My Son Can't Read

My son is in 1st grade (goes to 2nd in September) and he has only started being able to read in the last few months. K was all about learning the letter sounds and then 1st grade was when they started putting the letter sounds together to make words , I wouldn't worry about it , it sounds like he is on track.

Most 6 year olds cant read, at least thats my experience. Some can.
My son is 6, and he can spell very easy words, - but, and, if, I, cat, his name, mom, but he cant full on read. We are working by building words and playing games, like i see a bat how do you spell it b-a-t, etc.
I was given a list of only 15 words that my son should be able to read, spell by end of year. So i would no worry so much about reading. But knowing ABC's, sounds of letters, and identifying the letters.

I am assuming that you "think" he has to know how to read before he goes to 1st grade, he doesn't. They require he recognizes some sight words and maybe start to read words but that's it. Contact the school he will be going to in Florida and ask them to e-mail you the curriculum for reading and writing for Kinder and 1st. He sounds on track as far as his abilities, and ahead of the curb for being bi-lingual. Relax and keep reading with him you will both be fine.

www.starfall.com
It is a site recommend by one of my daughter's Teacher.

Here are others:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactive...
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/flood.html
http://www.roythezebra.com/reading-games-word-level.html
http://pbskids.org/games/index.html
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/gamestation/default.mspx
http://www.bookadventure.com/
http://www.kidsknowit.com/
http://www.learn4good.com/kids/index.htm

all the best,
Susan

I'm actually amazed to hear that he has to read to enter first grade. When my daughter entered school, first grade was where kids were taught their ABC's and the basics of reading, and many (especially boys, whose brains can lag in this area), ended their first year barely navigating a few words.

Schools might love it when children start out already reading, but they will certainly not turn your son away for lack of reading.

Reading really takes off towards 2nd half of 2nd grade (about 7 yrs old). Read to him. I read Dr Seuss to my son every day. "Hop On Pop" and "Red Fish, Blue Fish", etc. We'd sit together and look at the pictures and words. I'd point to letters and he'd tell me what they were. Then we began sounding out very small words. With little kids especially, they memorize how you read a story to them. Sometimes he can pick out words on a page not so much by reading them (at first) but by remembering how you told the story. It takes time, and some children catch on faster than others. Be patient and keep working with him. He'll be reading before you know it.

My daughter just turned 6 last month - she is in kindergarden in Akron Public Schools in Ohio. They have a program called the 100 book challange here... it asks parents to read w/ their kids 30 min a day. You can read in 2 - 15 min sections or one long section. The first books she started with picture books w/ one word - like a pic of a red ball & a word Ball under it. In December she went to the next level (which they call YY) which are short repeating sentences like... The leaves are red. On the next page it would be... The leaves are green. On each page they would have a picture of a tree w/ the different colored leaves on it. Also, the teacher send home one new word a week to learn as a "sight word" (words they should know by the end of 1st grade without having to sound them out) and I took index cards, wrote the words on them & we try to do the "flash cards" 6 days a week - she currently has about 60 of the 100 words she has to know by the end of 1st grade down. She still has issues with the th, sh & ch sounds because they blend together to make different sounds the normal for her.

With the 100 Book Challange - they require the kids & parents to point to the words as they read them. So, even when I read her regular stores I have been pointing at the words as I read to her & her younger brothers. It does help them to see where you are coming up with the words you are saying.

Here I have picked up a few books at the dollar stores that are easy to read & work w/ her sometimes when the school doesn't send home book. You maybe able to go to a libary and get book or maybe they have a program that is free that will help him.

As for the spanish aspect - I don't know how to help you there - so sorry!!!

I find it odd that your son needs to be able to read before entering 1st grade. The school districts in our area ask that the children know their sight words (a list of 100 words). I'm guessing these are the flash cards your working with. Flash cards work great for some kids, but not for others.

For many children making a visual connection between the word and a picture are helpful. See if you can find any books written in English in your area. Try making a game. Make on set of cards with words, another with pictures, and match them up.

Try introducing him to the word families. Start with "it", ask what happens when you add "k".

Good luck.

I've also heard really great things about starfall

Take it easy, J...... It takes time ....Your kid is doing GREAT. You keep doing what you are doing. My kids also are bilingual; the older one is fluent in Spanish and English. Your kid will learn, he is doing very well!
Keep reading, and teaching him phonics and different words (flash cards); every time you read to him, make him point out the words he is reading with you. Starfall.com is a very good resource to make him play with. (repetition..repetition is the key)
Good Luck!

You say he's at a bilingual school so it is my understanding that all his learning/reading/writing is in that second language, in his case Spanish. They will not teach him nor expect him to learn how to read English until at least 3rd grade. It seems odd, but that's they way bilingual schools work. If you don't like it, move him to a "regular" school because it won't change for a few years, at the very least, talk to his teachers to better understand the curriculum, but if he's functioning well in his Spanish, I wouldn't worry.

Does he know how to identify his letters in English and Spanish? If he does he may already know more than you think.. Is there a library where you live that has books in English for children?

Check some out that are easy and start from there.. The other thing you can do is order BOB books. They are a small set of books that I purchased for our daughter when she was 4 before we got home, she had read aloud the entire set, so I turned the car around and traded for the second set.. You may be surprised what he does know.

I know you may not have a lot of money but you can try the IBG phonic program, i bought it ( they have a payment plan available) and started using it with my 2 yr old son and he can say the alphabet and give letter sounds and words with those letter sounds. It is guaranteed that your child will perform 150 times faster. its really musical and fun for kids. check this website for details http://www.ibgphonic.com.

good luck

My son was reading by the half-year point in Kindergarten! He goes to a public school in Pennsylvania. Google children's reading sites and get him going! My son is 3/4 done with first grade and his class has been reading and spelling ALL year!

"Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons".
It is a word for word (for you to know what to say and not to say) instruction book, and lessons for YOU to teach your child to read.. in literally 100 lessons. They take about 20-30 minutes each. The end of the book the lessons are the longer ones. For a child at 6 yrs old, you could do 2 lessons per day for the first 20-30 lessons easily. My daughter, aged 3 1/2 did it that way because she enjoyed the process.

It is a workbook and it is ALL you need (except for a pencil and piece of paper to practice writing the letters). The letter writing is simply to help their brain remember that the sound sssssss looks like 'this' when you see it on the paper. A physical practice of what they are learning basically.

The workbook is about $20 new. Or you can find a used one on Amazon for less than $10.00.

http://www.startreading.com/
http://www.google.com/products?client=safari&rls=en&a...

Why is his reading class in spanish???? you can also put signs around your house ex table television and tape on that item. words like blackout break it up in two words black out. go to the library and see about getting a reading program (i cant remember the name of it) it was hot in the 90s. They will also do tutoring. or most will. use picture books like you would with 2 yr olds. then take a simple sentence lets say you show him dog and pillow. if he knows these words in the book write a simple sentence the dog lays on the pillow. The word "the" is repeated twice in this sentence. Lays and on is the only 2 words he would have to learn. so introduce them in a diffrent sentence. The boy lays in the bed. in and boy are the only 2 words introduced in this sentence. Go back to the 2 yr old books and work your way back up to his age bracket.

hope this works just an idea.