intensive classes can unbalance the development of different types of thinking in a child: the emphasis will be placed on the logical, and the figurative will be “abandoned”. Yes, the child will become better at remembering, speaking, analyzing, thinking logically, but the development of the right hemisphere will be slowed down, and in fact it is responsible for no less important dreams, emotions, understanding of music and color. The emotional development of the baby will be somewhat retarded, and at an older age it can respond with serious problems in the form of:
- lack of ability to empathize with others;
- difficulties with the correct understanding of their emotions;
- inability to identify one's strengths and weaknesses;
- difficulties with understanding one's own and social values;
- isolation and uncertainty.
It is known that many geeks are developed from early childhood, but most often, growing up, they do not have happiness and are poorly adapted to the realities of the world around them.
Therefore, it is more important to raise a socially adapted person from a child than to teach him to read too early.
What the experts say
Psychologists, psychophysiologists and other experts recommend starting to teach a preschooler to read not earlier than he is 5 years old, but at the same time he must be ready to learn. They say about it:
A healthy five-year-old child usually has all of these skills. And at this age it is time to get acquainted with letters and sounds, then by the time of admission to grade 1, the child will master reading at a sufficient level.
Is it possible to instill a love for reading
It is not enough to teach a child to read - he still needs to instill a love for this occupation. View your favorite books and read them, study the illustrations, get acquainted with the adventures of the characters. It is important that older family members show the child that reading is an amazing learning opportunity, and not a hateful duty. It will be useful if the child saw people with books in his close circle, then, imitating them, he himself will want to plunge into the world of literature.
The first reading lessons should be conducted in the format of a game: in this way the material will be absorbed by the child easier and better, the child will not have time to lose concentration during the lesson, and avoid stressful experiences.
Choosing a teaching method
Today there are many methods to teach a child to read, it is important to choose the one that suits your child.
Perhaps the most popular method is classes in the classical alphabet (the alphabet itself can be developed by any author).
The kid quickly remembers the letter, as it will now be associated with a certain picture. Later, you can move on to another well-known book - the primer and study reading by syllables from it.
Many techniques are based on the use of cubes or tablets. They are convenient and interesting, but are often criticized by school teachers. It is believed that such training misses a very important component - basic familiarity with the alphabet.
The most famous of these methods are:
- Zaitsev's cubes - the emphasis is on making syllables from individual letters and words from syllables, understanding vowels, unvoiced and voiced, hard and soft consonants.
- Chaplygin cubes - training not only allows you to compose syllables and words, but also develops fine motor skills, and this will have a beneficial effect on the overall development of the child;
- Glen Doman cards - learning is based on the use of visual memory: syllables and words are printed on cards, and the child remembers their spelling;
- "Skladushki" by Voskobovich - 21 cards with syllables, from which you can build houses with whole words.
The Montessori method is another well-known teaching option. Toddlers first master the letter, then move on to getting to know the letters, and then learn to read the syllables.
Are there any downsides to learning to read at home? In addition, at home, parents usually miss such an important part of the lesson as the sound analysis of the word, and the child may also have difficulty breaking down words into syllables. It is not easy to correct this mistake later, therefore it is better to immediately entrust a professional teacher to teach the child to read and write. It can be either a private tutor or a teacher of preparatory courses before the first grade - such classes are held today in literally every school.
A few important details
If you decide to teach your child to read at home, it is important to follow a few rules. All studies should be built on the principle “From simple to complex”, that is, you first need to learn letters and sounds, then you can start to compose them into syllables and only then move on to whole words.
