Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Spontaneous Reader and Chapter Books

Our dd4 (5 in November) was a spontaneous reader just before age 3. She loves books but mostly just pages through them studying pictures and reading parts here and there. Two weeks ago, she took the WPPSI-3 and the WIAT-2 and she hit the ceiling with 160 for word reading on the WIAT2. When we can get her to read aloud she reads fluently and with feeling but she resists reading to us. She loves for us to read to her, and like I said, when she reads alone she seems to be studying pictures intently and only reading bits and pieces of stories on each page. My question is...Is it a concern that she is more than capable of devouring chapter books geared toward first and second graders but still isn't? She prefers picture books and leveled readers. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

My son is an avid reader and at 8, reads at a late high school level. When he was reading at 4, the bigger problem was not that he couldn't read the story and understand but that the font was simply too small for him to track well. Many picture books are actually written at a higher level because the authors assume adults will be reading the story. If you want to try her out on a higher level book, you can get a magnifying ruler for her, see if your library has large print books or get her an ereader where you can enlarge the font size.

As for loving people reading to her, my son still likes me to read to him every night. It's a little odd that I'll read aloud SkippyJon Jones all snuggled up in bed and when we're done, he'll pick up his own giant book and read. But it's part of our routine and it's perfect!

He also listens to audiobooks often in the car. You can try her on some higher level audiobooks too. My son's first favorite was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because he could close his eyes and imagine everything.

You have described my son who is now 7. He perfectly fits the profile that you shared of your daughter, except he went through a period around 4 where he wouldn't read to us at all. I just let it go and didn't push it. Then, somewhere around five or so, I began to catch him reading more advanced material... ahem, excuse me... "looking at" more advanced reading material. That seems to be what he wanted me to think, that he was just looking at the books.

He loved being read to, and we did that often, but he also sat and read in his book closet on-and-off throughout the day. I knew he could read. I just didn't know how well he could read at this point. One day I walked into the living room and caught him reading the newspaper. I asked, "What are you reading?" He replied and then he realized that he had ratted on himself. I just grinned at him and he sheepishly grinned back. Then he ran away and hid in his book closet. LOL

I decided at that point that I would just get him to read a sentence here and there. He really did not like doing this, as he seemed embarrassed or something. He did well, so I persisted, but very gently. I would get him to tell me what short sentences on boxes read, things like that to coax him out of his shell. Finally, just a short while later, I got him to start buddy reading with me at night. He still much preferred that I read to him, but I kept at it and slowly increased what I asked him to read.

Once he started schooling (he's homeschooled) there was the expectation that he would read much more. It really didn't take long before he just gave up and whatever had been preventing him from reading aloud to us simply went away. He was immediately reading through books like "Charlotte's Web" and "Stuart Little" in kindergarten. As I exposed him to harder books in first and second grades (junior high level books in 1st grade and high school level books in 2nd grade), he stepped right up without any issues, though he did have to get used to the older style language of some of the books that we read. He does still read some books on lower levels, but he clearly prefers the more advanced literature now. I suspect your daughter will be the same, esp. with scores like that. I would be gentle with her, but I would also stretch her at times, too. I'll bet that she'll rise to the occasion in the next year or two, if given the opportunity.

Is she selecting content? My middle DD (who does not have scores that high) has been very self limiting with what she watches and reads from a young age. She will walk away from TV shows her older sister is watching and is often not interested in listening to stories read to her big sister, although she is well able to understand them. It seems like she simply prefers age appropriate materials.

Kacee,

Your daughter sounds like my DD as well. The kids like to chose picture book because they can visualize it even though they are capable readers.

Show her a movie (adapted from the book) and tell her that the book is better. If she likes the movie, she will try the book and she will start using her imagination. My DD liked to listen to magic treehouse audiotapes when she was 3-4 and she started reading those by 5. She did not try bigger book until she watched Percy Jackson movie and she finished all Rick Riordan's books and Harry Potter series before 7. Now she tells people that the books are better than movies because you can make anything in your imagination.

My son is the same age as your DD. He went through a phase over the summer where he wanted nothing to do anymore with chapter books. He lives all things silly, and just recently someone mentioned the Fly Guy books. He read all of them in a few days. That got him back into reading longer books he also loves Scooby Doo, so we buy him those chapter books and he does great. He still has no interest in the Magic Tree House or Junie B books though. DS 6 loved those when he was 4.

Maybe look for a chapter book series with a character she loves?

This is all so wonderful. Great Job!!