Our daughter’s Sunday school teacher is from China. She has the kindergarten and first graders looking up verses in their bibles on their own. I think she assumes that 5 year olds can read the Old Testament. It seems the kids work to find the book, chapter and verse; then they follow along with her. Her expectations are far higher than what the rest of us and the kids are rising to the occasion.
She is hands down my daughter’s favorite teacher.
All kids probably can easily do this by the end of first grade, but she has kids who will be going into kindergarten and first grade. My mom says she taught me to read before kindergarten, my kids (those who are over the age of six) were competent readers about midway through first grade. Everyone learns at a different pace; the important thing is that they learn phonics and that parents read quality literature to them from a young age and continue to read to them often.
Thanks for the many smart, sensible comments, such as this one.
Just a few small paragraphs but they fully illuminate why Progressive education has wrecked the schools.
The right way, the traditional way, is high expectations. Get the kids involved, assume they can do things, show them how, and expect them to keep going. Momentum and confidence are vital.
John Saxon, one of our few real educators, apparently taught school the same way most people naturally coach a football team. You push, you may even push them hard. But they will thank you for it.