How long of a gap between learning to read language 1 and language 2?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Somebody told me recently that a child should have a year or two to read the first language before beginning the second. I have no idea if that is true or not, and am wondering what others have for experience? My dh is dying to start Leo and Lea with ds, but he's still a new and tender English reader, so I'd hate to throw French vowels at him on top of the English ones... lol.

[CleoQc]

I have heard the same thing and have no experience otherwise. It just turned out that my son learned to read at 3 in French and at 7 in English (he didn't speak English before that). My daughter learned to read at 6 in French, and just picked up a book at 9 (one of the Warriors series) and just read it in English with no instructions whatsoever.

[loesje22000]

If a Dutch child wants to learn to read in English, I normally recommand end 1st grade reading level in Dutch. I know from several parents that this 'guideline' doesn't work for Dutch-> French.

Here DD read at 3yo in Dutch, started to read and to write in English at 5yo At 6 we started with French orally, in next Fall (allmost 9) we add French writing and reading.

I teach English, DH French (and Latin)

[Ester Maria]

I do suggest a firm grounding in one language before starting to read in the other one. Not that it is impossible to contemporarily break the ice in both, but it is somehow more neat to have a bit of a break first.

My kids pretty much read Italian already when we got to the US, albeit insecurely (they were 3 and 4), then we continued to read in Italian as they were picking up conversational English, and they started reading English with the formal education, and within a year or so their reading level matched Italian. Hebrew was a tougher cookie, partially due to the nature of the language itself and partially due to neglect (in favor of classical languages), my middle daughter acquired a confidence in reading full length non voweled age-appropriate texts fairly recently (before that she was mostly reading voweled texts aimed at kids and did not practice reading authentic materials for kids enough, most of her Hebrew was spoken), about a year or so ago, while my eldest did so earlier and meanwhile pretty much hit the grade level of Israeli kids in Hebrew. I am still struggling to get my middle kid's Hebrew writing presentable, though I am fairly pleased with the new progress for a language which was consistently neglected throughout her education and left for holidays, special circumstances and minimal formal instruction most of the time.

[regentrude]

A few days.
My kids learned to read English and as soon as they had understood how letters make sounds and those blend into words, I taught them to read German. They just had to remember that some letters make different sounds.
I think, once a child can read in one language, he/she can easily learn to read in another language that is also alphabet based and which the child speaks.
Other than occasional mixups in pronounciation during the first months my kids had not troubles.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I think, once a child can read in one language, he/she can easily learn to read in another language that is also alphabet based and which the child speaks.

:iagree:I wouldn't want to teach a child to read in both languages at once. I don't ever remember needed to "learn" how to read in my languages, the principles just sort of transfer over and you just need to remember that some letters make different sounds. Once DD is a solid reader in English (as in, once she can read most things on her own comfortably), I'll start her reading in other languages.

[Ester Maria]

I don't ever remember needed to "learn" how to read in my languages, the principles just sort of transfer over and you just need to remember that some letters make different sounds.
Reading as a skill does transfer (the principle of decoding of letters, etc.), however, it often does take a while for the child to acquire age-appropriate literacy. I had that in mind while replying, reading in a bit "wider" sense than just the ability to decode the text. For most kids, it really is advisable to break the ice with one language, become comfortable with it, and then in virtually no time switch to reading two languages on the same level.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Thank you so much for all these great replies. We will put it off until he is reading more fluently in English.

[ilo]

I just posted a question from the same subject except that my child is a self learned reader in English which is not her strongest language at the moment. She is also constantly trying to read in Finnish and is upset that she can not. She is very close to reading in Finnish and if I remind her which sounds the letters make in Finnish she can read the words.


I absolutely agree with what you all say but how do you keep you kids away from the other language while they are learning to read in the other? DD wants to read everything and I can not stop her seeing text in both languages. English is everywhere and her new school is in English and as we live in Finland Finnish is everywhere as well.

[Rosie_0801]

but how do you keep you kids away from the other language while they are learning to read in the other? DD wants to read everything and I can not stop her seeing text in both languages. English is everywhere and her new school is in English and as we live in Finland Finnish is everywhere as well.

Keeping her away from anything sounds like punishment for your girl, so maybe you'd better not do it!

I have no experience in this because my second language isn't written, but perhaps it would help to use some sort of marker, like having her read the title, author, then say "This book is written in the X language." Would that help put her in the right mindset?

Rosie

[loesje22000]

I absolutely agree with what you all say but how do you keep you kids away from the other language while they are learning to read in the other? DD wants to read everything and I can not stop her seeing text in both languages. English is everywhere and her new school is in English and as we live in Finland Finnish is everywhere as well.


For me there is a difference between teaching reading in 2 languages at the same time on purpose, or something that just happened.
There is a difference if a child is trying to do both or that you want to do that.

For dd it is sometimes enough to know another language is available, I don't keep her away from German or Greek: if she wants to take look in a book it's all right to me. If she wants to know what I wrote in Greek I tell her,
but I don't teach one of them as a subject until she is better in French, and she knows that :D

[ilo]

Keeping her away from anything sounds like punishment for your girl, so maybe you'd better not do it!

I have no experience in this because my second language isn't written, but perhaps it would help to use some sort of marker, like having her read the title, author, then say "This book is written in the X language." Would that help put her in the right mindset?

Rosie

I agree that keeping her away from a language would not work and there would be no way of that happening anyway. I think the problem has been that she has not been taught to read. She was so young and stubborn. I did not want to push her so she learned what she could by herself and it was English as it was her stronger language and we lived in US. Now that she just turned 4 I think she would be ready for me to teach her to read.

[ilo]

If she wants to know what I wrote in Greek I tell her,
but I don't teach one of them as a subject until she is better in French, and she knows that :D


I love this advice and I will try this.

[epignone]

Perhaps it depends on what the languages are, too. For instance my son is still struggling to learn to read English (his native language). I had intended to wait to do Spanish until his English was stronger, but he is actually picking it up very quickly because it is so easy (regular and phonetic.) He actually calls his Spanish lessons his 'easy reading' and his English his 'hard reading.' With two 'hard' languages it might be more important to space them out.
Just a thought...
Elena

[CleoQc]

He actually calls his Spanish lessons his 'easy reading' and his English his 'hard reading.' With two 'hard' languages it might be more important to space them out.
Just a thought...
Elena

You do know that, if you let him master his Spanish reading, he will pick up English reading in a matter of days. You're making him work hard for no reason at all. Unless you count it as character building. :lol:

My kids went from French to English with absolutely no work either on their side, or mine. No phonics, no easy readers. My daughter picked up the Warriors books (those feral cats stories) and was reading right away.