7 year old can't read silently, only out loud....

[Jewish Mama of 4]

My 7 year old daughter LOVES to read, but for some reason she says that she can't read silently. She says she can't hear the words in her head unless she reads them aloud. We are currently finishing up 3rd grade curriculum, but she is reading at a 4th to 5th grade level. She reads chapter books all the time, but reads the whole book out loud even when she is lying in bed with her book just reading to herself.

 

Is this normal for a 7 year old (8 years old in January)??? How can I get her to read silently???

 

Thanks to anyone who can help.....

[twoxcell]

I'm not sure about normal but my ds will be 8 in July and he still reads aloud. In fact today during reading time was the first time I noticed him really reading in his head.

[Mabeline]

Has she been reading very long? My ds read out loud for about a year after he learned to read fluently. He started reading to himself without help. I think it just takes time.

[Reeciecup]

I did that very same thing at that age....lol. The reason I did it was because I wanted other people to hear me reading. I was very proud of my reading ability :D.

 

That has been 30 years ago, and I still remember my older sister trying to explain to me how to read silently because she was tired of listening to it. I could do it of course, I just didn't want to.

[Caitilin]

This is my dd7 too. She has been reading proficiently and above level for a year, but would tell you that "I try to read in my head, but when I do it, nothing happens!":lol: she has just now started to consistently read in her head. I wouldn't worry--if it was OK for Augustine, it's OK for her.:001_smile:

[sbgrace]

I have two 7 year old readers and one always reads out loud and the other prefers to read silently.

When the out loud reader suddenly noticed his twin reading silently he was surprised. Why are no words coming out of his mouth if he's reading mommy? It was funny to me because he's seen my husband and I read for ourselves. I guess he's never noticed. Anyway, he still reads out loud. :001_smile:

[ElizabethB]

Normal.

 

Don't push it, it is all part of the process. If you push silent reading before they are ready it can lead to problems. My daughter read early, but didn't read silently until after she had been reading aloud for 2 or 3 years.

[Photo Ninja]

I wouldn't worry about it. She will learn to read silently.

 

But have you considered her learning style? Is she an auditory learner? This is one sign of an auditory learner and she may learn and understand far better if she hears herself reading aloud. I have one ds who is an auditory learner, and he has always preferred to read aloud, even when he is alone in his room. I would giggle to myself when I would walk by as he was reading his Physics text aloud to himself. But it helped him to hear what he was reading instead of just seeing the words. He is certainly capable of reading silently, and knows when he needs to do so in order not to bother other people, but often chooses to read aloud when he is concentrating on learning.

 

Just something to consider.

[Mom0012]

I'd let her keep reading out loud until she no longer needs to. My son went through this, but he eventually outgrew it.

 

Lisa

[teachmejoy]

My DS is turning 7 next week and he still reads out loud. I really think it's more of a concentration issue. If they don't read out loud it is easier to get distracted. He is progressively reading softer and softer, though. It won't be long before it's silent. :) Don't worry about it!