B is for book, bored and below - compulsory school age reading

Last night I came across an interesting article about young children being forced to read as soon as they are 5 versus letting them learn to read as they develop their experiences and oral language.  This is a very timely article to consider as our school currently reviews its curriculum and the way we teach literacy.

Here is the link for the article:

b-is-for-book-bored-and-below-compulsory-school-age reading

Some key points from the article include:


For some children, learning to read is a marathon, not a sprint, and in an environment where the process is treated as a race, it might set them up for feelings of failure and frustration as they strive to cross an ever-moving finish line .

If a student who is 4 or 5 is struggling with reading;

To back off a little.

To give them space.

To give them time.

To wait until they’re verbally and mentally ready to deliver the intonation and emphasis that makes what they’re reading ‘sound‘ interesting to their ears (and inside their head).

To wait until the words they’re actively learning to read are the more interesting ones, the ones that will really bring the stories in books to life, and enrich their reading experience.