Soon to Be First Grader Not Reading Anymore

Spell it out for her! Let her know that "Gosh if you're forgetting so much, maybe you aren't ready to go into first grade. I'll just have to call the school and let them know to keep you in kindergarten". Sometimes something like that will kickstart their engines and get them back on track.

Otherwise, you're stressing out too much over it. I would back off a little, being she's only 5. Kids go through phases. Don't set such high standards and expectations, because if they're going through a phase, that's what's important to them, not reaching everyone else's standards.

I would stop pushing. She is already an early reader and you want to keep it fun. I would start reading to her again at night and eventually she will want to read herself. 1st grade a year of great leaps. I also have a "younger" one, she will be 7 the first day of 2nd grade this year. My child reads to me now at night. Good luck!

The more you push your 51/2 year old the more she is going to fight you. As a parent as well as a teacher, my reccommendation would be to start reading with her by reading to her. Then slowly start asking her some of the words, eventually when she sees that you are not forcing her she will do it again. ALso, it is summer vacation-give her a break. This is the time for running around and playing outside, don't stress about the academics so much because she will get it enough in school. You could also play games with reading and counting like Memory, Yahtzee, and board games for reading and math. Make it fun and she will start enjoying them again. She will be fine in school as well. Relax and enjoy her being a kid.

Ok I am not trying to scare you but my youngest son and his half sister for that matter could read the basic words and then some before they started school. I thought I was being smart by starting them early it worked with my oldest but for some reason both children forgot how to read after K. I cannot say how his sister is doing but for my son he could not comprehend the small words like, if, the, red, blue, truck and anything he was taught before he started school. When we would sit down to read he could figure out some words I never would have expected. Now don't ask me what is wrong and why I still to this day am not sure he is going into 5th grade and is in special education for his reading and math. He has been tested all they can come up with is his left and right brain are not talking to each other correctly. Now with that said he also had lead poisoning which he was tested after the levels came down where they decided he had no side effects from it at that time. I didn't not start teaching him to read till he was two and half. I have explained this situation to anyone who will listen and every professional he has been sent to and NO ONE has an explanation. I can tell you from experience it is frustrating and makes you angry. You just have to work through it try a different time of the day to read or make a game of reading things like the back of food boxes. Have her help you bake a cake and have her read the ingredients. Part of his problem with reading is he gets so tried he cannot focus on things and the rest I cannot explain. Patients is all I can tell you.

Hi T. - it sounds to me like your daughter is just picking up on your anxiety about reading - perhaps she feels undue pressure from you to read. As you've said, she is only little - lots of kids go into first grade not knowing how to read at all. My middle child - 12 in October - was also one of the youngest in class and still is. When he went into first grade he barely knew all his letters but by the end of first grade was reading brilliantly and continues to be a complete bookworm reading way above his age level. My youngest turned six in June and can only read a few very simple words and prefers me to read to him still. I think you should back off and just read to her again so books become fun. She'll be back at school in the fall and be working hard then. Don't let her see your nervous - and definitely don't make reading a battle. Also, as a mom of older children (my oldest is 15) just try and keep things in perspective - whether she reads now, in six months, in a year or whatever is not going to make any difference to her life. Also, choose your battles very carefully - try to say yes way more than no for a happy family home - good luck - Alison

I'd let it go. She telling you something and you should listen. Read to her. Do math in the form of cooking and playing cards, and forget her academic progress.

I wish I had kept my daughter back one year. Her birthday is at the end of September. Many of the kids were more than a year older than her, and while she was off to a good start she fell behind around third grade. We started homeschooling in 5th. I know each child is different, so you need to know yours. As for the reading, have you increased the difficulty level of what she is reading? If you have you may want to go back to what she was accustomed to. If you want to give her a great foundation for reading, many homeschoolers with younger children use a program called headsprout. My daughter was too old for it, but it supposed to be amazing! Good luck and hope everything works out for you and your dd!!

i am in agreement with the other responses regarding not scolding and not getting into a power struggle. i would add that once she is in school and she experiences the other kids doing their reading thing, her motivation will return, along with her enjoyment. that group dynamic will help her get back into the swing. she is very young and has tons of time to find her own pace and level.

just my 2cents. :-)

S.

I have been doing packs of work with my children since school got out every day. My son is 6 going on 7 to the first grade. His birthday is in dec. I chose to wait and extra year plus I wanted him to do all day kindergarten figuring he would get more than a half a day. Let me tell you it is a battle majority of the days things he should know already he doesn't. the books we have read with him during the school year that his teacher gave him. He can't read of he won't even try to read the word it is so nerve racking I hear where your at. They have reading math and fun activity sheet. My daughter who is going into 4th grade doesn't give me a issue but the other one does. I pray every day thst he will find interset.

Dear T.,
I understand your concern but I think its all for not. She obviously has a great foundation and will do just fine in school. Last year, I went weekly to my son's first grade class to listen to each one read.They were all at differing levels of reading and by the end of the year there were maybe 2 students who were still struggling and they were getting outside help by then. My bet is she'll do just fine. Maybe she just doesn't want to sit down and do it so find other ways to get her to read like road signs or comic strips something she finds interesting. Relax friend, she's doing just fine! I am a Registered Nurse mother of 6!

I know that I have a different approach to learning that a lot of parents but I say just let her be. It sounds like it is partially just a power struggle thing. She is not going to die if she isn't reading before school starts and you and her need to relax and enjoy the summer. Do you read for pleasure? Just let her see you reading, and I would bet that if you stop pushing her, and just read to her for fun for a couple of weeks, following the words with your finger, but without pressure then you can ease back into asking her what this or that word means. She will learn to read and I don't agree that it's an age thing, We all used to go to school this young she will be just fine.

Hello T.,

I would say your little girl needs a break and instead of saying it clearly she fights your reading/maths/work demands... Give her a break and let go of all this work. read to her a lot instead of make her read.

You seem very worried about her going to first grade and not be ready,did her teachers were worried about that ? If not, you have to let your anxiety go or you're going to put so much pressure on your girl that she'll be definitely against any school work.

I would suggest a reward system, maybe after she reads how ever many books you decide on she will get to pick a prize out of a treasure box, filled with whatever little things you decide on, cool erasers, pencil toppers, whatever her interest is. But make sure she does not see what is in the box, so it will be surprising to her and a little interesting!

Dear T.

It happens to kids. They forget if there is a gap. So don't scold. Start happily again. May be do it in the morning (mind is fresh) for a while. Repeat the same at night. Her confidence will increase and she will catch up. Thats why little studying in the summer break helps them to comeback to school study fast.

Best Wishes C.

Hello T., This sounds like a power struggle to me. When children fell pressured into something, they dig in their heels to resist. Your nervousness is being passed onto her. The best thing you can do is back off on any formal lessons, and find ways to make learning fun. If she thinks that it is HER idea to do these things, then the cycle of the power struggle will be broken. Good luck and enjoy the rest of the summer.

bribe her! I know we should do it but that is exactly what the school does, at least at my kids school anyway. They read the required # of minutes and they give them a Pizza Hut coupon. So find something she wants and when she reads 20 minutes a night for how ever long you decide she gets the prize. I have a son going to 2nd grade and I'll tell you it does get easier! Once the whole reading thing clicks she'll love it and do it on her own. Good luck!

I'd just keep it really light at this point. My friend's son got into reading when the children's librarian at their local library gave him some of those books that have a CD or cassette that goes with it, so he could listen and look at the book together on his own. My smart 21-yr old grandson said he couldn't read then looked at something he was curious about and asked me, using the difficult word he had to have read there. She may be feeling the pressure of going to 1st grade. You could re-think it or wait and see how she does. I used to take my grandkids to the library weekly and let them pick their own books. The younger one refused to get anything but the lowest level primary books, though she did very well in school. Why she needed to control that area, I haven't a clue. 5 year olds sometimes have some of the same issues that middle teens have - wanting to be grown up but not feeling ready yet. Relax and enjoy quality time with your girls. Read things to them that they enjoy. I'd let it go for now, or try to make it a game. My mom gave me a flashlight to read in bed since she had to turn off the light so the younger ones could fall asleep. I've been a big reader all my life!
The Lord will direct you. She wants to control it for now. I'd let her. This too shall pass!

I would try a couple of things. First you might take her to the library and let her pick specific books of interest. I too have a daughter going into first grades and we do this every week. I tell her that I am going to pick 5 books I think she will enjoy that I will read to her and I ask her to pick out 5 books that she thinks she can read to me. She has a good time going through the books. At our library the readers are separate and she spends time going through them reading a little of each one she picks to make sure it is at her level. Because they are high interest to her and she already knows that she can read most of the words, it is less pressure when we get them home and I ask her to read. You might also check out the website starfall.com. It is a great beginning reading site and it is really fun for kids. They feel like they are getting computer time and it is educational and is an interactive way for beginning readers to sound out and chunk words. Good luck. The less pressure I think the more she will do. I am sure when she gets back into the groove of school she will be just fine.

Hi T.,
I don't know what school district your daughter is in, but what I would do would be to check out there website (your child's school) they may have tips for encouraging you and your child. Also they might have your childs' kindergarten teacher's email address so that you can ask her for tips and suggestions that could really help (since she has experience with your child) lastly, I would take my child to the library and get them their own library card (if she dosen't already have one)and tell her she can pick out 6 books kids loving being in control. Plus the Librians may be able to give you some tips. Overall, I would not worry 1.because she can pick up on it and 2.because many people have told me that you really should not be "stressed" until your child hits the 3rd grade...but even before then they have reading recovery programs and help for parents in most schools.
Be Encouraged (mom of 5, daughter of 2 teachers)