If your child was reading at 3 years old...

[jkl]

I feel sort of ridiculous asking this question but I'll ask it anyway :) My 3 year old is reading CVC and CVCC words. I guess she picked it up from listening to her big sister's phonics lessons??? My question is, should I be doing something beyond continuing to read aloud to her a ton? I am doing OPGTR with my 6 year old dd, and ds and I did OPGTR when he was 6 too. I can't imagine doing it with a 3 year old, though! Any words of wisdom? What did you do?

[Starr]

We played with GoFish Alphabet cards and added in the letter sounds. "Do you have an A, then say the sound, then the picture, Apple?" and Bob books.

[maize]

You might try asking this on the accelerated learners board.

 

It seems that many kids who are wired to read early just pick it up without much (if any) direct instruction. Personally I would just continue with the read-alouds and see what happens, unless she is begging for lessons.

[azucena]

Bob books were great for our 3yo who wanted to read, as was Starfall (the website).

[MEmama]

You might try asking this on the accelerated learners board.

 

It seems that many kids who are wired to read early just pick it up without much (if any) direct instruction. Personally I would just continue with the read-alouds and see what happens, unless she is begging for lessons.

This.

 

We didn't do anything special; DS just learned on his own. Other than knowing when to support and when to back off, theres not much you need to do. She's likely to just go with it on her own schedule. Have fun!

[Sherry in OH]

My child who read at 3 insisted on sitting in on his older brother’s lessons.  One day he announced that he could read then demonstrated that he could.  I went through Reading Pathways with him when he was 4 or 5 because he wanted his 'own' lessons.  Otherwise, his instruction consisted of whatever he absorbed from his brother’s lessons, Leap Frog videos, Starfall and listening to hundreds of read aloud titles.

 

If she is ready to read at 3, she will.  

[Sarah0000]

My two year old started reading on his own. Now, at almost three, I introduced LOE phonogram cards and games so he can learn the more advanced phonograms.

[KSinNS]

My oldest taught himself to read at 3. He could barely talk, but he kept bugging us about sounds and putting letters together, and figured it out with no formal instruction and very little help. My sister and husband both did the same at 2. I really don't think those early readers need much formal instruction-they really just kind of get it. They all spell very well, with little study and review, so I'm guessing their brains are wired to understand phonics.

[Jackie]

We used Bob Books from 2.5 to 3.5 years old and then DD was off and running with library books.

[JustEm]

My 2 oldest started reading at 3. I started phonics pathways with my oldest at 3.5 because he kept asking to teach him bigger words. I startedmy middle with phonics pathways at 3.5 because she wanted to do what her brother was doing. My 22 month old insists that he gets his phonics lesson after his siblings are done so even he's doing phonics pathways. But really with him I just point to the letters and he tells me the sound. No blending going on yet with him. It I suspect he'll read around the same time they did. Of course I still played letter games and such with all of the!. Phonics was just a simple 5 minutes a day to satisfy their want for a book specifically.

[OneStepAtATime]

Post on the Accelerated Learner board, as maize suggested.  They might have some good ideas for you.

 

Some kids are hard wired to learn to read early.  I was one of those.  I really didn't need a lot of instruction.  But read TO your child even as they work on reading skills so they are continually being exposed to more advanced vocabulary/grammar/concepts as their own reading abilities improve.

 

For the record, for anyone who has a child that doesn't read early, that doesn't automatically mean they are not incredibly bright and possibly even accelerated learners, too.   Just means that reading in particular may be challenging...

[maize]

 

For the record, for anyone who has a child that doesn't read early, that doesn't automatically mean they are not incredibly bright and possibly even accelerated learners, too. Just means that reading in particular may be challenging...

Absolutely agree with this. One of my brothers was reading the newspaper at age 4 (I remember him sounding out "perestroika"); I couldn't read at all until age 8. Overall, I was at least as strong as he was in Language Arts--my brain just wasn't wired for early reading. One of my sisters is dyslexic--but she is an amazing writer. There is something about the mechanics of reading that just clicks for some kids early on, it doesn't necessarily correlate with other abilities and potential. (There are even rare cases of children who read fluently at an early age but who have very serious learning challenges; google "hyperlexia").

[Storygirl]

My daughter was an early reader (about age four). Just a couple of cautions -- early readers may not end up being accelerated in all academics. I decided to start her with kindergarten at age four, because of her reading ability, and then discovered that she was actually not accelerated in other areas (writing and math, particularly) and was actually average or even below average in those areas. She is also a mediocre speller, even now at age 12.

 

So early reading may be a sign that the child may be an accelerated learner overall. Or it may not. It might just mean that they are natural readers but will still have to work harder in other subjects.

[Dory]

My youngest was reading at 2 1/2. I offered him early readers, bob books, and others like that. I verbally pointed out phonics rules. When he started actually asking for 'school work' when he was 4 I gave him phonics work sheets and we just went through them quickly skipping half of the work. I wanted to make sure he wasn't missing any of the rules, that might slow him down or trip him up later.

 

I was reading before I was 3 as well and it's pretty similar to what my mom did with me, and my older brothers. We are all excellent readers. I am extremely thankful for her gentle, yet thorough, child led approach to reading.

 

 

[Chris in VA]

Mine started a week or so before 4. BUT, she did not progress very fast. I remember visiting her preschool teacher when she started homeschooling K. Her teacher asked what books she liked--"Henry and Mudge?" She wasn't reading them yet. However, she took a leap a few months later, and started reading Little House in the Big Woods (and doubled back to pick up H&M! lol).

 

So you just never know how they are going to progress when they start early--or when they start late, for that matter!

 

I would just continue to read to your child, and play lots of games, and offer books but don't require anything yet.

[Ottakee]

My sister used the I See Sam books with her early readers.  www.iseesam.com and www.3rsplus.com   You can google them to find the first 2 sets for free in PDF format.

 

They are just cute little simple phonics based readers.

[kubiac]

There is also a PreK/K board in the K-8 forum where parents of young learners can discuss developmentally appropriate techniques. Come on by, we talk about early reading all the time. 😄

[rocassie]

With my oldest, I didn't do anything special.  Just reading and answering "what does this say."  I did make a point of saying the letter sounds as we did things when it felt natural.

[FO4UR]

My dd read at 3yo.  Once I realized that she was auditing her big brother's lessons, I made a point to make sure that they were accessible to her without requiring her to join in.  The big white board came in handy.

 

 

She still learns best by watching, listening, and waiting until it's mastered before performing anything. She has never liked direct instruction aimed at her.  She's getting paragraph writing via osmosis right now.  sigh! 

 

 

[Mystie]

My #4 was reading at 3 and now at 4.5 he's definitely fluent. I am doing direct phonics instruction (TATRAS) with his 6yo sister who is more rules oriented than intuitive, and he listens in as long as he doesn't tell her the answers. We do read alouds and I ask him to read picture books to his baby sister. 

 

Probably a step-by-step phonics program wouldn't be necessary for an intuitive reader, except for some of the trickier phonograms. Since I've already taught phonics three times, I know the phonograms and just teach him ad lib as he needs it when he's trying to read something himself. 

 

I'll start spelling with him when he has the fine motor skills for writing, but probably not until he's 6. 

 

Reading aloud (including audio books) is one of the best things you can do for any 4 year old, I think.

[jkl]

OK. Good! Sounds like I don't really need to do anything other than what I'm already doing (and maybe make the Bob books more available to her). Thank goodness because I'm stretched too thin already. It also seems like reading at 3 may not be all that unusual. Thanks everyone!

[jkl]

My #4 was reading at 3 and now at 4.5 he's definitely fluent. I am doing direct phonics instruction (TATRAS) with his 6yo sister who is more rules oriented than intuitive, and he listens in as long as he doesn't tell her the answers.

How does your 6 year old feel about this? My 6 year old was not an early reader (still working on short vowel words with blends). I am trying to be careful to not make a big deal about younger dd reading almost as well as dd6... Just wondering if you've had any problems with this???

[Mystie]

Yeah, my 4yo reads better and faster than the 6yo, and it's a trick. She's a very matter-of-fact type and definitely knows and has said that her brother reads better than she does.

 

I point out that she writes her letters better than her 9yo brother (true story) and she does more math than her younger brother. We all learn at different rates, but she's progressing. I tell her that I didn't read at all until I was 8 (it's true) - so clearly it doesn't mean you aren't smart. <grin> 

 

Some days she needs more pep talking than others and some days I have to send the 4yo away because he can't help from saying the word she's trying to sound out. Thankfully, he hasn't started gloating about it - that's what would turn it sour fast, I think. Sometimes he starts to get full of himself and I start pointing out all the things he doesn't know how to do yet. :) 

 

It's a tricky balance and the kids' personalities would certainly play into how tricky a situation it is.

[Hunter]

My daughter was an early reader (about age four). Just a couple of cautions -- early readers may not end up being accelerated in all academics. I decided to start her with kindergarten at age four, because of her reading ability, and then discovered that she was actually not accelerated in other areas (writing and math, particularly) and was actually average or even below average in those areas. She is also a mediocre speller, even now at age 12.

 

So early reading may be a sign that the child may be an accelerated learner overall. Or it may not. It might just mean that they are natural readers but will still have to work harder in other subjects.

 

:iagree:

 

It's pretty common for children with early decoding skills, to actually be delayed in comprehension. Be careful not to try and accelerate in everything, unless you are sure she is ready.

 

And don't let her stare at a book too long without taking breaks. It's not good for their developing eyes, to stay focused on one depth for so long.

[Mergath]

:iagree:

 

It's pretty common for children with early decoding skills, to actually be delayed in comprehension. Be careful not to try and accelerate in everything, unless you are sure she is ready.

 

And don't let her stare at a book too long without taking breaks. It's not good for their developing eyes, to stay focused on one depth for so long.

I wouldn't be able to do that with my kid. She'd end up terrified of reading in case it makes her go blind. I'll just let her read as long as she wants and if her vision worsens, so be it. ;)

[Mergath]

We did Jolly Phonics at three when dd requested that we teach her to read, and she got up to sounding out CVC words. She got sick of it, then at four wanted to start again, so we did PP. I believe I taught her up to silent E words before she taught herself to read fluently. Early readers have an annoying habit of doing that, especially right after you've purchased some kind of reading program. ;)

 

Just go with what your child enjoys. Simple reading lessons for five minutes a day certainly aren't going to hurt anything if your kid wants to read.

[Tsuga]

I feel sort of ridiculous asking this question but I'll ask it anyway :) My 3 year old is reading CVC and CVCC words. I guess she picked it up from listening to her big sister's phonics lessons??? My question is, should I be doing something beyond continuing to read aloud to her a ton? I am doing OPGTR with my 6 year old dd, and ds and I did OPGTR when he was 6 too. I can't imagine doing it with a 3 year old, though! Any words of wisdom? What did you do?

 

I wouldn't bother--everyone I know who read at three taught themselves and just went from there. I'd just keep lots of books around and just read with her. She'll probably be off and running in no time.

 

Early readers are often either precocious--early bloomers--or good decoders. Lucky her, it's a pain in the butt learning to read if you don't like breaking other people's codes!

[matrips]

Just stick with reading aloud and letting her read on her own. When we did finally start school, I used all about spelling to make sure to cover the phonics we never got to.

[Tanaqui]

What you're doing is obviously working, so the only thing I'd do now, if that was my story, is pat myself on the back for a job well done and go out for ice cream.

[Dory]

How does your 6 year old feel about this? My 6 year old was not an early reader (still working on short vowel words with blends). I am trying to be careful to not make a big deal about younger dd reading almost as well as dd6... Just wondering if you've had any problems with this???

 

My oldest was a late reader. He didn't read well until he was 9. At that time, he and his younger brother were basically reading at the same level. I just never made a big deal out of it. I never pointed it out. I never gave them the same books. He reads well ahead of his little brother now, but it has just never been a big deal. They both have their different avenues that they get to shine in, and I think that makes the areas like this, feel less competitive. When they know they are really good at at least some other thing, it's ok not to be amazing in everything.

[boscopup]

My current 5 year old started reading cvc words at a young 3. I didn't do much with him. Sometimes he asked for a Phonics Pathways lesson when he was really young, and that was helpful to blending easier. We didn't do much with it though. He mostly just intuited everything.

 

He didn't really take off until age 4.5, but now at 5.5, I just have him read aloud to me daily as his "reading". He's in the Free and Treadwell Second Reader now, and doesn't have any trouble reading it, but it's good practice and we occasionally hit a word he doesn't know. He's good at decoding new words and clearly understands phonics well.

 

This child has surpassed his 8 year old brother, who struggled to learn to read. The 8 year old has learned to be happy for his younger brother reading so well. I told them that everyone is different, and that it really doesn't matter what age they learn to read. By time they're adults, they'll both read well like adults. No one knows or cares whether you, an adult, read at age 3 or age 12. I've explained that to my boys, and they are cool with it. The 8 year old even asks the 5 year old for help sometimes.

[Orthodox6]

According to my mother, I taught myself to read, phonetically, when newly-turned-four.  She consulted a children's librarian for advice.  The woman said just to turn me loose in the library and I would take care of myself.  That worked!

[dhudson]

All of mine read at 3. We kept reading Bob books and library books and playing word games and then at 5 we did a full phonics program so they understood why the words worked and for spelling purposes.

[Elisabet1]

One of my children simply started reading at that age. So whatever was happening was working. I was not going to ruin that by stepping in and changing things. Only fix something that is broken. If you try to fix something that is not broken, you just might, and likely will, break it. So, change nothing.

[mom2bee]

I would do things to intentionally build her reading and literacy skills, I mean--you say she learned from sitting in on other lessons, so I don't see exactly what is wrong with giving her her own lessons at her pace and ability level. Just because you're doing a lesson doesn't mean that you have to sit down and put her at a desk with pen and paper. Type up and print out the words from each lesson, put each lesson in its own folder/ziploc  bag. You can teach those same OPGTTR lessons via games and such.

 

[SKL]

When my kid began reading words at age 3, I just kept doing what I had been doing, and made a point to show her books that had words she knew.  We did nothing formal but would play at this and that.  There was a period of several months between the time she could read a short list of words / "sound out" and the time she could read a simple story (without having it read to her first).  Pushing would have been a turn-off.

 

She enjoyed a series of simple phonetic books with a musical CD that she would go through on her own while I did other things.

[nature girl]

My DD started at 2.5, and at first I'd just point to words in books we were reading that I knew she'd be able to decode. She loved being able to help read "real" stories...I don't think she would have enjoyed Bob books or other readers as much. Because she liked co-reading, we moved on to Progressive Phonics stories which she also loved. By the time we were done with them she was reading pretty fluently, but we still co-read everything now, just because reading long pages of text is still pretty physically and mentally tiring for her.

[Korrale]

My son started reading at 2.5 as well. When he turned 3. I let him watch the wwww.readingbear.org slideshows to ensure that he has intuited all the phonics rules. He had. So I just stopped teaching him.p and let him loose. I gave him acess to many books. Many under his reading level, many above. He chooses what he likes. At 4 we started a systematic language arts program. CLE. He is now learning diacritical marks and it has taught him a lot.

[Momto4inSoCal]

Someone on here mention early readers having issues with comprehesion. I was also told there is a study that showed a correlation with early reading and comprehesion later on in school years. Those of you with older ones that llwere early readers have you found that to be true? My twins just turned 3 and by the states cutoffs they wouldnt start school till they are 5 turning 6 a month later. I considered starting them the year before but hearing this is making me second guess that.

[Korrale]

Someone on here mention early readers having issues with comprehesion. I was also told there is a study that showed a correlation with early reading and comprehesion later on in school years. Those of you with older ones that llwere early readers have you found that to be true? My twins just turned 3 and by the states cutoffs they wouldnt start school till they are 5 turning 6 a month later. I considered starting them the year before but hearing this is making me second guess that.

Thus far I have not found this to be true. But we are just 1 anecdote.

[rocassie]

Someone on here mention early readers having issues with comprehesion. I was also told there is a study that showed a correlation with early reading and comprehesion later on in school years. Those of you with older ones that llwere early readers have you found that to be true? My twins just turned 3 and by the states cutoffs they wouldnt start school till they are 5 turning 6 a month later. I considered starting them the year before but hearing this is making me second guess that.

  It has not been the case in our household, but reading comprehension from listening (read alouds or CD's) was already very developed before the reading on her own started.  There was about six months when DD (around 6yo at the time) stayed on easy chapter books by her own choice even though her decoding and comprehension were at a higher level .  I think "real" books intimidated her a little bit.

[SKL]

If anything, my early reader over-thinks comprehension tests.  She was and is self-motivated by her love of reading and the many worlds she finds in books.  She has always been able to discuss and act out what she's read and to imagine what might come next etc.  Currently (age 7) her world is Harry Potter and Quiddich and Hogwarts etc etc.

 

But yeah, her test scores do not reflect this.  I have looked at some of the "comprehension" questions they ask, and I really think it is the test writers who don't understand what they are doing.  The fact that she can't read the minds of silly people now doesn't mean I shouldn't have let her read when she was young.

 

Now if she had been "taught" before she was actually ready to comprehend reading, that would be a different story, I guess.

 

My eldest is not an advanced reader, and she needed lots of instruction to start reading.  However, she has always been above average on the comprehension side of things - which helped a lot when the decoding side was challenging.  Just a different kind of mind, not better or worse.

[Tanikit]

My early reader does not have problems with comprehension at all. I am not sure why an early reader would have issues with it. Reading is defined as: gaining meaning from text - which actually implies that one is not reading unless there is some comprehension though obviously people get different things from the same text based on a number of different factors. I imagine that if an early reader took a comprehension test of questions aimed at an older audience (due to reading at a high grade level) then there may be some problems since a certain amount of life experience that the early reader may not yet have, may be expected in those questions. Also if the early reader took a comprehension test at grade level when the reading level was too low then they may be really bored and not concentrate or apply themselves or they may think the question couldn't be so simple. 

 

I think comprehension should not be gauged so much by tests, but rather by them displaying through discussion what they understood.

[maize]

My early reader does not have problems with comprehension at all. I am not sure why an early reader would have issues with it. Reading is defined as: gaining meaning from text - which actually implies that one is not reading unless there is some comprehension though obviously people get different things from the same text based on a number of different factors. I imagine that if an early reader took a comprehension test of questions aimed at an older audience (due to reading at a high grade level) then there may be some problems since a certain amount of life experience that the early reader may not yet have, may be expected in those questions. Also if the early reader took a comprehension test at grade level when the reading level was too low then they may be really bored and not concentrate or apply themselves or they may think the question couldn't be so simple. 

 

I think comprehension should not be gauged so much by tests, but rather by them displaying through discussion what they understood.

 

I don't think early reading itself results in comprehension issues, but rather that in a subgroup of children early reading is associated with a cluster of language and social difficulties that can involve difficulty with reading comprehension--they can in fact have amazing word decoding ability and appear to be reading with great fluency, but their brains are not processing the meaning of the words. Some of these children appear to be on the autism spectrum, others not.

 

https://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/professional/savant-syndrome/resources/articles/hyperlexia-reading-precociousness-or-savant-skill/

 

Research is limited, but I don't see any indication that the early reading is responsible for the language and comprehension difficulties.

[Seasider]

My youngest started reading on her own at 2.5. I got out the old 100EL and went through it with her, sometimes breaking the lesson into two parts and striving to keep it fun. She put the last sticker on a 100 number chart the week she turned 3.

 

She felt quite empowered! And could never claim to be bored because she could always go for a book.

[Ottakee]

As to the comprehension level, I wonder if it is more of a maturity level.

 

I was an early and avid reader.  By 3rd grade (and maybe before) I could read just about anything.  The problem was I didn't have the maturity to handle some of the books I read.  I read Little Women,  etc. when I was that age and didnt' like them.........but I think that if I had waited until I was older, I would have enjoyed the books much more.

[Syllieann]

Early reading hasn't caused us comprehension problems. I see it thrown around, but I've never actually seen the study. Link anyone, or publication and date? Even if there was evidence, you have to consider that most kids that are very early readers learn to read by sight. Then they go to public school, and are probably never taught phonics. Some might receive differentiated instruction, but many won't. This scenario doesn't look anything like my homeschool.

[Momto4inSoCal]

You know I wonder if the problems with comprehension and early reading has more to do with parents that push things on kids that aren't ready? Its one thing to say your toddler is starting to read from being around sibling and you are taking their lead on it. Its another thing to sit your 3 yo down every day and pound it till they get it kwim? I think I will just take my twins lead on it and not worry about studies. I don't believe in pushing academics to young but if they show interest I wouldn't hold back either. 

[Runningmom80]

I didn't do much other than read to ds, and teach him his letters, however he asked what the letters were, actually demanded to know. He didn't have a comprehension problem, but his decoding is always a grade or two above comprehension. I was always told that's pretty normal for early readers, as they simply haven't been exposed to the vocabulary yet.

 

 

ETA: he was sight reading by 2, reading fluently by 3.

[Targhee]

My oldest began reading CVC words shortly before turning three, but I waited until she was 4.5 to do lessons of any kind. She's still an amazing reader, and she enjoyed her preschool years doing all that other needed learning.