My Child Cannot Read

[zazaziya@gmail.com]

Hi
My daughter is 5 this year. Since 3 she has gone for playgroup,nursery,and kindergarten..3 years of education and she still can't read phonetically...she can only read certain words which she has memorised...is she slow? what should i do? She is currently attending a 7 hour pcf kindergarten program (in k1 this yr), and they supposedly teach phonics...but she still cannot get it....next yr she will be in k2, 1 more year in P1 liao....i am getting stressed

 

[stonston]

Has she attended any enrichment which focuses on phonics? If no, then dun expect her to know it because PCF's system may not be systematic, that's why she can't pick up.

You can try I Can Read K1 crash course this holidays or I Creative Learner (but the Yishun teacher is not taking in new students already).

 

[zazaziya@gmail.com]

Has she attended any enrichment which focuses on phonics? If no, then dont expect her to know it because PCF's system may not be systematic, that's why she can't pick up.

You can try I Can Read K1 crash course this holidays or I Creative Learner (but the Yishun teacher is not taking in new students already).

she attended for a few months, but seemed like she was not picking up. And then when i enrolled her in the 7 hour PCF K1 program, i stopped the lessons since they supposedly teach phonics every day...

sighz..

 

[stonston]

Some kids learn to read by sight rather than phonics. Spend 10min a day to read with her. Usually such kids will do well with flashcard system.

 

[Justina]

Hi
My daughter is 5 this year. Since 3 she has gone for playgroup,nursery,and kindergarten..3 years of education and she still can't read phonetically...she can only read certain words which she has memorised...is she slow? what should i do? She is currently attending a 7 hour pcf kindergarten program (in k1 this your), and they supposedly teach phonics...but she still cannot get it....next your she will be in k2, 1 more year in P1 ....i am getting stressed

Hi zazaziya, you may want to try the website below which teaches phonics to young children.

ClickN READ Phonics® - World's Most Advanced Learn To Read Program!

i believe reading comes with nature and nurture. You may want to expose her with lots of reading materials and guide her along. May i know if she's willing to learn when you try to coach her reading? Is she distracted with other things or she puts in effort but have not pickup yet?

i agree with stonston that some children do not start learning reading via phonics. My daugther is one example. She started reading sentences when she was 2.5 yo primarily through library books. Today at 4.5 yo, she can read stories on her own and understands it without my help.

i suggest you to keep reading to her so that she can pick up and ask questions about certains words....good luck!

 

[zazaziya@gmail.com]

Thanks Justina. My girl likes me to read books to her, but each time i try to get her to read on her own, she would get impatient coz it takes too much time and effort for her to read the books on her own.

If she reads only by sight...would she still be able to pick up phonics eventually?

I am fretting so much especially when i compare her to her older brother, who could read when he was only 2 yrs old...

 

[DodoTan]

If you really feel that there is a concern, you can bring her to KK Child guidance clinic for an assessment. But mind you, it may cost a lot. Alternatively, wait till she is in pri school and ask for the teachers' observations. If necessary, the sch will send her for professional assessment (much cheaper or even free).

Don't worry too much. It may not be as serious as you think. Some kids just take a little longer.

 

[Justina]

Thanks Justina. My girl likes me to read books to her, but each time i try to get her to read on her own, she would get impatient coz it takes too much time and effort for her to read the books on her own.

If she reads only by sight...would she still be able to pick up phonics eventually?

I am fretting so much especially when i compare her to her older brother, who could read when he was only 2 yrs old...

hihi again, some children love outdoor, some music, some tv, some love books. No doubt, we all know that reading is essential part of learning and all parents would like to impart reading ability to their children. But you may be surprise that one day, she can read silently and still understand the material. Does she now? If you are concern about her pronounciation, then you may want to encourage her by giving her small reward after each reading session. Like her fav princess sticker or something

Pls do not compare her with her older brother (in front of her or her brother) because it may demoralised her. Encourage her, praise her for trying to read and so that she feel good and motivated. Even if she pronounced incorrectly, tell her 'good try, then correct her......'

At the same time, looks for reading materials that is suitable for her standard (not her age) with interesting stories and pictures. What's her interest? Fairy tales? Sports? Food? Maths? Our public library has plenty of reading resources for all ages and interest. Spend some time at the library to pick the right book for her...

Its also good to establish a reading session each day, say, before bedtime. Good for mother and child bonding and improving her eading ability too!

Will she pick up phonics eventually? I think one step at a time, dont't push her too much...be patient ok...

Good luck!

 

[esthertan82]

You may try on some skills from this previews..

http://www.neumind.org/ParentsPreviewCG.htm
http://www.neumind.org/ParentPreview-CG-English.htm
http://www.neumind.org/LeadershipInYou.htm

 

[zazaziya@gmail.com]

thanks everyone...i took out her nursery books for her to read, and she can, but when i write a few of the more difficult words on exercise book, she has problem...it seems that she is reading from memory in sequence of the nursery rhyme than actually knowing to read the individual words...
will work on it everynite from now on..

not so sure about bringing her to a doctor...my boy has mild autism..don't think i can take it if my 2nd child is diagnosed with some disability too

 

[diymummy]

hi zazaziya,

can understand the stress and worry for your 2nd kid. agree with dodotan that you could bring him down for an assessment.

some kids do take longer to "click" in their brains the chaining up of long words. some kids have problems due to dyslexia. it's not a very serious problem but it would help with some special help for it. the only way to know is by going through an assessment. the earlier you find out if it is and help sought, the easier your boy would be able to cope with it and overcome it.

 

[uddermummy]

i think it's good that your girl enjoys reading, and it's really impt that she continues to enjoy reading. If she enjoys reading, she'll want to read on her own when she is able to.

when you say your girl can't read certain words, what types of words are those? If we try to force children to read words that are too difficult for them, they will start associating reading with stress, and will start to dislike learning.

 

[Yinnie]

I think dif children develop at a dif pace, but what's most important is that they enjoy reading. some kids may need a bit more structured help n i think the enrichment schools can be pretty helpful. Schools may rush thru syllabus n the lessons, n teachers usually don't have enough time to guide the kids individually.

i'm planning to sign my boy up for a holiday class, just to try it out. u can consider the more short-term ones first n see if it's helpful. check with julia gabriel, morris allen or i can read?

 

[zazaziya@gmail.com]

I think dif children develop at a dif pace, but what's most important is that they enjoy reading. some kids may need a bit more structured help n i think the enrichment schools can be pretty helpful. Schools may rush thru syllabus n the lessons, n teachers usually dont't have enough time to guide the kids individually.

i'm planning to sign my boy up for a holiday class, just to try it out. you can consider the more short-term ones first n see if it's helpful. check with julia gabriel, morris allen or i can read?

My girl will continue attending the 7 hour pcf kindergarten course next year, go for phonics classes once a week (just signed up), and enrichment classes twice a week....hope she picks up with all these lessons...getting her brother to teach her to read while i am at work also..only 1 more year to go before pri 1...mm, i hope i am not giving her too much classes

 

[veronica]

Hmm..my boy 5 this year also cant read..

Also keeps me worrying cos his current child care does not nurture them into reading...

 

[ping26]

Hmm..my boy 5 this year also cant read..

Also keeps me worrying cos his current child care does not nurture them into reading...

Hi

It is generally difficult to assess children in K1 for reading difficulties as some kids are just slower or disinterested in reading. A proper diagnostic test would assess processing skills as opposed to acheivement tests (reading vocabulary/letter knowledge). An experienced clinician is also able to tell the difference.

For developmental delays, parents can go to CDU or hospitals.

However for reading difficulties, it's best to get a child assessed by Dyslexia Assn of Spore (DAS).

DAS - PRE-SCHOOL AGE ASSESSMENT
Referral Form for Pre-School Children (4 - 5 years old)

The referral form has a checklist which helps some parents & teachers to screen for reading difficulties.

I believe DAS has started reading remediation for preschoolers. Intervention is much cheaper than private therapy. As with any treatment, some kids benefit while some dont't, depending on teacher rapport & co-diagnosis.

DAS also conducts courses for parents as most children will need good family support. Again, some parents can master the course, some can't. I understand one instructor is dyslexic; some parents & teachers have feedback that they have difficulties understanding the instructor...
(It is inconvenient for me to state the person publicly as opinions are subjective.)

This mummy, Tamarind, started a reading blog to help some mummies. Tamarind Village
However, I find that recommended Ladybird keyword books look unappetising even though vocabulary is well-controlled.

If you have more qn on reading methods, pls start a thread for mummies to share.

rgd,
Ping
BTW I'm educational therapist. I teach children with dyslexia and developmental delays. (aged 3-12 years old) Our ctr has just started reading courses for kids aged 2.5 - 4 years old.
Most regular kids are expected to read simple sentences within 6-12 month. Our clients with special schools eg MINDS also read within 12-18 month (K1 std). PM me if you want more details.

 

[MsKoh1973]

my girl and niece both 5 yo, attended "I can read" the playground and now the PRP for abt one year, recently I oso signed them up for Kent ridge tutor phonics......

now then they start to can read showly. think it takes awhile........early this yr, they oso like totally cannot read, then suddenly start to can read liao....

not to worry, just gv some patience.

 

[jannalin]

Hi Zazazia and all other mummies,

For children 5 and above, many mummies and kids are stuck at this area where they know the phonics (sounds) but do not know how to apply the phonics they lean to spell or read. The application is the part where phonics classes don't seem to advise parents and it's the most important part of it. It's just like learning musical note where a child may know from 'do' to 'ti' and all the chords. However, if they are not taught how to play and combine the notes and chords, they will not be able to play music pieces. In phonics, there's a simple and easy method to learn how to spell using phonics which I call it "prompting". It really helped my 2 kids and it's not stressful to prompt at all. However, it's difficult to explain over email and I can only help to explain via phone. Feel free to call me at 9734 2234 and I'll be glad to help. Really wish to see many kids not having the need to struggle by the time they reach P1.

 

[zazaziya@gmail.com]

Hi
I started this thread in 2009. A few months into 2010, my girl suddenly started reading wonderfully, as if a lightbulb suddenly switched on in her．

I guess i was comparing her to her elder brother, who could read since 2.5 yrs old, but then again he has autism with hyperlexia..meaning he could read precociously young, but without actually knowing the meanings...

Well..guess that means i will go easy on my 3rd child :）

 

[jannalin]

Great to hear that. Take care