It is really hard to tell from this whether you're looking at a kid with a language-based LD, stealth dyslexia, ADHD, Asperger's, nothing really wrong but splinter skills that are confusing people into expecting that everything should be that good, or something else. I could defend any or all of those hypotheses based upon the data, but couldn't prove anything with what we've got here.
What you haven't listed here is "hasn't had the opportunity to learn it yet." This kid is on his third day of kindergarten, and while I know that this board appears populated by parents of kids who intuit reading, there's a reason why reading and writing are taught in schools, right?
Nothing beyond letters and letter sounds were taught in preK. No writing. I have actually been suspecting that he'll figure out the rhyming when he starts in with inventive spelling in another few weeks. This is why I was looking for information on what grade level expectations might be based on his "old for grade" status.
I have a little information (and confirmation that he has unusual math ability) and I'm watching like a hawk.
We are going to give DS a chance to learn in school while I get things more figured out and watch him learn through a more formal setting. I'm working on a temporary hypothesis that he's got a bottle neck that will be opened by formal education.
I'm not rejecting the ideas of dyslexia or something else leading to learning difficulties at this point, but I'm also not rejecting the idea what he just needs a chance to learn in a more structured manner.
