When was/is your 1st child can begin to read English?

[1amber]

deminc:

1amber:

My DD hates rote learning too so flash cards and repeating not very helpful. Could you please share more about the spatial visual issue.

Visual-spatial is a learning style, it is not a problem or issue. My kid is a VS learner, with vision issues (the irony!). They think in images and usually prefer multisensory learning. On the VS side, he can read and write words upside down and mirror image, which may sound great but makes early learning really difficult e.g. b,p,d are all the same, \"was\" and \"saw\" are the same, \"it\" and \"ti\" are the same. The other learning style is auditory-sequential. The learning styles run on a continuum, and children can adapt to an extent. But if you can find something that clicks well with your child, the learning process will be much smoother and fruitful. Classrooms are usually more suited to auditary-sequential learners especially for languages.

If you think your child is a hands-on person, you can incorporate manipulatives - wooden or magnetic letters, playdough, writing in sand etc. I used manipulatives with a reading programme called Reading Reflex for my child and it taught him how to read very quickly at a time when his vision issues were still a big factor.

You can go through the Dolch words list with your child, picking out words that you think are of special interest to your child.

They can learn to read or spell by using these manipulatives. You can expand this with word cards later for sentence forming though I only did that for Chinese.

Once they are reading you can choose books that will engage them. I would ask ds to read a page or two, and in return, I will read the next two chapters to him. The key is regular practice with interesting materials.

Because my son had vision issues, I was very protective of his eyesight and he started late (well, by local standards) for all formal academics, including seatwork. I know so many kids are reading at such a young age now, but if yours doesn't, I really feel it's ok to let them go at their pace, and nurture other aspects of their beings in the early years. Just read regularly to them to ensure they have a good spoken vocabulary, and spend time talking to them and doing interesting things with them.

Thanks for yor advice. I agree that we should let kids go at their pace and work with their style of learning. I would also add their personality style should be taken into account as well. In the end, we want our kids to be as happy as they can be! Be who they are.

[cnimed]

no great advice, just sharing experience. All I know is my son was not, and cannot be, an early reader, and the teaching methods commonly used in classrooms and enrichment classes do not work for him at all. And if I had that expectation, we would both had been miserable and anxious, especially since he is also a very sensitive child. I'm sure there are many other children like him.

[daddy2007]

deminc:

And if I had that expectation, we would both had been miserable and anxious, especially since he is also a very sensitive child. I'm sure there are many other children like him.

Eventually the kid will learn how to read when they reach primary school. For those early reader, it is just a bonus

[1amber]

In one school I know, children are assessed in P1. If they can’t read esp high frequency words, they will be given extra ‘lessons’. PVs will help with these 2 programs (low ability and very low ability readers). In a way, kids need to be able to read before P1.

[markfch]

Whoa, most kids here reads at pre-nursery. Impressive. I can’t really remember, but I think my ds only starts reading at mid-K2, starting with those Enid blyton hardcover fairy tale books.

[snowman.022851697]

My Sis (3 this year, turning 4 on Christmas eve) started reading from 20 months. I rmb my dad introduced her to lessons then. Now she’s attending pap playgrp and can read simple sentences. Oh yes and I sometimes teach her as well (;