Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school what to do about asynchronous development?

ds is now 4 1/2....reading at about a 3rd grade level. but although he can decode and talk about what he has read....he sometimes gets frustrated when he picks up the book that is level appropriate for him bc it is so long. but when he picks up a book that is shorter in length, he is frustrated it is too easy. any ideas on how to help him with that? i wish they made advanced books for early readers that were not so lengthy for kids who haven't built up a 3rd grade level of endurance yet! lol.

We've found lots of picture books between a 3rd and 4th grade level that aren't too long. Scholastic's book wizard can help you find them.

A few that I can remember DD really enjoying (in no particular order):

The Three Little Dinosaurs, by Jim Harris
Bill & Pete (and other books), by Tomie DePaola
Outside Over There (and other books), by Maurice Sendak
Parts (and other books), by Tedd Arnold
Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest, by Judith Viorst
The Seven Silly Eaters, by Mary Ann Hoberman

I have this problem with my DS5. His favorites have been the Franny K Stein Series, I believe they're at about 3rd grade level, but have short chapters with less words on the pages and lots of pictures. He has read all the Franny books, I think they aren't so overwhelming ...

What about reading poetry and/or short stories, which can be done in shorter bursts?

Is he writing and spelling at 3rd grade level? If so you might allow him to write short storys or long storys? Possibly he could also illustrate them if he likes to draw or is artistic. It is concept that allows child to have control over sisutation. It also allows wonderful oppurtunity for building selfesteme. You might help him with printing his own book. When he evaluates all possibilities involved in different process of writing books it allows new perspectives that possibly would alieve his frustration. If he isn't artistic, takeing pictures to put in book as illustrations is also great way to express hisself These are things I have tried that have worked. Hope ideas are of some help. Your son sounds like a delight to have. Wishing you the best.

I don't think this is a big problem. If he's interested enough in reading, his capacity will increase rapidly, along with his speed. I certainly wouldn't push him, as you'd run the risk of dulling his interest. If he wants to read, he'll read.

One thing you could do is see if he's interested in doing some phonics or other drills to increase his speed. There are some good flash card sets out there. He might have a lower reading stress level if reading each word was much easier. He may be able to sound out words at a high level right now, but it may be a slower process than he'd like.

Have you seen the Otto and Uncle Tooth stories by Geoffrey Hayes? Some of them are out of print, but I think they're great for what they are: whimsical, fun adventure stories, with vocabulary that's not too challenging. They're short enough for most early readers to memorize at least a lot of the content and recall it in context, so they're good for increasing confidence as well as, I suspect, sight word recognition. They're also organized in mini-chapters, so that your son can feel better about leaving one in the middle.

My DS4 is going through a Tintin phase right now. Something like that might fit the bill; your son can read as much as he wants at a sitting, vocabulary is not so difficult that an early reader can't figure out the tough words from context most of the time, and there is a picture in every frame to keep interest up, if your son still likes a lot of pictures. They were published originally as comic strips, so they're a thrill a minute.

Also, the DK big flat books are great IMHO for such a situation. They are meant for browsing, and there is a fair amount of advanced vocabulary on most of the pages, though often in the notes attached to the pictures.

The DK readers and Step Into Reading Levels 3-4 would probably be perfect for him. You can get them for $3.99 at any bookstore, and they have lots of popular themes (Thomas, Star Wars, etc etc.)

When my son was that age, National Geographic magazine captions were perfect for him. He loved the pictures, and the captions were just the right amount of reading for his eyes to handle and the challenge level was just right.

Franny K Stein was a really big hit here, too. I like the message given, too. Magic Treehouse books were not, because my sons wanted more action. I found that many picture/story books were good during this phase, because many of them are written with the idea that the kids are being read-to and not reading themselves.

My son has done the same thing and I sometimes say, "Well, just read one chapter then...don't even THINK of reading that whole book." And next thing I know, he won't put the book down til he is done. I have not found any in between books...they are just what you say: too short and easy or long and (seemingly) overwhelming.