6 year reading ability

[momma2beaugirls]

I have the feeling that my 6.5 year old dd is a little behind on reading and writing. She can do Dick and Jane books with some help but that's about where her reading skills are. She still has some issues with writing the alphabet correctly .She does several letters backwards even though I bought her a chart that shows how to correctly write them. She is also that way with numbers, does 7 and 9 backwards most of the time. Is that normal at this age? 

[meemee]

this is first grade right. 

the K and first grade yeah its pretty normal to mix up letters and numbers. v. common. 

if she will be going to second grade then yes dick and jane levels are a little behind. 

dick and jane are kinda early part of first grade level.

also with many kids - they dont seem interested in reading age till they are in first or second grade. 

[GoBecGo]

My DD is 6, going into primary 2 in August (we're in Scotland in the UK).

She just sat by me and read a Dr Seuss book aloud to DD2 (2yo) - One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, which i think is a blue back..?  Anyway she is very familiar with it already and read it slowly but clearly without much stumbling.

At school we do Oxford Reading Tree and she's just finished level 5, though TBH she sailed through them all with complete ease, i think she could do level 7 or even 8 if they'd split the class into abilities (they do that this year).

She often writes letters and sometimes numbers back to front, especially if she's rushing.

[momma2beaugirls]

Originally Posted by meemee 

this is first grade right. 

the K and first grade yeah its pretty normal to mix up letters and numbers. v. common. 

if she will be going to second grade then yes dick and jane levels are a little behind. 

dick and jane are kinda early part of first grade level.

also with many kids - they dont seem interested in reading age till they are in first or second grade. 

Yes she is going into first grade this fall.

[~cassie]

I think that is perfect!  My son went into first grade being able to read very simple words, sight read colors, numbers, and the connector words(no idea what the real term is) like and, but, if.  During first grade, he still wrote somethings backwards, even towards the end of the year and my niece who is the same age did the same.  As first grade progressed, he learned to read level 1 books and level 2s as well.  He is absolutely right on track for where he needs to be and is entering 2nd grade this year.  First grade he picked up a lot of reading skills. Right now, he is an "average" reader and doesn't really enjoy it right now so it isn't something he gets a lot of practice on other than him and I taking turns reading simpler books.

[pbjmama]

Reversing numbers and letters is typical at this age. She will work it out. My ds is going into first and is slightly ahead of her level. I would work on it as she is willing. I wasn't a 'good' reader until late 2nd grade.
 

[The4OfUs]

My son reversed b/d, p/q, and many numbers up through the last months of second grade when it seems to have now largely resolved.  He used to mirror write so we weren't surprised.  My just turned 6-yo daughter still reverses letters sometimes, too.

I know in both my kids' classes, there was a wide range of reading leveling going on and that some kids just needed to click and find the right books and interest topics, and they took off.  Still, not every person is into reading.  Some people are more hands on/physical/kinetic.  I'd have things available, offer a lot, and trust your instincts.  If you think it's just not her thing, then I'd try to focus on what her interests are and find books that relate to that to motivate her more.  If you think something else is going on, I'd consider an evaluation to get her some more support. 

Good luck!

[Coco_Hikes]

Originally Posted by ~cassie 

I think that is perfect!  My son went into first grade being able to read very simple words, sight read colors, numbers, and the connector words(no idea what the real term is) like and, but, if.  .

"And," "but," "if," etc., are conjunctions, as in "Conjunction Junction, what's your function?" http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Conjunction.html.

[LynnS6]

If she's going into first grade, she's perfectly fine. It sounds like she's got some good sight words. Much of first grade is devoted to learning reading.

My daughter was reading fluently in first grade but was still reversing some numbers. She's left handed and wrote in complete mirror script most of the way through K. Reversals are pretty common at this age. Dd's teacher in first grade told us not to worry, and she was right. By about December, the reversals had stopped.

[missythemom3]

Sounds like she is doing just fine to me too. My ds is six and is learning how to sound out words and recognize some site words, and like with all things, it just takes practice. Reversing letters and numbers is also normal for this age group. My thought would be not to stress over it and just make daily reading a fun and interactive time and everything will work out just great :) Good luck!
 

[chaimom]

I think the question you should be asking is if your dd's reading ability reflective of the rest of her skills?  Are you surprised, based on her other abilities, that she's not doing better at reading? Does she easily recall words she has  learned?  Can she sound out easy words without trouble, or is that an almost impossible task? 

I ask because your dd could be perfectly fine.  I think that Dick and Jane readers are considered average for rising 1st graders, but, combined with her writing issues, it could be a signal for dyslexia or another reading issue.  

One of my boys has dyslexia and was about where your dd is at his age.  I knew there was an issue, but was relieved when the teachers told me he was at grade level, so I didn't pursue testing or tutoring.  It wasn't until the beginning of 2nd grade when I finally ignored the teachers and had him tested privately that I got confirmation of his dyslexia.   Fortunately,  we were able to get him tutored and he's an above grade-level reader now.  But I shudder to think what would have happened if we'd have left it up to the school. 

So my advice to you-- if you're worried about it, get her evaluated because early intervention makes a tremendous difference. 

[nextcommercial]

I've had daycare kids go to first grade with ZERO reading skills, and some who are reading chapter books.  But, they all seem to end up in roughly the same place by  the end of the year.  

My daughter could read very simple words before first grade, and still reading easy books at the end of first grade, but by the end of third was one of the best readers in the school.  

It's normal to reverse letters at this age.  b, d, Z, S, J are hard to learn.

[CatsCradle]

Originally Posted by nextcommercial 

I've had daycare kids go to first grade with ZERO reading skills, and some who are reading chapter books.  But, they all seem to end up in roughly the same place by  the end of the year.  

My daughter could read very simple words before first grade, and still reading easy books at the end of first grade, but by the end of third was one of the best readers in the school.  

It's normal to reverse letters at this age.  b, d, Z, S, J are hard to learn.

Thanks for this post, nextcommercial.  My DD is going into the first grade and is reading very simple books, but there were kids in her kindergarten who learned to read very fast.  My gut reaction was to be concerned, but her teachers said pretty much the same thing that you did.  It was weird to me at first because DD has very good skills in math but for some reason profficient reading hasn't clicked yet. 

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by chaimom 

I think the question you should be asking is if your dd's reading ability reflective of the rest of her skills?  Are you surprised, based on her other abilities, that she's not doing better at reading? Does she easily recall words she has  learned?  Can she sound out easy words without trouble, or is that an almost impossible task? 

I ask because your dd could be perfectly fine.  I think that Dick and Jane readers are considered average for rising 1st graders, but, combined with her writing issues, it could be a signal for dyslexia or another reading issue.  

So my advice to you-- if you're worried about it, get her evaluated because early intervention makes a tremendous difference. 

I think this is worthy of noting.

As a Spec.Ed. teacher- yes, the level your DD is at is typical for a rising 1st grader. That said- please watch for growth. Some kiddos are just strong in math or reading, but a great divide often is worth exploring. Or a lack of growth after a few months should also be explored. If after the first 8 weeks you do not see any progress ( I would say 6 weeks any other time of year, but a few weeks are used to adjust to school routines, etc) then please consult the school and pursue an evaluation.

Also check her eyes-- sometimes a vision exam can reveal something simple. Correct vision can help a child tremendously and kiddos often dont know enough to *know* something is wrong without an eye exam.

A rising 1st grader could be across the board in ability- depending on the student, the schools curriculum, previous K program (if any or 1/2 day vs full day program, academic of play based, etc), and exposure. Standard going in to K is reading at a basic level (some sight words, all alphabet, maybe sounding out simple three letter consistent sound patterns- cat, man, dog, etc) to reading chapter books.  If you look across the nation- you will find rising 1st graders to be a wide age range as well. From a solid age 7 in some states to older age 5 in some states depending on demographics and cut off dates. 

Reversals are totally normal up to age 7- even then an occasional one is OK as long as the child can tell the difference and/or correct it upon being told to 'look over work'.

FWIW: I have two DDs that are 6y 9m old  and going to 2nd grade this Fall (due to a Dec cut off date) and are at/above grade level readers/writers, but one DD still reverses numbers/letters in her writing and writes in a mix of capital and lower case letters. She does not confuse them by sight, just when she is writing. Neither her teacher or I are worried at this point in time since she is young for grade and otherwise doing well academically. She also was very late to chose a dominant hand (she is Right handed) and wrote with either hand until she was just past 6. Her actual ability to write a short story/multiple sentences went from non-existent in Sept. to very good by the end of 1st grade. Her spelling also went from simple words (dog, me, I, etc) to above average, but the letter/number reversal and capital/lower case mixing persists.