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I was an early reader, entered kindergarten spelling words. There are photos my teacher took of me spelling out animal names with sponge letters. I entered school at the age-appropriate time; anything else would have been a misstep, from a social development standpoint.
Yep. He's barely four. Let him be a preschooler/normal young kid. You don't have to do anything special. Just continue doing what you're doing with a focus on play-based learning. Starting school early isn't necessary and could hurt non-academic development in the long run.
Just because a child can read doesn't mean he understands what he is reading. He may be reading things that are completely inappropriate.
You could give him a physics textbook and he could read it aloud to you, but not understand one iota of what it meant.
For a child that young, play, play, play. Kids learn by playing, exploring, experiencing. Kids are sensory learners.
I never say this EVER, but in this case: Get him away from the books.
AND PLAY WITH HIM. That is how he needs to learn. Not sitting still and reading. He has a lifetime to sit still and read. There are a few finite years where nature holds wonder for children.
I have a child who read at 3 and one that read at 5. The one that read at 3 was reading at a 7th or 8th grade level by 2nd grade. We thought she was seriously gifted. Nope, just read early, she's 14 now and all of her friends caught up by middle school. The one that read at 5 is the seriously gifted one, he just couldn't sit still long enough to learn to read early.
Early reading can be a sign of intelligence, giftedness, etc. It can also just mean that you're an early reader.
My grandson can read fluently (K level), and will not be 4 until next month. I've been working with him all summer, and he's been doing My Baby Can Read since a toddler. He can spell also. Worlds like "mountain", and his first and last names. Problem is, he misses the cutoff of Kindergarten for his school by six weeks and can not enter Kindergarten until he is almost six. That is in TWO years. By that time (with the way I am working with him) he'll probably be at second grade level. He can recite the alphabet FORWARD and BACKWARD.
What do you think we should do? His dad knows the school superintendent. Testing to get him in Kindergarten early is my opt, but they probably cannot do it. Or wait a year and skip Kindergarten to get into first grade? There is a local Montessori, but it is beyond their means financially. Daughter wants to home school him to keep him from "dumbing down", but I think he needs a classroom setting with other kids.
I spend a lot of time with him, and he does seem to enjoy learning (we make it fun). He LOVES reading, numbers, and letters, and spelling. He plays UNO. At three!!!
Should I cut back on my teaching and let him watch TV? Am I making him go too far too fast? His Mom read at age 4, and I took her to the library, but I didn't seem to push her.
So many issues here. A couple notes:
1. If you want him in school early: Pay for private school through first then put him in public school, and you can skip the cutoff drama. You're the grandparent. I'd say about half the kids in our private pre-school had grandparents paying. So... make them an offer. Especially as it's Montessori, and more appropriate to kids that age anyway, I can without hesitation recommend that path. If you can't afford it, oh well.
2. Three is early reading, indicative of relatively high general intelligence, but won't tell you much else. He's definitely not slow, but beyond that? Hard to say.
3. "That is in TWO years. By that time (with the way I am working with him) he'll probably be at second grade level." If he's at second grade level in K, he will be "normal" for a child who is well-cared for and bright. Just as likely, he will stop wanting to sound out words and get bored, OR he will take off and be about four grade levels ahead by that time. You are a grandparent so you know this, but just a reminder: child development is not linear.
And yeah, get the kid outside. That's where kids develop the physical instincts they use in math, physics, and beyond. Reading is one thing. Number, space and time sense is another.
I have a child who read at 3 and one that read at 5. The one that read at 3 was reading at a 7th or 8th grade level by 2nd grade. We thought she was seriously gifted. Nope, just read early, she's 14 now and all of her friends caught up by middle school. The one that read at 5 is the seriously gifted one, he just couldn't sit still long enough to learn to read early.
Early reading can be a sign of intelligence, giftedness, etc. It can also just mean that you're an early reader.
There's a definite nature vs. nurture element to high gifted learners vs. high achievers with a rich academic home environment. I never stressed academics when my older kids were toddlers and preschoolers. My older two taught themselves to read between 4-5, but it wasn't something I really worked with them on because academics wasn't a priority. I'm big on play-based learning and exploring, even for gifted learners. It was Kinder when they dabbled in reading in a quasi-academic manner, and they always did really well, were advanced readers early on. I figured time will tell whether their reading level will level out with their peers as they progressed. Usually by third-fourth grade the "late" readers will catch up to the early readers. Our district doesn't even test for gifted programs until third grade.
Early receptive language skills appears to be a good indicator of later reading levels. Learners with the same receptive language skills will usually level out by third grade, even if some of these kids were taught to read at an earlier age.
Stop worrying about his reading and make sure he can run, jump, bend, and climb.
Oh, he does. They live out in the country and I have a heck of a time keeping him out of the woods on their property. I'm his primary caregiver during the summer (I have a seasonal school job and was off all summer, but still spend weekends at their place). We spent the whole summer together. We grew a garden and he spent a lot of time picking berries, looking for creepy crawlies under rocks, swimming, and playing nerf baseball. No close neighbors with kids, which is a shame. Periodically, I jog around the area and keep a close lookout for a house with a new swing set out back. I think he should go to school, because he needs the socialization with kids his age.
Now that I'm back at work, during the week, my daughter takes him to her business where he interacts with adults all day. He helps her unpack shipments, and knows exactly where to put the stuff on the shelves. He regularly gets to play with and interact with customers' kids, but that's only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. I think a school setting would be good for him.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind input. I'll just keep teaching him, make it fun, and we'll see what happens.
BTW, his mother was reading the John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles at 11 (with my permission) and anything Stephen King (without my permission) at the same age! Until she read IT, that is. Today, she hates Stephen King.
Last edited by Mrs. Skeffington; 10-03-2017 at 01:53 PM..
Remember... we are talking to grandparents who very well may have the time and money.
In our case we lost a ton of potential income by homeschooling, traveling, and living and working overseas. And it actually was very cheap to do.
But...if we chose to think like 'most people' we would have handicapped our children, and held hostage our family time and experiences to an American Public School "tradition" (?) How sad.
OP seemed to have the perception to think differently, tho still mentioned "school" ( that is scary, when also considering the future of your kids / grandkids)
All will be different, but the USA public and even private school agenda is really "old school", There are now so many other options to consider. Very Practical options !
Every minute I spent away from my kids (work or other distractions) was GONE / while it was a huge commitment, I don't regret investing many years with them. I am of the mindset that one should 'retire' while your kids are home, and return to work later (if you must) We did businesses, farming, and built homes together as a family. Went on humanitarian mission assignments, and adopted the elderly and families with no parents to 'Read to kids'. Kinda 'different' I presume. We had lots of free time, cuz we didn't have a TV!
Most grandparents I know still work. My husband and I still do. We don't have the means to take grandkids or step grandkids on 6 week trips.
If I had "retired" while my son was home we would have starved. Where would we get money to live on?
My grandson can read fluently (K level), and will not be 4 until next month. I've been working with him all summer, and he's been doing My Baby Can Read since a toddler. He can spell also. Worlds like "mountain", and his first and last names. Problem is, he misses the cutoff of Kindergarten for his school by six weeks and can not enter Kindergarten until he is almost six. That is in TWO years. By that time (with the way I am working with him) he'll probably be at second grade level. He can recite the alphabet FORWARD and BACKWARD.
What do you think. . .
Should I cut back on my teaching and let him watch TV? Am I making him go too far too fast? His Mom read at age 4, and I took her to the library, but I didn't seem to push her.
My daughter was much like your grandson in that respect when she was 3-1/2. I did find a kindergarten that consented to test her and let her start kindergarten that fall. However, I put her in a different school for first grade - a much better one but one that was unwilling to let her enter kindergarten. Once she had actually graduated from kindergarten, they gave her their usual first-grade test and accepted her.
Keep reading and encouraging your grandson to go as far as he is willing - it will benefit him in the long run. If he is still advanced by the time he reaches first grade, you could always have him tested for a gifted program or at least more academically challenging school.
I was also reading at 3. I went to kindergarten at the proper time and ended up skipping the second grade. My school district had a decent gifted program and I was in that. I graduated in the top 15% of my class and took honors classes, but wasn't extraordinarily intelligent by that point.
For a three year old, I'd work on small- and large-motor skills. A friend of mine works with kindergarteners and most of them don't know how to use scissors or zip their jackets. They don't even know how to use crayons. Have him draw with various media, paint on an easel, run, jump, climb, etc. He can use scissors to cut playdoh now if cutting paper is too hard. Give him simple chores around the house and include him in what you're doing. Read him books that are too hard for him to read himself. Let him pick out whatever he wants from the library. And go to storytime and toddler gymnastics and those types of things so he learns how to play with other children.
Once he's in school, they'll be able to assess whether he qualifies for special services. Most kids even out by late elementary school unless they are profoundly gifted. You'll have to see what happens.
Oh, he does. They live out in the country and I have a heck of a time keeping him out of the woods on their property. I'm his primary caregiver during the summer (I have a seasonal school job and was off all summer, but still spend weekends at their place). We spent the whole summer together. We grew a garden and he spent a lot of time picking berries, looking for creepy crawlies under rocks, swimming, and playing nerf baseball. No close neighbors with kids, which is a shame. Periodically, I jog around the area and keep a close lookout for a house with a new swing set out back. I think he should go to school, because he needs the socialization with kids his age.
Now that I'm back at work, during the week, my daughter takes him to her business where he interacts with adults all day. He helps her unpack shipments, and knows exactly where to put the stuff on the shelves. He regularly gets to play with and interact with customers' kids, but that's only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. I think a school setting would be good for him.
Thank you, everyone, for your kind input. I'll just keep teaching him, make it fun, and we'll see what happens.
BTW, his mother was reading the John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles at 11 (with my permission) and anything Stephen King (without my permission) at the same age! Until she read IT, that is. Today, she hates Stephen King.
Great that he can read but as you say yourself he needs to play with other children. He needs to learn how to get along with other children, how to share, deal with conflict, etc. Are there no playgrounds where you live? Nursery schools? Pre-K?
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We did businesses, farming, and built homes together as a family. Went on humanitarian mission assignments, and adopted the elderly and families with no parents to 'Read to kids'. Kinda 'different' I presume. We had lots of free time, cuz we didn't have a TV!
