what to do with a 4 year old who can read!

[nuttymummy]

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[kelly2903]

sounds like yous are doing great with him anyway like the teacher said you dont want him to get bored or fed up with reading so i would leave it as it is for now an keep it as fun and not as learning ive found with my step children everything is cool when they are young and they like doing it but as they get older the get fed up with too much of the same thing its really good that he is so advanced and i no you want to progress it i mean who doest want their children to do well but try keep it fun i think you can buy jolly phoenix cards and books at all different levels so try him on some of them or try buy some stuff from the keystage above his.... just remember that what they learn at school is pretty set in stone and stays pretty much the same for all set ages.... so if you teach him too much above his age range he will become bored when he gets to that age as he will already know it but defo congrats ona gifted and talented little boy xxxx

 

[kelly2903]

yeah that totally makes sense i would look into getting him some of them jolly phoenix learning stuff and help him along the way your self school should pick up like they already have that he is further and most upper schools have a gifted and talented too and they spend time with children as a group who are expected to excel in their exams and so on... so i would of thought he'll be ok x

some jolly phonics websites (i pelt it wrong 1st time lol)

https://www.focusonphonics.co.uk/acatalog/phonic_ph-readingschemes_jollyphonics.html

https://www.jollylearning.co.uk/

and also early learning sell stuff and you'll also find things on ebay xx

 

[charlieann]

Hi,
Responding from a teacher's point of view I don't think your school is doing enough for your son. They have assessed his reading level and then giving him books way below this level, what learning is taking place and how can they assess his progression?
It's good they have put him on the GT register, but what are they doing about this? It's no use just putting his name on a list, they need to tailor their lesson plans to teach to all abilities and challenge them.
I'm sure they could find some short stories at the correct level he's working at to avoid his getting bored. I agree with not just focusing on reading and to encourage him building other skills, but the work set should not be below his identified target level. He could also become bored with reading if everything is always too easy for him.

 

[MrsRabbit]

Give him lots of books. When you are out have him read signs.

When he reads something like him reading something to you out loud - have him explain what he read.

If he reads a story and likes it have him write[or tell you out loud] a continuation or a follow up story. Or use one or a few of the characters and make a whole new story. Or ask how he'd change the story. If he was the character what would he have done.

You can get simple Chapter books like The Boxcar Children - Books didn't always have pictures. He could use his imagination. My nephew was 5 when he began reading novels. I'd read 1-2 chapters a night.

I began reading in SK so I was 5-6.

You can buy board games which require reading. Put his ability to use.

 

[twinkle1975]

Might be worth asking to speak to the school's Senco (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) as being Gifted is still a special need, to see if she can be of help - if not ask if any other schools in the area with a G&T programme who you could speak to.
I know the national Assoc for gifted & talented is £35 a year to join but it might be worth it if you can't get anywhere with the school.

 

[marley2580]

Well here's my thoughts as someone that had an reading age of about 12 when I was 4/5. When I was sent to school at 4 everyone made a big deal out of it and I was actually put off reading for a while. Also my mum was told not to worry as I would soon level out with the other kids!

Needless to say my mum wasn't happy about this and so I was home educated instead. I would suggest getting him a library card and letting him loose. Let him pick any books he wants, whether they have pictures in them or not (A lot of factual books have pictures btw). Make the trip at least once a week.

Don't worry too much about his other learning as he's teaching himself by reading all these books. But if he wants to learn harder maths or writing etc you can get workbooks from bookshops and stationary shops.

 

[charlieann]

charlieann,
thanks for the reply, How do i approach the teachers and what do i say? i really want him to put his ability to use and not just fall behind, but if i dont know what to do myself....how to i convince the teacher to do more when she doesnt know either?! LOL

he seems to do his homework with ease....and hes doing the same homework as the other children, and again as mentioned, hes bringing home the easy level books the other children are on, and a book year 3-4 are reading.

Ive had another look at the e-mail the teacher sent to the organization, and the reply she sent (the teacher printed it out for me)
and all they seem to have said is....heres a list of books he may benefit from....and thats it!!
some of the books on there he already has....like hairy maclary, and hes now got two poetry books which he enjoys....his favourite being 'on the ning nang nong' LOL
and i got him a childrens animal encyclopaedia.


im not the type to walk in and say...your doing a crap job, i want something done! LOL

thanks everyone x

nuttymummy, I would write a letter to his class teacher first raising your concerns and ask for feedback. The worse thing you could do is discuss it with someone else in the school without giving the teacher a chance to address the issues. A letter rather than face to face meeting would give the class teacher time to discuss strategies with their line manager and the relevant members of staff. The class teacher has obviously made some attempts to seek help with how to challenge your son from the emails, but has not received enough support.

I'm secondary trained so I'm not certain how teaching works in a reception class, or what experience reception teachers have had with GT pupils. They should be setting the same work, just tailoring it to pupils needs. For example if children were asked to write a story he should be expected to set the scene/ use more descriptive words etc.. (although I'm not an English teacher so this is just a rough example).

I would word the letter to the effects of: thank you for your help and efforts with ... reading levels. As he has been identified as level 6 I feel the books sent home at level.. are not difficult or challenging enough for his ability and hindering his reading progress. Maybe ask what his target level is. (Also mention about him finding his homework easy) As he has been identified as GT I would like to know what strategies have been/will be put in place by the school to ensure he continues to develop and make progress.

 

[mummy3]

I would have him properly assessed by an educational psychologist (there is a great one in birmingham I could pm you the details if you want?) to see if it is just the reading or if he is gifted all round. My daughter started reading very early, she was reading the fantastic mr fox at age 3 for eg. We took her to be assessed and found it was all round with an IQ that went above the test they used to measure (wppsi)! we were given some very helpful advice though by doing this and also got a comprehensive report which helped her get the extra help at school. I must say this went further after we moved to the US than when we lived in the UK.

As for at home, hoagies website is good, trips to the library are great and picture books are fine but we found that by giving an easier book with more pictures actually led to more frustration not the other way round so I'd ask he be given the age he's reading at. Also try and encourage other areas, my daughter was so good at reading we didn't realise she was also good at maths so try and add that in for variety. Maybe some science too

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Hiya, My son has hyperlexia, he has been reading since he was 2, So I know how you must feel. What about things like reading a variety books (not necessary curriculum things but anything) Also, why not try and maybe work on spelling, if he can read the next step is probably spelling?
Try Orchard games, my son loves them

https://www.orchardtoys.com/games/

 

[lozzy21]

I must say i wouldent be happy about him not joining in the group reading, OK so the story may be easy for him to read but then hes not going to be getting the social interaction the other children are.

I would ask where he is at with regards to maths and english and if he is at the same level as the rest of his class i wouldent push his reading, just let him pick the book he wants no matter what age it is because just because he can read and understand it doesnt mean hes going to enjoy it and if it starts to feel like a chore hes not going to want to do it.

 

[Eleanor ace]

As other ladies have suggested I would take your son to the library regularly, if you don't already. Your son is old enough to choose books which appeal to him, especially as he is reading at a high level. Giving him the choice of what he reads (within reason!) should keep it from getting stale. Your son's school will have a SENCo (this is a legal requirement) however some schools have a lot of special needs pupils and G&T children can take a back seat. I have seen children with very high reading levels who have become frustrated and withdrawn when they receive special attention for their reading, as they feel that they should excel in other areas too so I would question your son being removed from group reading. I know it's frustrating but there isn't a lot that your sons teacher can do really, except for adapting work to make it more challenging for your boy. However it would be difficult for his teacher to set him work which challenges his reading without being too difficult in other areas- for example he may have a very good vocabulary, reading comprehension and understanding of the elements of story writing but be unable to use these in his own writing.
I would suggest asking your sons teacher for a parent-teacher consultation and explain that you would like to discuss how you and she can ensure that your son's reading talent is nurtured whilst ensuring that the rest of his eduction isn't overlooked (as he is in Reception his social development is an important part of his schooling and removing him from group activities might impact his social development). She may not realise that you have concerns but the fact that she has contacted specialists and put in place special reading times shows that she is not just brushing your sons gift under the carpet. Arranging a meeting with her will give her time to review the situation and what has been put in place and to look into possible next steps. And no one likes to be put on the spot, so giving her this time to reflect and plan should mean that you get a much better outcome. I would also ask to see your sons e-profile, or whatever method of assessment your school uses, as this should show where he is performing above average if it is not just in reading and this will give you an idea of how to stimulate him further. And you have the right to request an assessment by an educational psychologist but there is usually a looong wait, especially if your son's school doesn't feel that its necessary.
I hope you can get something sorted!

 

[oOKayOo]

Go to the libraby and pick lots of different Books up? Carly is the same , so i just need to give her more books to practise on

 

[mummy3]

Nuttymummy, I believe the assessment was around 350 pounds, worth every penny! I know what you mean about the schools,we moved from Lancashire to here in San Diego.

With the social interaction, its hard to say what is beneficial, in a lot of ways the interaction is more important outwth the classroom as the dfferences in ability can be very marked in a group reading session for eg leading the gifted child to feel more alienated. My daughter is in her own group and she is happy with this, I make a point of readng to her also but her favourite is to read to her siblings

 

[punk_pig]

How do you feel about pushing for a Statement of Special Educational Need? I'm neither recommending them or not but wanted you to be aware it is an option. It will allow his school to access funding to pay for resources to educate him correctly AND it MAY name one or several secondary schools which he should go to because they already have the resources he needs ( they don't always do this though).

The SENCO is the person in charge of getting statements done and it involves an Ed psych assessment for free. However it can be a very long process, especially if the SENCO is busy trying to assess lots of other kids with behavioural problems or learning difficulties!

 

[Nic1107]

Well here's my thoughts as someone that had an reading age of about 12 when I was 4/5. When I was sent to school at 4 everyone made a big deal out of it and I was actually put off reading for a while. Also my mum was told not to worry as I would soon level out with the other kids!

Needless to say my mum wasn't happy about this and so I was home educated instead. I would suggest getting him a library card and letting him loose. Let him pick any books he wants, whether they have pictures in them or not (A lot of factual books have pictures btw). Make the trip at least once a week.

Don't worry too much about his other learning as he's teaching himself by reading all these books. But if he wants to learn harder maths or writing etc you can get workbooks from bookshops and stationary shops.

Agree 100%! I started reading at age 3, wasn't tested until grade 1 but tested out at a year-6 level, then again at a college level in grade 6. The best advice I can give is: don't freak out! lol He's not likely to lose his love of reading if he's left to do what he wants with it. Get him a library card, let him choose his books. I can't possibly quantify all the things I've learned just from reading- novels, non-fiction, even stupid romance novels , and reading for pleasure is a far better way, IMO, to heighten one's reading comprehension anyway. As opposed to being forced to read and dissect novels in school that you'd never choose for yourself, that is. Reading is a joy, a gift and a lifestyle

 

[TwilightAgain]

What about starting him on Harry Potter? I think I started reading those at 9 or 10, and like you said he can read as good as an 11 year old. I know they don't have pictures or anything but at least you know its a good story which might keep his attention?

How about the Road Dahl books? I'm not sure what age they are, but they're quite detailed from what I remember and have a few pictures.

If you don't want him to get bored, you could maybe give him a more detailed book just to trial it and if he's not bothered by no pictures/short stories then that would be great and if not you can always rethink

I agree with the ladies saying get him a library card and let him choose

 

[skydragonfly]

My older 4 children are all on the gifted and talented, its a great scheme. We have summer school activities and allsorts.

With the reading, I too think your school is doing him a disservice. My 4th child is in reception and he too has a high reading age, the school don't make it obvious he is reading very differently to his peers. However he is given books that are great for him. He has had most of the Roald Dahl books, he loved Matilda. He has had all the Astrosaurs books, Spy Dogs, and is now reading the first Harry Potter book. All from the school and all without him being made to feel different from the other children.
Other than that, take him to the library and let him find what he actually likes to read himself.