While it’s great to read with kids and give them exposure, our current society is just too damn pushy. So what if a kid can’t read at 5? Each kid is different and it doesn’t matter how many unicorn story books you read them, how many apps or how much cash you lay out, it’s not going to make them more ready or able.

Let kids go to their own pace. That way things stick and they’ve got a solid foundation (within some reason of course).

Ad for teachers, when I was growing up, parents doing half the teaching wasn’t a thing. Parents were supplementary. As they should be.

To ease the pressure we need smaller class sizes, better paid teachers and more of them, ad well as ensuring that teachers have access to proper facilities.

Children should be able to speak clearly before they start kindy.
Some childcare centres and kindergartens assess the children and advise the parents of anything they are behind in. I know one thing we were told was our daughter wouldn’t stick her tongue out for them. Sorry, but that is one thing we don’t encourage and haven’t taught any of our kids to do.

It’s good to sit with our kids and read. For many years we wrote every day in a journal as well. We have now stopped with that, but it did help greatly with writing, spelling and grammar.
However more then academic performance, I think it’s so important to teach our kids gratitude, social life skills, compassion, empathy and doing the right thing.

I see this in my grand daughter with her parents. My own children were able to read very simple books before attending school. My youngest ones are five and are able to do basic things. It is not up to the teachers to do the basics but for us parents to help give our children that start. They do not have to be like my 2nd oldest be counting to 20 and reading books above his age level. This same one is the father of my grand daughter, I think all this technology is actually harming children as parents rely on it to baby sit children.

As a mum of three I agree. We’re so busy now working and then always on our phones we often forget or ignore our kids.

I agree. A parent’s influence is so beneficial in a child’s development.

I think too. Well done!! 🙂
I used to read a lot to my daughter when she was young (she’s now 15). I actually started when I was pregnant. And then it has been our routine every single night. We spent so many hours at the library, we read a lot together and indeed she still loves reading. And she wants to become a writer. I love seeing kids reading!!

We read every single day and have since he was born. I’ve been really worried because he’s still only about 90% with his letters and the only word he could recognise was his name. But in the last couple of weeks something has just clicked and he can read about 10 names and other words now. Kinder starts Wednesday and I think he’s going to be just fine.