YD didn't want to read or write, and refused to do so.  She refused to look at a book through reception, and although she liked being read to, she would not look at a word throughout Year 1.  Her art work and maths and language were great, but for some reason she had it in her head that reading was 'work' and just refused.

The teachers were tearing their hair out.  She was disruptive and silly at reading time, and gave them a really hard time I think. She spent about half of her reception year sitting outside the HT office, and ended up in the SEN groups for children with social skills issues.

Then she started Year 2: on the first day she came home and said 'I need to learn to read because next year I want to learn a musical instrument and Mrs D says I need to read first'.  And she has.
She has whizzed through all the boxes from reception, and year 1 in a little over a term.  Last night there was a note in her book bag saying that she has moved on to the Year 2 boxes.  High Fives all round and cake at our house last night, and then when she'd done her (two) reading books she pulled out some Old Bear stories from the book shelf and read those to anyone who would listen.

I'm so proud of her, and so glad that we didn't force it when she really didn't want to read.  I'm such a bookworm, the thought of her growing up missing out on so much woudl be just awful, so the fact that she is just loving it is the best feeling ever .....though I am slightly dreading the cornet next year!