7 y.o & Reading. Where is your child at?

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seeking_new_church

New member
I understand that all children reach milestones at their own pace but I am curious as to how well your 7 y.o. can read. I was having a conversation with someone today who's son is the same age as mine and he's read the first two Harry Potter books! I was floored when he told me that. I didn't read those book until I was about 11-12. What books have your children read at this age? Thanks in advance!
 
@seeking_new_church By 7, my daughter was reading the Junie B. Jones books and that was about it. I was a super advanced reader all throughout school so it drove me crazy she had very little interest in reading.

But now she's 14 and is reading all the time--maybe slightly above grade level, but not by a lot. It's more important to me that she's finally enjoying it.
 
@seeking_new_church I tried everything to get my daughter to read the books I did as a kid. All my beloved stories she had no interest in. When her class would go to the library she would get these super easy, low level reading books that made me insane! Graphic novels shudder She was finally old enough for a kindle at 11 and now she gets one book she chooses, and then one I choose.
 
@seeking_new_church My brother read the time machine, all the harry potters, and much more by 2nd grade.
I didn't read a single yes not a single book till I was 12 or 13 and that was the hatchet. I listened to the audio book with it.

So long as they can read things, even if it's not books, and they're overall doing okay then they're fine m8. You could try to read them stories to get them more interested in books (I was read the magic treehouse books a lot) but it'll probably not do much other than give them some good memories and make them comfy rather than spark and interest in reading.

They'll work it out though. I could read, I just simply didn't care to. When I turned 14 I only read the hatchet, literally nothing else, and like I said that was with an audio-book, but I read literally millions of words online, thousands of books worth of educational material, and read many actual books that are "upper-level" such as das kaptial and understood them perfectly fine.

I also know a 6 nearly 7yo that barely reads more than picture books and a 4yo that can already read those small chapter books that are like 3/4th words 1/4th pictures and like 30-40pages. Kids will go at their own pace and excel in what they're good at without any aide, although a little doesn't hurt of course. When I was young I didn't read at all like I said, however I could do any mathematics up to algebra 2 in my head since about 3rd grade, and while I was ahead as you could be in math I didn't learn anything more in it till I was 15+. The same applies for space-science, I literally knew more about it than my 8th grade science teacher, however come 9th grade I had no interest in biology and for many reasons didn't even bother attending the class.
 
@umusagoat I have been playing audio books while the kids are in the car. At first they hated the idea but now they actually look forward to hearing what happens next. This has started to spark an interest in the both of them. They are comprehending what's happening and can tell me the plot. Small baby steps.
I also didn't read much until about that age also. I didn't have much interest in it until my school rolled out the Accelerated Reader program where we got rewarded for the amount of books we read. You read 'x' amount and you get to go on special field trips. First trip we took was to see the 1st Harry Potter movie in theaters and after that trip I HAD to read the book because I was clueless about the movie I had just watched. I do have a reward system at home for my two. Each book they read (no matter how large or small) they get a sticker on a chart and every 3 spots there's a reward ranging from 30 minutes extra before bedtime or choosing dinner and they LOVE this idea.
 
@seeking_new_church I get audio books for long trips. Couple years ago the CD player in the car refused to play disc 12 of 12. Talk about a cliffhanger, lol. My "books are boring" kid was the one squeezed in the chair with me at the library, reading the last couple of chapters to find out how it ended.
 
@yunderdahl0101 Me too! We drive to Florida and South Carolina all the time from Ohio and I always bring audio books. It makes the trips more tolerable for them and keeps me awake. I've been choosing my favorite 'classics' for them to listen to like all the Roald Dahl books. They were my favorite growing up.
 
@seeking_new_church One of mine was reading HP at that age, they were a precocious reader. They re-read it in middle school and were like "woah, I don't remember half of this!" because either it went over their head or they skimmed parts that were boring to a 7yo.

Second kid was reading small chapter books, probably about 3rd-4th grade level at 7yo. Encyclopedia Brown is the only one that I remember.

Third kid was struggling through graded readers at 7yo, yk those thin pamphlet like books with the big numbers on the front? I don't remember what level they were at, but their 1st and 2nd grade teachers both said they were reading at grade level. This kid didn't read anything at home for fun, only what the teachers assigned.

They're all teens now. You'd be hard pressed to figure out which kid is which. At 13yo they all took the same English class and all did well in it. Don't stress and don't fall into the comparison trap.
 
@yunderdahl0101 I'm not really stressing too much. I was just honestly surprised children at this age can read the HP books. My son is just a tad above 'average' for reading but at the same time, he is being taught two languages at school so he can read and write in English and Mandarin Chinese. I am thinking because he attends an immersion school vs. a traditional school has A LOT to do with his English reading proficiency.
 
@seeking_new_church My 7yo daughter is reading on a 2nd grade level in 1st grade (she has an October birthday), so she's a good reader, but not good enough to be reading Harry Potter just yet. She likes the thinner "chapter books," especially "The Princess in Black."
 
@seeking_new_church Our 7 yr old tests well above grade level in reading, about 4th grade level, but she isn't a book worm. She does like to pick up books that are familiar and comforting, yesterday she was reading a picture book she's loved since she was 2. She likes books of facts, like a book of dog breeds or types of insects etc. She could pick up and read two Harry potters I suppose , we have them and she can read and understand them but she hasn't chosen to do this.
 
@seeking_new_church My seven year old is just at grade level for first. If pressed, he can read a level one or two easy reader. No chapter books here. I was reading novels at his age, but he is just different. 🤷‍♀️ When he chooses what to read with me, it’s a different story. We’ve read A Wrinkle in Time, My Side of the Mountain, and Hatchet recently. I’ve told him he’ll be able to read books like these eventually, and that makes him excited.

He’s a math guy. Eh! He’ll get there in his own time!
 
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