Everywhere I read that HG+ children read with little or no assistance at all
I'd been worried about this too - given that I've been expecting DS6 to start reading independently for the last couple of years! But I talked recently with a friend whose children, now in their late 20s, are both HG - she said her daughter has always been a dynamo and certainly was reading early, but her son, who is theoretically smarter, has always been more of a drifter and didn't start until he was six or seven. It's nice to know we're not the only ones, though I hope my boys won't drift too much (incidentally - even with a quite fancy looking career, his mother still says he's lazy and could be using his brain more).
We had the boys' eyes tested recently, and DS6 apparently is mildly long-sighted and needs to work on his tracking. The optometrist said that this usually isn't an issue, but with some children getting glasses makes a huge change in reading. We're following his advice and just watching the situation for the next six months or so.
We'll also try the word wall idea - sounds fantastic! DS6 hate hates hates sounding things out phonetically, although he's been able to for years. I think he'll like the word wall - sort of a monument to his own cleverness - bound to appeal.
