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How much should my adopted four year old son be able to read? I said ""adopted"" because maybe its okay for an adopted son to be behind in milestones during the first couple years due to a traumatic ""babyhood"" if I can call it that. Or am I setting his standards too low? I don't know if I should be ""realistic"" which translates to setting standards too low or too ""optimistic"'?
How many words can a 4 year old boy read? I've heard girls read faster?
I'm open to anything that will make my son read. He is at less than 10 words right now about 8. Is this normal?
How do I make him progress?
Last edited by toobusytoday; 01-04-2014 at 03:24 PM..
Reason: Added first sentence for clarification and fixed grammer.
He's FOUR? He'll learn to read in kindergarten. Eight words is plenty. If he knows his alphabet when he enters K he'll be ahead of a lot of his peers.
If you want to HELP him progress (not MAKE him) take him to the public library every week, check out 10 books each week and read them with him several times during the week. And take him to story time at the library. Make it a regular part of your family routine.
My older two boys were little reading machines, beginning in preschool. My third child? He would not read anything to me no matter what I said or did. I knew he was smart, and he liked to be read to, but he would not show me what he knew.
It didn't matter to him until he got to elementary school, and they could choose books in the library. The books had color-coded stickers that marked what reading level they fit into, and kids could choose independently according to color of the sticker.
In 2nd grade, my son figured out that he could "only" read books with a light blue sticker, the lowest reading level. He is competitive, and when he figured this out, he wanted to move to a higher level.
With a combination of sight words, Dr. Seuss books (which drive me nuts, but they worked in this case) and LOTS of practice at night, he now reads at a 7th-/8th-grade level in 4th grade.
Each kid is different, but sometimes they really are "late bloomers."
Just read to him a lot. His teachers will evaluate him when he gets to school.
I said ""adopted"" because maybe its okay for an adopted son to be behind in milestones during the first couple years due to a traumatic ""babyhood"" if I can call it that. Or am I setting his standards too low? I don't know if I should be ""realistic"" which translates to setting standards too low or too ""optimistic"'?
How many words can a 4 year old by read? I say boy I heard girls read faster?
I'm open to anything that will make my son read. He is at less than 10 words right now about 8. Is this normal?
How do I make him progress?
At four, he does not need to be reading at all. It isn't bad if he is, but it is not typical for a 4 year old to read. Many children don't learn to read if they are pushed, btw.
Note there are things you can help him with to get him ready for reading in kindergarten.
Read him lots of books and engage him in them.
Point to words as you read so that he gets the right to left sequence.
Play with sounds and rhymes. Dr. Suess is good for this, so are songs that have rhyming words.
Tell stories and have him tell you stories. It helps to get that there is a beginning, middle and end of a story.
We used this one and had the preK kids make up animals and their own rhymes.
We also used K-K-K-Katy with the kids names so they got the consonant sounds
K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy,
You're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore;
When the m-moon shines,
Over the cowshed,
I'll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.
B-b-b-billy, handsome Billy
You're the only b-b-b-boy that I adore
When the m-moon shines
over the cowshed
I'll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.
I said ""adopted"" because maybe its okay for an adopted son to be behind in milestones during the first couple years due to a traumatic ""babyhood"" if I can call it that. Or am I setting his standards too low? I dont know if I should be ""realistic"" which translates to setting standards too low or too ""optimistic"'?
How many words can a 4 year old by read? I say boy I heard girls read faster?
I'm open to anything that will make my son read. He is at less than 10 words right now about 8. Is this normal?
How do I make him progress?
A normal 4 year old boy can't read any words except maybe his name. Mine can't, and I used to be a reading teacher, plus he's been in preschool since he was 1. Sounds like you are overdoing it if you are counting words he can read before he even goes to school. Relax.
My older son couldn't read much more than his name, stop, yes, no at 4 years old. But we read to him constantly. By kindergarten, he was an accelerated reader and within the top 2% based on standardized assessment tests. Better yet, he loves reading, because its always been part of his life.
Just keep reading to him, and don't push. He's learning more than you realize. The rest will come.
At four, he does not need to be reading at all. It isn't bad if he is, but it is not typical for a 4 year old to read. Many children don't learn to read if they are pushed, btw.
Note there are things you can help him with to get him ready for reading in kindergarten.
Read him lots of books and engage him in them.
Point to words as you read so that he gets the right to left sequence.
Play with sounds and rhymes. Dr. Suess is good for this, so are songs that have rhyming words.
Tell stories and have him tell you stories. It helps to get that their is a beginning, middle and end of a story.
We used this one and had the preK kids make up animals and their own rhymes.
We also used K-K-K-Katy with the kids names so they got the consonant sounds
K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy,
You're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore;
When the m-moon shines,
Over the cowshed,
I'll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.
B-b-b-billy, handsome Billy
You're the only b-b-b-boy that I adore
When the m-moon shines
over the cowshed
I'll be waiting at the k-k-k-kitchen door.
Every child learns to read, do math, etc. at their own pace and late readers are just as likely to be gifted as early readers.
Thanks for your input but when I look at Chinese kids, at 4 they can read, multiply, divide, play violin & piano so I thought he is behind. Then once I watched Oprah & I saw a TWO year old who could map read. Its difficult to know what is supposed to be normal. Its like these little geniuses have become the new normal? Then you log on to to CD and you hear about 4 year olds reading a small book back to back. I cant rememember the ""mompetition" thread but someone's sister here was upset and jealous because their kid could read back to back at four? Goes on & on but you wonder whats normal for a 4 year old?
My son had a very bad babyhood I fear he can never catch up again?
I couldn't read at 4. My kids couldn't read a 4. Most kids I've known my entire life couldn't read at 4. Except one.
Your adopted stepson not behind on the reading milestone.
Your job right now is to make reading fun via reading stories to him. Don't push him.
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Then once I watched Oprah & I saw a TWO year old who could map read. Its difficult to know what is supposed to be normal. Its like these little geniuses have become the new normal? Then you log on to to CD and you hear about 4 year olds reading a small book back to back. I cant rememember the ""mompetition" thread but someone's sister here was upset and jealous because their kid could read back to back at four? Goes on & on but you wonder whats normal for a 4 year old? 
