I am very surprised at the expectation for reading coming out of Kindergarten these days. Not sure if my memory is failing me in my old age, but I recall kids eating glue and maybe being able to read a few simple words such as cat or dog when I was in Kindergarten.
In preparing for Grade 1 this September, we went to a parent’s meeting a little while ago to ensure we were informed about what to expect since it was a fairly big transition for most kids. There was a focus on what reading level they should be at by that time – level 6. I had no idea what level Ella was at and went home and asked her. She told me she thought she was at level 2 which put me into worry mode thinking she might be behind! I later found out from asking her teacher that she was at level 4. Funny thing is that I thought she was reading really well for a child in Kindergarten and would have guessed that she was ahead of where she needed to be not behind. The reality was much different from my assumptions! (more…)
