Like many kids, my 9 y.o. son is a voracious reader. He seems to have plateaued in terms of the level he reads at - Harry Potter, Jules Verne, the Ender Books, Little House books, Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games...so he reads at a fairly high level, but given the choice will not choose anything more demanding than the young adult level that only if the topic is of interest.

What I am a little surprised at is the speed at which he reads. For a long time I assumed he was like me - a voracious reader (best, fastest in my small/medium elementary school) who got through a lot of books by reading every chance I got. But lately I've noticed a few instances where he reads at a rate that seems to go beyond this.

1. I bought him one of the Percy Jackson books as a treat. He said he'd already read it. Knowing they didn't have it at his school, I asked him where. Well, they had a book fair at the school and the kids were allowed to browse for a few minutes each day. He read it from cover to cover during these periods.

2. On a recent weekend I asked him around lunchtime how he was enjoying 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea, which he had picked up that morning. He was done with it. I'm not sure how long it took him, but I know he did more than just read that morning.

3. Most recently, I gave him a copy of The Hunger Games as we got into the car to take a trip we do frequently that takes almost exactly 1 hour and forty five minutes. He finished the book before we got there.


I'm curious to hear opinions for a few reasons. First, his writing abiities are FAR below his reading abilities and he tends to be uneven in general. I am not willing to put a label on him at this point, but I was told by the psychologist who administered the WISC that the discrepnacy between his writing and his reading could be considered a learning disability. SO am interested in accurately gauging the reading ability, as the differential between that and the writing may be indicative of problems.

Second, he is starting at a new school next year and they have an Accelerated Reader program. I am a little wary that he will be accused of cheating, especially as his social skills are not great.


So I'd be interested in hearing any opinion. I have no strong desire to be the mom of a super fast reader, so if his reading speed sounds completely average to you please feel free to state it plainly. He's a very birght boy and meets the minimum stated requirements for DYS, but I'm aware that there are parents here with children whose abilities are much more unusual.

Thanks

P.S. His absolutely is reading these books thoroughly and with good comprehension. He can answer very specific questions.