...he can pretty much 'read' anything, aka, look at a word and be able to recognize it and speak it...
In case this helps for future, there's a word for that: this stage of reading is commonly called decoding. Other stages of reading skill development include fluency and comprehension. These skills tend to develop over time, like walking before running. Vocabulary acquisition is important to developing comprehension.
Portia gave great tips and advice IMO.
Keeping a good quality children's dictionary handy while reading may be one more thing to try, if your child enjoys using it. This can encourage exploring meaning and context.
Strong decoding while fluency and comprehension are developing is not really an example of asynchrony. For thoughts on asynchrony, interested parents may wish to read the book
Off the Charts: Asynchrony and the Gifted Child. (link-
http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Resources_id_15952.aspx)
The relatively more rapid development of decoding skills as compared with comprehension skills may be reflected in the reading levels recommended for a student in school. Schools may stretch skills for decoding then take a step back and work on comprehension skills. This may take parents aback as they may wonder why their child regressed (in most cases the child did not regress in decoding skills which may continue to soar, but the child is now working to build foundational comprehension skills). Sometimes these stages are called "learning to read, and reading to learn".
Independent readers may be those who not only decode on their own, but also excel in fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and comprehension. Because students may acquire much vocabulary from the printed page their vocabulary acquisition may continue to benefit from reading aloud, hearing others read aloud, or using online pronunciation guides such as Forvo. For example, encountering the printed word
colonel, a student may benefit from understating this word sounds like
kernel.
The MAP test website (NWEA.org) offers a free downloadable RIT chart, sharing information which illustrates progressive reading skill development.
Once a child is in school, in some cases, such as F&P, a teacher may be able to share a comprehension rubric, the results of which are separate from the reading level letter score. Further conversation may lead to the Continuum of Literacy Learning, a book which the teacher may have received included in the professional framework, part of the benchmark assessment system.
I forget I'm talking to/dealing with a 3 year old, because he so often doesn't act/perform/talk like a 3 year old, you know?
Asynchrony
