Reading at 2.5 YO, where do I go from here?

[imagine.more]

So I've been telling myself our son (turns 3 in 2 months) was just bright, but essentially normal. However, I'm starting to realize he's a freak (I mean that in the best way of course ;))! Anyway, he read his first Bob Book this Christmas, at 2.5 years old. Now 5 months later he's finished all of the first set (there are 12 or 16, I can't remember) and is moving on to basic digraphs and the "sneaky e". I'm loosely following Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading ever since Christmas but he keeps jumping ahead. He seems happy with the review though so we'll keep plugging along. Thank God we're homeschooling but it's a little overwhelming to me, I'm hoping he levels out later on and the reading thing is a fluke because I feel totally unqualified to teach a super advanced kid.

 

My question is long-term, what do I do with this kid until he's kindergarten age? He's obedient and a good kid overall but recently is getting destructive, taking objects apart whenever he's alone for even a second, and just thrives on more challenges.

 

I already plan to do swim lessons, and then soccer next year after we move. We'd like the kids to learn spanish, would it be a good idea to try and slow down a bit on his reading/writing/number sense stuff and get him to focus on learning the second language instead? As a Lit major I was told that 0-5 is the key time to learn a second language, but then I struggle with spanish myself so we'd need a curriculum to teach me and him, kwim?

 

WWYD? Would you carry on with academics, ignoring the fact that he's so young and going with his ability? Or would you attempt to slow those down and focus on a second language? Are there other things you found fun/useful to keep your accelerated learners happy and busy in preschool? I want him challenged and thriving, and while he has tons of time to free play I'm finding that too much free play leads to him becoming Mr. Destructo, lol!

[SonshineLearner]

Just my personal opinion, and I don't have a highly gifted in reading child, but I would concentrate on just reading a lot and providing kid appropriate things for him. I probably wouldn't offer books on purpose, but I'm not saying that I would make him not read. I think there are reasons with eyesight, that I wouldn't want him reading too much... at such a young age. Congrats, though! It's one of the main concerns that families homeschooling have... even if they know it will probably happen, "Will he learn to READ if I homeschool?:))

[Dinsfamily]

Answers on this run the gamut. I can only tell you what we're doing. My 5yo also started reading before 3. We've chosen not to do anything in the way of formal schooling. He's still learning a lot and having a great time. He now reads chapter books without having any instruction. We'll start SWR next month when he officially starts K to teach spelling and fill in any phonics gaps. He has some math workbooks (Singapore EM) that he does when he wants (mostly to hang out with his big brother during school). He listens in on big brother's school read alouds and gets a big dose of his own each day. We also have a lot of learning-type activities and games like Rush Hour, Mighty Mind, Contraptions, pattern blocks etc. that he plays daily.

 

I know a lot of people on this board have gone the opposite route but this works for us. We did the same thing for my oldest and I was really happy with how it's gone. Despite not using any formal curriculum with him (not even the math workbooks), he's a 1st grader reading at a 5th-6th grade level and doing Songapore 3A (only because I've slowed him down quite a bit). I couldn't keep them from learning during those preschool years and am glad we focused on other things rather than formal curricula. As usual, YMMV.

[acurtis75]

Your son sounds a lot like my daughter. I felt about the same way you did when she was 3, now she's 6 and it's still a bit overwhelming. Here's what I did at that age. We did short 10 - 30 minute lesson sessions a few times per day. My husband and I have our own business and she would come to the office with me. We would do lessons right when we arrived and then she would play well by her self for a few hours until the next session. (I found if I made her work first she was less bored/destructive during her free time). We did:

 

Explode the Code (I didn't know about Ordinary Parent's Guide then but would probably use both if I had because of the visual learning and funny sentences in ETC)

Handwriting without Tears - her handwriting is not great but this helped us move from horrible to decent

Math - we used Horizons K at that age and neither of us liked it and she didn't learn much. We switched to math u see and loved it. At that age Primer would be appropriate and the blocks provide hours of "free play" time that's not destructive! (we've been through mus Alpha, Beta and are half way through Gamma and both love it)

 

In addition to this we did Bible lessons and lots of reading together. By the time she was 4 she could read pretty much any children's book and last summer at 5 she was reading the Chronicles of Narnia (the entire series in 2 weeks). It was around this time I realized public school was probably never going to be a good idea for her.

 

At 4 1/2 or so we added Song School Latin at 5 we did Prima Latina which we finished and this year switched to Latin For Children (she likes that a lot better) and added Classical Academic Press' Code Cracker book for learning the Greek Alphabet.

 

Around 4 1/2 we also added Spellwell (which we later discontinued because she always got all the answers right on the pre-test), SOTW 1(by far her favorite subject), Daily Grams 2nd grade grammar,

FLL1 and WWE1 were recently completed and we skipped year 2 and just started FLL2 & WWE3. We also recently started the MCT curriculum Grammar Island after reading about it on here and she really likes it.

 

We also started Apologia Astronomy then after reading well trained mind decided to stop Astronomy and switch to Apologia Human Anatomy which we're still slowly working through.

 

Although this sounds like a lot....we probably "do school" on average about 2 - 3 hours per day at most now. She reads on her own for another hour or so usually without being told to do it.

[2smartones]

Your son sounds a lot like my daughter. I felt about the same way you did when she was 3, now she's 6 and it's still a bit overwhelming. Here's what I did at that age. We did short 10 - 30 minute lesson sessions a few times per day. My husband and I have our own business and she would come to the office with me. We would do lessons right when we arrived and then she would play well by her self for a few hours until the next session. (I found if I made her work first she was less bored/destructive during her free time). We did:

 

Explode the Code (I didn't know about Ordinary Parent's Guide then but would probably use both if I had because of the visual learning and funny sentences in ETC)

Handwriting without Tears - her handwriting is not great but this helped us move from horrible to decent

Math - we used Horizons K at that age and neither of us liked it and she didn't learn much. We switched to math u see and loved it. At that age Primer would be appropriate and the blocks provide hours of "free play" time that's not destructive! (we've been through mus Alpha, Beta and are half way through Gamma and both love it)

 

In addition to this we did Bible lessons and lots of reading together. By the time she was 4 she could read pretty much any children's book and last summer at 5 she was reading the Chronicles of Narnia (the entire series in 2 weeks). It was around this time I realized public school was probably never going to be a good idea for her.

 

At 4 1/2 or so we added Song School Latin at 5 we did Prima Latina which we finished and this year switched to Latin For Children (she likes that a lot better) and added Classical Academic Press' Code Cracker book for learning the Greek Alphabet.

 

Around 4 1/2 we also added Spellwell (which we later discontinued because she always got all the answers right on the pre-test), SOTW 1(by far her favorite subject), Daily Grams 2nd grade grammar,

FLL1 and WWE1 were recently completed and we skipped year 2 and just started FLL2 & WWE3. We also recently started the MCT curriculum Grammar Island after reading about it on here and she really likes it.

 

We also started Apologia Astronomy then after reading well trained mind decided to stop Astronomy and switch to Apologia Human Anatomy which we're still slowly working through.

 

Although this sounds like a lot....we probably "do school" on average about 2 - 3 hours per day at most now. She reads on her own for another hour or so usually without being told to do it.

 

I can almost ditto this. Both of my kids started reading before they turned 2. I remember with the first one, I was continually dragging my feet, but I finally gave in. We did ETC, HWT, LfC, Apologia, etc. A lot of the same stuff she mentioned. Go with whatever the strength is, and make learning fun. By the time he's 6, will it really matter if he's reading Hop on Pop or Harry Potter? To me, the higher the reading level early on, the better. Why? Children who know how to read can learn a lot more than those who don't. They have access to knowledge their peers don't have, and they've got 2-3 extra years to dive into subjects their friends can't dive into. They'll have a broader life experience, because they can experience the lives of others through reading.

 

... besides, it's really cool when you can depend on a 6 year old to help you with little things now and then. Like, "Go in the other room and get the box labeled ____ for me," or "I need you to be my navigator today... I'll tell you when we get to ___ street, and then I need you to read the directions to get us to ____ street." (Yes, I've done both of these! :lol:) A child who can read would have no problem being a great helper, and a great helper has a higher self esteem than a child who's being told to get out of the way all the time.

Edited May 8, 2011 by 2smartones

[justasque]

BTDT, mine now in college. Started before 2. Keep it fun, but keep it intellectually stimulating. Keep it age-appropriate, which of course is an odd concept, but just because one skill is high doesn't mean they all are, nor should they be. If you use curriculum, alter it to fit - for example, writing skills may be at a very different level. Downplay the exotic-ness of it all, and don't let relatives/neighbors/etc make a big deal of it. Go to the playground, dig in the dirt, listen to music, catch bugs, sing. Read together, lots of books, lots of topics. You can't slow them down, and if they're bored things won't go well, so you have to keep them engaged, but don't burn them out- let it come from them. Find a balance, adjust continually, rinse, repeat.

[Staceyshoe]

I think this is something that you just have to kind of "feel" your way on. I resisted the whole process (was afraid of him getting too far ahead :001_huh: as we planned to put him in pub school), but it's like trying to slow down a run away train. My attitude didn't slow him down any, it just caused a lot of stress in our family. I didn't teach ds any reading at all and encouraged him in other things (play!), yet he was reading at 2 and reading National Geographic at 3. (I also wouldn't teach him multiplication, fractions, or percentages, but he somehow figured them out for himself.)

 

Looking back, I realize that my attitude was destructive. I needed to see him as an individual and meet his needs. Actually, him learning to read was a huge help. I went to the library each week and came home with armloads of books--children's fiction, picture books, atlases (he also had a map obsession), science encyclopedias, etc. I dumped them all in the corner of the living room without saying a word and let him self-regulate. He could play with toys or look at books, whichever he chose. His level of stress and frustration went down dramatically. I think he NEEDED more intellectual stimulation and that was causing a lot of emotional and behavioral issues. Even now, there are certain ques that indicate it's time to pull out some logic puzzles.

 

Just keep an eye out for his ques. If there's more formal schooling happening than what he's ready for, he'll push back. If you try some new things and he loves it, you're on the right track. It's a constant balancing act. The beauty of homeschooling is really being able to individualize for your child, and kids like this need that more than most.

[In The Great White North]

As a Lit major I was told that 0-5 is the key time to learn a second language, but then I struggle with spanish myself so we'd need a curriculum to teach me and him, kwim?

 

Not at that age. Let him watch his favorite kid DVD's in Spanish (repeatedly.) Add in some CD's of kid songs, finger games, rhymes, etc. He will start copying it and pick it up quickly.

 

You, on the other hand, could watch them all day and still take years! So find a curriculum for you first.

[Dmmetler]

:grouphug:

 

I understand perfectly. My DD started reading at 15 months-before the kid could walk-and panic immediately set in!

 

At 2.5, keep lots of materials around, and try to shelter as much as possible. I'm convinced that all the "teach your baby to read" folks have never been around a toddler who actually could read and had a child screaming because they read a newspaper headline and panicked, or even had to explain what that word that someone so nicely painted on the playground equipment meant! The good news is that picture books are written for parents to read to children, so there are a lot of age-appropriate for little kids picture books available until about the 3rd-4th grade reading level, which, for an early reader, usually keeps them busy a few years. In addition, it's hard for little eyes to focus on small text, so young children, even those who have tested reading comprehension levels way, way above their age often don't want to read books with lots of little words anyway. One of the best things I found when my daughter was a preschooler was the "Read aloud" versions of standard children's books-these are BIG, hardback versions of books like Ramona The Pest or Paddington Bear that have large text and illustrations added, but are the complete text of the books. They're unwieldy to actually read, but my DD could lie on the floor with the book in front of her, read, and flip pages. I also got large print books from our public library-I'd often have to reserve the children's selections.

 

As far as languages go, my early reader also LOVES languages, so we started listening to Spanish CDs, reading books in Spanish, and watching Sesame Street (and similar programs in Spanish) early, plus playing at the local park, where inevitably, DD could find a Spanish-speaking child to play with. When I tried a typical elementary school Spanish program this past year, it bored her to tears because she already knew it all, so we recently started Spanish for Children, which is a grammar-based program, and continuing to read in Spanish instead. She's picked up a LOT from exposure. So don't be afraid to expose!

[Carpe]

My son is of the destructive-monster-when-unchallenged variety as well. He is in sports 5 days per week, and he still breaks things. That was my first thought too.

 

What finally worked was magnetic cus...aire rods (I have no idea how to spell that word) and homemade giant writing worksheets. I found the c-rods at the local teacher supply store they're 2.5x larger than the standard c-rods. They're meant for using on magnetic whiteboards, but work fine on my fridge. I bought a font package designed for making worksheets, so they have the tracing lines and direction arrows. I made worksheets with letters so big only 3 fit landscape. He thinks they're a riot.

 

When I posted my destruco-child post, people suggested music lessons as well. I've heard really great results from starting music lessons at this age. Maybe it will help him?

[imagine.more]

Thanks so much for the suggestions and advice so far!

 

Carpe, music might be a good idea actually. I had always heard that piano shouldn't be started before 2nd grade though. He loves the piano, but I assume his fingers are just too small to really play it, he just messes around with the one at church (DH is a pastor and plays piano). Maybe I'll have my DH show him a few things on the piano, just goof off and see how he does. I feel like he needs his destructive little fingers kept busy. I've been giving him lots of lacing activities but need to get smaller beads, the ones he has are too easy.

[Carpe]

The Suzuki method, traditionally for violin, starts as early as three. There are now instructors teaching piano, flute, harp, recorder, and nearly all the strings.

 

I've never heard that one needs to wait until 2nd grade for piano before.

[newbie]

College at 16.

 

Be ready for those over achievers, they are a handful, mine was done w/K at 4.

[newbie]

On the language front, please dont incorporate foreign lang. til third grade, their brains are not ready. Let them conquer English first.

[MSNative]

:grouphug:

 

I understand perfectly. My DD started reading at 15 months-before the kid could walk-and panic immediately set in!

 

At 2.5, keep lots of materials around, and try to shelter as much as possible. I'm convinced that all the "teach your baby to read" folks have never been around a toddler who actually could read and had a child screaming because they read a newspaper headline and panicked, or even had to explain what that word that someone so nicely painted on the playground equipment meant! The good news is that picture books are written for parents to read to children, so there are a lot of age-appropriate for little kids picture books available until about the 3rd-4th grade reading level, which, for an early reader, usually keeps them busy a few years. In addition, it's hard for little eyes to focus on small text, so young children, even those who have tested reading comprehension levels way, way above their age often don't want to read books with lots of little words anyway. One of the best things I found when my daughter was a preschooler was the "Read aloud" versions of standard children's books-these are BIG, hardback versions of books like Ramona The Pest or Paddington Bear that have large text and illustrations added, but are the complete text of the books. They're unwieldy to actually read, but my DD could lie on the floor with the book in front of her, read, and flip pages. I also got large print books from our public library-I'd often have to reserve the children's selections.

 

As far as languages go, my early reader also LOVES languages, so we started listening to Spanish CDs, reading books in Spanish, and watching Sesame Street (and similar programs in Spanish) early, plus playing at the local park, where inevitably, DD could find a Spanish-speaking child to play with. When I tried a typical elementary school Spanish program this past year, it bored her to tears because she already knew it all, so we recently started Spanish for Children, which is a grammar-based program, and continuing to read in Spanish instead. She's picked up a LOT from exposure. So don't be afraid to expose!

 

Sounds like ds, too. He loves learning and speaking Spanish (though he did start to get a lisp even when speaking English. Yikes. Have had to spend time fixing that)

 

We did lots of hands on projects. That seemed to help him a lot. Legos, snap circuits, all sorts of math manipulatives, lapbooks, etc. We also got lots of art supplies and do all sorts of projects. He generally just wants to write, paint, sculpt, etc. words and numbers but at least he is doing it in a different way. Lots of reading. We do lots of Montessori type stations at home, too (water pouring, dried beans and measuring spoons and cups, etc.) Having lots of different activities seems to keep him interested and less destructive. I keep them in a workbox type system so that he only has a few choices each day - otherwise he got bored too easily.

 

We are doing a learn to read music and keyboarding app. on the ipad and that is fantastic for him. (Actually great for all three boys. So much more affordable than lessons if you just want the kids to read music and see if they are interested in going on.)

 

How is your child's hand strength? There are tons of fun toys that help build strength to help your child write. Once ds was writing, he was a happy camper. He loves the threading board, number and letter beads, etc.

[beaners]

On the language front, please dont incorporate foreign lang. til third grade, their brains are not ready. Let them conquer English first.

 

I'd love it if you could elaborate on this. Any other threads, websites, or books you could point me to? I have a three year old that is constantly asking to watch movies in French. She only reads in English though. I don't expect any degree of fluency, but she enjoys using a few vocabulary words and expressions. I haven't seen anything yet stating this is harmful, so I'd really like to look into anything saying that it is.

 

(Also, hi. I live just outside of Pittsburgh.)

[Dmmetler]

The Suzuki method, traditionally for violin, starts as early as three. There are now instructors teaching piano, flute, harp, recorder, and nearly all the strings.

 

I've never heard that one needs to wait until 2nd grade for piano before.

 

Suzuki strings (guitar, harp, violin, viola, cello) are kind of a different animal, though-you can scale the instrument to fit the child. You can't do that on piano. I get quite a few little 3 and 4 yr olds in my group classes simply because they don't have the hand size yet, so I get them until they grow a little. That doesn't happen with violin.

 

My daughter does Suzuki recorder and I cannot imagine a 3 yr old doing so-I'm an experienced recorder player and teacher, and it literally begins with some of the hardest notes on the instrument. I love many of the techniques and songs used, but there's a reason why recorder is normally taught in 2nd-4th grade.

[YourFidgetyFriend]

My daughter read at 2 and that was the same age we discovered board games. I don't have any curric recommendations, but I have to tell you, games were really beneficial for us.

 

She turned 5 about a month ago, but at 2 we started with normal games for her age like Candy Land, Scrabble Jr, and Monopoly Jr. By 4 we were also playing Checkers, Chess, regular Monopoly, Connect 4, Dominoes, etc. I actually think my daughter learned to add and subtract from playing Monopoly so much. Games always directed her energy. I think as long as your child has the attention span for it (and perhaps the competitive streak), you should try a few different types of games.

[Carpe]

Suzuki strings (guitar, harp, violin, viola, cello) are kind of a different animal, though-you can scale the instrument to fit the child. You can't do that on piano.

 

That makes a lot of sense. The kids I know with Suzuki experience all chose to play strings, save for the one vocalist, so I was not aware that ONLY strings start that early.

[In The Great White North]

The Suzuki method, traditionally for violin, starts as early as three. There are now instructors teaching piano, flute, harp, recorder, and nearly all the strings.

 

I've never heard that one needs to wait until 2nd grade for piano before.

 

When I was young, my mom was told we couldn't start til our hands could reach an octave.

 

On the language front, please dont incorporate foreign lang. til third grade, their brains are not ready. Let them conquer English first.

 

:confused: This goes against everything I've ever heard about language acquisition.

[Heather in WI]

I had always heard that piano shouldn't be started before 2nd grade though. He loves the piano, but I assume his fingers are just too small to really play it, he just messes around with the one at church.

 

Our boys started at age 4 with the "Music for Little Mozarts" series. They've all enjoyed it immensely!

 

I'd "carry on with academics, ignoring the fact that he's so young and going with his ability". :)

 

ETA: As far as language goes, my boys really enjoyed informal French through music cds and videos from the library around preschool age. My oldest started Latin in K with Prima Latina. I have never heard the recommendation to wait until third grade to begin a foreign language. If we had the resources, I would've increased their exposure at an earlier age. :)

Edited May 9, 2011 by Heather in WI

[cmarango]

I would have to disagree about the language suggestion. My dd is being raised bilingual and everyone that I have talked to says that 3 languages at a time is very doable.

 

Some things my dd learned in spanish first and some things were learned in english first. She learned to read close to the age of 3 in english and she is just a little behind in her spanish reading (we spend quite a bit more time with english phonics since spanish is so easy). In english she is at a 2nd grade level and in spanish she is probably at a 1st grade level.

 

For our family, I think that I will wait until about the age of 5 to introduce a third language (possibly french or german, still trying to decide) and then soon after we will begin latin.

[newbie]

I'd love it if you could elaborate on this. Any other threads, websites, or books you could point me to? I have a three year old that is constantly asking to watch movies in French. She only reads in English though. I don't expect any degree of fluency, but she enjoys using a few vocabulary words and expressions. I haven't seen anything yet stating this is harmful, so I'd really like to look into anything saying that it is.

 

(Also, hi. I live just outside of Pittsburgh.)

 

Well, I have a perfect example. The public school for my sis has a new immersion program for Spanish, that they start in K. They conned her into it. This boy before he began was highly intelligent, very bright. The Spanish confused him to the point where now he is in third grade and they have labeled him LD, b/c he cannot read/write English, well duh, they only teach him Spanish. Basically, he doesnt know if he is coming or going, he has Spanish at school and English only at home. Its not a good system. What is the harm in waiting til third grade, til they are developed more and you know where their strength and weaknesses lie.

 

Just saying there is no harm in waiting. And, no added benefit in starting early. I majored in languages and only started them in ninth grade.

[imagine.more]

Hmm, everything I've ever read or learned about language aquisition points to early learning being better. My MIL is a Spanish and German teacher and says the same thing. I nannied for a girl who was in a French Immersion school and she loved it, she really thrived there and was a fantastic reader. I've also known a 4 year old raised in a trilingual household who knew all 3 languages well and was very bright and well-spoken. I don't think anecdotal evidence alone really would make my decision on this one though, and the studies and experts I've known are firmly on the side of earlier-is-better so I definitely don't doubt going in that direction.

 

Loving the discussion on the music stuff. The strings vs. piano thing makes sense, the hand span problem was one of the reasons I'd heard for waiting on piano a bit. Also, one piano teacher was concerned about burnout and students not being mature enough to handle the practice, but I think that's pretty individual.

[In The Great White North]

This boy before he began was highly intelligent, very bright. The Spanish confused him to the point where now he is in third grade and they have labeled him LD, b/c he cannot read/write English, well duh, they only teach him Spanish.

 

One cannot lose intelligence by learning a second language at any age.

 

Obviously, if they only taught him to read and write Spanish, they should only expect him to read and write Spanish. Inability to do something he has never been taught is not a learning disability.

 

Many actual learning disabilities only show up after they start trying to read - not before kindergarten.

 

Did they tell her what his learning disability was, specifically?

[Dmmetler]

On piano, you don't have to wait until you can span an octave, but you do need to be able to keep the hand position solid while putting one finger down on each note. In most cases, that's closer to age 5 than age 3, which is why the Suzuki teachers that I work with prefer to start on piano at age 4 1/2-5, where by the time the student gets through the pre-twinkle skills, they'll probably have grown enough to manage book 1. Even then, there's a jump mid-way through book 1 where many of the younger students end up having to add some enrichment materials and just plain wait a little bit. Music for Little Mozarts and My First Piano Adventures effectively do the same thing-there's a substantial delay where you're just introducing the piano and playing one or two notes, which, if you start at 4, which is the earliest recommended age, will usually mean that you're getting to real music at about age 5. In fact, the only content difference between an "Earliest beginner" program and a traditional primer piano method is that the "pre-piano" stuff in a book designed for 7-10 yr olds will take maybe 2-3 weeks, and in a 4-6 yr old one, there's so much of it that it can be stretched to 6 months or more.

 

On other instruments, it's much the same thing. The child has to be physically capable of handling the instrument before they can play (and it's helpful for at least the front permanent teeth to be in on most wind instruments). My DD started Suzuki recorder at 6, and honestly, I don't think she would have been ready for book 1 any younger, because her struggles have been entirely linked to having little, skinny fingers that aren't much bigger than the holes they have to cover (especially not the double ones), and she's had a major growth spurt this year. Many wind instruments are best started at about 9-10 years old, some even older than that.

 

Obviously, if you have a child who is large for their age, that will make it easier than if you have a small one. And there are a lot of music activities as far as listening, singing, moving, small percussion, developing breath control, and so on which can be done before a child is ready for their chosen instrument. For a 2 1/2 yr old, something like Kindermusik, Musikgarten, Music Together, or a similar local class with a good teacher who understands asynchronous kids, is likely to be the best fit. I would suggest spending time talking to each teacher and sitting in on classes before picking one, though-there is an age jump in most programs right at 3, and often a gifted 2 1/2 yr old will be better off with the preschoolers, but not all teachers are willing to bend the rules to allow this or are able to pick up on signs of frustration due to the level of the class being too low as opposed to considering them behavior issues. I've done presentations over the last few years and written several articles for early childhood music publications on exactly this issue-and even then, I still get frequent "help, what do I do with this child?" posts that come down to the fact that "He's bright. He's bored. He's turning 3 in a few months. Move him up!".

[Dmmetler]

One cannot lose intelligence by learning a second language at any age.

 

Obviously, if they only taught him to read and write Spanish, they should only expect him to read and write Spanish. Inability to do something he has never been taught is not a learning disability.

 

Many actual learning disabilities only show up after they start trying to read - not before kindergarten.

 

Did they tell her what his learning disability was, specifically?

 

I also don't think this is going to be a concern for the OP's child, since he's already reading in English, and I know when my daughter was 2 the Spanish version of Sesame Street was wonderful-she'd watch the show and then spend a good part of the day naming objects, pictures in books, and the like. It kept her brain busy and gave her something to work on, which then reduced the frustration at what her brain was telling her she could do, but her body couldn't manage it. But she could go through a book of sea creatures and label them as "el pulpo" and "el tiburon".

 

Also, reading skills are reading skills, at least when you're talking about English and Spanish. ELL students who already know how to read in Spanish can easily be taught to decode in English (and it's even easier the other way, because Spanish has a simpler phonics structure), but their comprehension will lag because they don't have the vocabulary and syntax in English yet. My DD is the same way in Spanish (or Latin, for that matter). She can easily decode, but may or may not comprehend depending on whether she has the vocabulary and background knowledge for the text to make sense.

 

A bright child can certainly have an LD that affects reading-but that's not due to learning two languages. It's due to having an LD that expresses itself in both languages.

[DarlaS]

 

My question is long-term, what do I do with this kid until he's kindergarten age? He's obedient and a good kid overall but recently is getting destructive, taking objects apart whenever he's alone for even a second, and just thrives on more challenges.

 

 

 

I would find him some good building toys so he can safely indulge his take-it-apart urges for starters. Standard unit blocks (if you don't already have them) help develop the hand strength and fine motor skills used for writing later.

 

Another similar take-it-apart toy that my son loved (and I wish I'd found these earlier) was Automoblox. Think beyond the normal age ranges mentioned (if he's not likely to put things in his mouth). They even make erector for little kids now. (You'll have to help, but they come with tools. How cool is that for the little guys?)

[LittleIzumi]

Hmm, everything I've ever read or learned about language aquisition points to early learning being better. My MIL is a Spanish and German teacher and says the same thing. I nannied for a girl who was in a French Immersion school and she loved it, she really thrived there and was a fantastic reader. I've also known a 4 year old raised in a trilingual household who knew all 3 languages well and was very bright and well-spoken. I don't think anecdotal evidence alone really would make my decision on this one though, and the studies and experts I've known are firmly on the side of earlier-is-better so I definitely don't doubt going in that direction.

 

Loving the discussion on the music stuff. The strings vs. piano thing makes sense, the hand span problem was one of the reasons I'd heard for waiting on piano a bit. Also, one piano teacher was concerned about burnout and students not being mature enough to handle the practice, but I think that's pretty individual.

 

We teach ASL from birth and love it. The kiddos read & write early in English & it hasn't caused them any problems that I can see. Plus I can talk to them in church without making noise, LOL.

 

My dd loves the piano but she's three, so we've been playing around and teaching her the five-finger exercises for now.

[Desert Rat]

I can only speak from my experience. My ds11 was reading at 2.5. I regret not teaching him phonics. He was very contrary when I tried to teach it so I let it go. Now, he's a sight reader, which is fine, except that he has trouble with spelling and can't sound out words. He just memorizes them. Luckily, the kid is dang near photographic so once he sees a word one time and I tell him how it's pronounced and what it means, he never has to be told again. But, I still regret not teaching him phonics.

I think, with us, I just went ahead with his natural ability. I let him read what he was interested in. I still read aloud all the time. I didn't make a big deal out of it. We started math skills around 5. He excelled super quick through the lessons as well. I didn't make him write when he wasn't ready because his motor skills were behind. So we dictated a lot. I've slowly added more writing and more independence as he's gotten older and more capable. I don't push him but gently encourage.

On the taking things apart front....that's curiousity, IMO. Try going to thrift stores and picking up old junk for him to take apart. Tell him that these are the only things he can deconstruct and that the rest of the house is off limits. LOL That's what I've done. They have a section in the garage that is all their pieces-parts. Ha!

I would also recommend lots of building toys-legos, k'nex, magnetix, blocks. Some of our favorites were generic yogurt cups with lids. He would stack them and make different designs, etc. Also, the Solo type disposable cups are great for building structures.

[Laura Corin]

I'd follow him where he wants to go, but be prepared for his interests to wax and wane, and not get upset when they do.

 

Laura

[MusicMama]

Speaking as someone who learned to read at that age, give him access to high quality books as much as possible! At this age, you can filter what he reads, so make sure that it is stuff worth reading.

 

I think the biggest problem for me was ingesting information that was waaaay above my pay grade as a kid. If it was in print in the home, I read it. I snuck books like other kids snuck candy. I remember reading the HSLDA magazines when I was so young, and being afraid that we would have DFCS on our doorstep. I could read at a high school level, but not always reason at that level.

 

And someone posted about a young child reading scary newspaper articles or bad words. That will be a problem! Just be prepared to address is in an age appropriate way. If you brush it off, they will be less likely to trust you since they can gather information on their own. I'm speaking from personal experience! The need to read and gather knowledge was an unquenchable thirst, so give your dc plenty to read and do. A box of toys that they have permission to "destroy" or how to books, complicated board games, board puzzles, logic puzzles etc. And yes, interests will wax and wane at random.

 

It is wonderful to teach a child who finds joy in learning. Best of luck to you both.

[mammaofbean]

as far as the taking apart stuff and getting into stuff goes, that is regular old wonderful 3 year old behavior and development. i encourage my son towards certain okay items and activities. not to say i don't get mad at him for getting into things he shouldn't, 3 is old enough to tell a kid not to do something and expect them to comply or face consequences.

 

yesterday i saw him walking into the bathroom with a big box of salt, as soon as i spotted him he said "sorry, mom!" ha! he was doing an "experiment". dinner was a bit bland last night. it is a great age.

 

my son isn't super brilliant, he is starting to read because we are teaching him, but i think some of the same stuff that works for typical kids works for super geniuses also. for stimulation that doesn't destroy the house we do spanish and chinese classes, video games, bike riding, baking, board games. some computer stuff i feel good about that he likes is discovery kids, bbc schools, national geographic, reading eggs, headsprout, dreambox and better chinese online content. he also has simple chores that are things that keep him moving and that he can complete in a short amount of time.

 

some martial arts will begin a child at 3, as will soccer, t-ball, swimming, dance and gymnastics.

 

dd had a suzuki violin teacher at 2yo who would split the lesson between violin and piano because he recognized quickly that she had an interest in piano. if piano is something you really want, there are reputable teachers out there who know how to change lesson pace and duration for younger kids.

[Guest sophia02]

Looking back, I realize that my attitude was destructive.

[Laura Corin]

Changed my mind.

 

Laura

Edited May 24, 2011 by Laura Corin

[Laura Corin]

On the language front, please dont incorporate foreign lang. til third grade, their brains are not ready. Let them conquer English first.

 

Small children can reach fluency in two languages with no great effort. Hobbes was chattering in Chinese at four - he barely noticed that he was speaking a second language, but effortlessly used the 'right' language with each person.

 

Laura

[lwilliams1922]

My 15 year old was also a young reader. DD #2 (now 5) followed in her foot steps.

 

If I had to do it over with the oldest I would have focused more on math than let her read as much as she did. She was ALWAYS 5 years above grade level in reading and a year below grade level in math.

 

DD# 2 reads anything and everything. I don't make a big deal about it. She does LOVE SOTW though. I am focusing on right start math and science. DD#1 was not home schooled so It was not clear to me that she needed to focus more on these two.

[emubird]

I second the idea to be sure to teach phonics, at least some. It doesn't need to be a whole lot before they get the idea, IF they're ready. But they may not be ready for phonics before 6, even if they're already reading. My kids were sight reading quite early, but, for my older daughter at least, the phonics didn't click until she was older.

 

Both my kids could read early, but they didn't spend a lot of time at it. I realized that they both were mostly interested in books with big print. I suspect they were still far sighted until they were older. This may be true of a lot of kids, and may be the developmental reason why most kids don't start reading before 6-7. Their eyes just aren't ready. This might be why people seem to see a correlation between early reading and needing glasses for distance vision later. Those kids who could see the letters early on may have been showing the first signs of nearsightedness.

 

On the other hand, it is possible early focusing on small print can damage the eyes. So I'd go easy on it. I've never really seen the point of too much early reading on their own anyway. Kids who learn a bit later seem to blast through just as many books once they do learn to read (if they love reading). I think it's more important to foster a love of books and reading, and to read together because the kids get more out of it when there's an adult there to comment and explain. So even if a child is reading on their own, there may be more value, early on, to doing most of the reading aloud.

 

And as has already been mentioned, digging in the dirt and running and finding bugs may be more valuable, in the long haul, than just finding more books to read.

[jenbrdsly]

 

 

You've got your hands full and that question of what to do with him is never going to go away! I know because it sounds like you are describing my son too, who is now 6.

I think you should keep plugging away at Bob Books and beyond. For ideas on how to get the most out of Bob Books check out: http://teachingmybabytoread.blog.com/2011/03/02/bob-books-boring-but-brilliant/

Your world is going to become so much easier once your son starts squirrelling himself away in his reading chair with a good chapter book and a cup full of crackers! That's why I'd keep on doing what you are doing, and teaching him how to read. Good luck.

 

 

http://teachingmybabytoread.blog.com/2011/03/02/bob-books-boring-but-brilliant/

[EthiopianFood]

Thanks very much for this post. It is very good

 

:iagree: :lol:

[LadyChadwick]

BTDT, mine now in college. Started before 2. Keep it fun, but keep it intellectually stimulating. Keep it age-appropriate, which of course is an odd concept, but just because one skill is high doesn't mean they all are, nor should they be. If you use curriculum, alter it to fit - for example, writing skills may be at a very different level. Downplay the exotic-ness of it all, and don't let relatives/neighbors/etc make a big deal of it. Go to the playground, dig in the dirt, listen to music, catch bugs, sing. Read together, lots of books, lots of topics. You can't slow them down, and if they're bored things won't go well, so you have to keep them engaged, but don't burn them out- let it come from them. Find a balance, adjust continually, rinse, repeat.

 

THIS!!!!!!

 

Downplay the 'freak' part. don't let it get to their head (or your grandparents). enjoy the fun when it is book time, enjoy the dirt at dirt time.

 

on destructiveness, get lots of building type toys to keep the construction/destruction in a way that is acceptable.

 

I say this as a mom of 5 'freaks' :)

[ORP]

erector sets!!! Get those fingers working!

 

Later on you can try Legos/Lego robots. Taking things apart is good! I wouldn't say it is destructive, just learning how things work :)

[Runningmom80]

THIS!!!!!!

 

Downplay the 'freak' part. don't let it get to their head (or your grandparents). enjoy the fun when it is book time, enjoy the dirt at dirt time.

 

on destructiveness, get lots of building type toys to keep the construction/destruction in a way that is acceptable.

 

I say this as a mom of 5 'freaks' :)

 

 

Ditto. (except I'm the mom of one confirmed freak, and two possible freaks. :tongue_smilie:)

[love2read]

For reading material, think about buying the older used copies of National Geographic for Kids. Pre 2000 were the best and it might have had a different name then or maybe it does now. Any educational magazine you can get on ebay for a bargain are worth picking up. Legos, knix, capsella, clay, paint supplies, model airplanes, a train set, snap-circuits, appliances from the thrift store that he can wreck (ask them to save broken ones for you.) Ask your neighbors, friends and families to save their small appliances, clocks, etc. for him instead of tossing them. It's important that he find a sport that he really likes and have him stick with it. Home Depot and Lowes both have a once a month Saturday program where they teach the kids to build something.

http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/Home.aspx

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Kids_Workshops&langId=-1&storeId=10051&ca

It's not to early to start thinking music too, do you have a piano? From experience I would highly recommend you don't let him see you on the computer or in front of the TV. He'll want to do the same, especially since he'll be prone toward getting bored easily. Better he not even see those diversions and instead does something productive.

[imagine.more]

Thanks everyone for these great tips!

 

About the math, I was actually just thinking about that. He is certainly capable of moving on a bit there (currently he just counts to 29 and can do one-to-one correspondence) and it might be a good challenge, keep his mind and hands busy.

 

We're definitely doing phonics, he hasn't done much sight reading up until these last few weeks. Before that he sounded out every word and right now his default is to sound out words. He only has the few necessary sight words "the, I, said, is" But yesterday he sounded out correctly a 7 letter compound word, lol! We're only on lesson 41 in OPGTR so it's way below his level but my thought is if I keep plugging away at that he'll have a firm underpinning in phonics and it'll just make sure I don't skip anything accidentally.

 

I'm still trying to find a good way to handle those comments in public about him reading. He reads signs and papers and packaging all the time, out loud, and in public. Inevitably store employees say "how old is he?" and I tell them and they freak, going on and on about him reading. I'm actually considering lying but that seems like a bad precedent to set. I remember hiding my test papers from my classmates in school because they all yelled it out and made a big fuss if they saw an A. I was hoping to spare my kids that kind of embarrassment about academic achievement.

[Riverland]

nm

[justasque]

He reads signs and papers and packaging all the time, out loud, and in public. Inevitably store employees say "how old is he?" and I tell them and they freak, going on and on about him reading.

 

Yeah, that's a tough one. I think I usually went for a "pass the bean dip" reply. "He's my oldest, they grow so fast, do you have kids?", "He's getting bigger every day. I love your necklace, where did you get it?"

 

I also used my tone and body language (sometimes overt gestures) to give the "ssh" message, but that didn't always work. Sometimes "yes, he does read a bit, we're trying not to make a big deal out of it" gets the point across, especially with an overt gesture or two (finger to lips in "ssh" motion, etc.) and another bean dip comment.

[imagine.more]

Yeah, that's a tough one. I think I usually went for a "pass the bean dip" reply. "He's my oldest, they grow so fast, do you have kids?", "He's getting bigger every day. I love your necklace, where did you get it?"

 

I also used my tone and body language (sometimes overt gestures) to give the "ssh" message, but that didn't always work. Sometimes "yes, he does read a bit, we're trying not to make a big deal out of it" gets the point across, especially with an overt gesture or two (finger to lips in "ssh" motion, etc.) and another bean dip comment.

 

LOL! I love the "pass the bean dip" replies :lol: That's actually a good way to deflect, I'll need to try that.

[Runningmom80]

LOL! I love the "pass the bean dip" replies :lol: That's actually a good way to deflect, I'll need to try that.

 

 

 

Me too! :lol:

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

On the language front, please dont incorporate foreign lang. til third grade, their brains are not ready. Let them conquer English first.

 

I *strongly*, very strongly, disagree here...

 

I'm surrounded by kids who speak up to 4 languages in daycare. I live in the most bilingual part of North America (French/English), where everyone speaks both languages fluently. There's plenty of scientific data to prove that kids are *not* put at any disadvantage by starting a second language early, very early. OPOL is a recognised approach for producing fluent bilingual speakers.

 

My own son was on his third language in grade 1, and he chose Latin. We're a "science family", yet my kids are exposed to 6 languages on a regular basis. (French, English, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin and Greek)

 

A kid's brain *is* ready from birth, no need to wait till 3rd grade.