Kindergarten: But My Child Can Already Read (2)

Is Knowing How to Read an Advantage or Disadvantage upon Entering Kindergarten?

David (one of my sweetest, smartest grandchildren the world has ever seen) visited us during his kindergarten year while his family settled into a new area. Well, there was no way that this ole teacher wasn’t taking advantage of one full month of teaching time (like manna from heaven). 

By the time he enrolled in his new school, he was reading way, way past typical kindergarten skills. The problem was that David did not fit the norm. He was clearly bored, well behaved, but bored. The teacher recognized his reading skills but did not address it with any type of differentiated instruction. Now, you would have thought that this little guy would have just languished, even perhaps regressing toward that mean - no, not David, not that bright inquisitive little soul. Three months later David read a passage to me that was far, far beyond what I had taught him. How did this happen? How did he miraculously bridge that heavy reliance upon the code characteristic of beginning reading to magically automatizing words and translating them into fluent connected text, that means real reading? And that’s what the transition looks like  - magic.

This is what I think happened. I, as a teacher, laid that foundation for phonological and phonemic awareness. I taught him letter/sound correspondence and how to sound out words and then apply that knowledge to larger units of sound, such as syllables. (Remember those posts about the importance of phonological awareness?) He then took that knowledge and applied them to unknown words. In effect, once he had the basics, there was NOTHING that could get in the way of him teaching himself how to read (There's a theory of reading acquisition called the Self-Teaching Hypothesis. So this explanation does not come out of thin air.) He went way, way beyond anything that I did or didn’t do. He is a fluent reader beginning first grade. Now, David is not necessarily typical of all kids. He really is very, very smart. Really! (Oh, no, did I really say that!). I think that David figured it out so fast because he understands phonology: phonological awareness. That’s why I think he could apply those principles. So, is there an advantage or not an advantage for children knowing how to read before entering kindergarten, or at least having some reading skills? I clearly think that there is an advantage. I think it helps this self-teaching process along. And again this depends upon the situation.

Ok, I’m through talking for now. I still need to address that last and third question, but I’d better get back to work before the powers that be insist upon me doing my job. And - woe upon David’s first grade teacher. This ought to be fun to watch. He starts next week.