Nearly-7yo Vee has been progressing well across subjects with one exception — reading.
I observe his development closely and it’s clear that he isn’t keen to read much despite being able to read.
He loves solving and discussing math problems usually verbally, with maniplatives or simple model drawings. When it comes to a story problem (to be read), he tends to switch off or wants me to read it to him.
He loves stories and picks up vocabulary quickly. When it comes to story books, he’d read simple ones and prefer to only listen to advanced stories.
Same for music: he plays very well from memory and hearing. When it comes to sight-reading, he needs a long time.
Last year, we brought him for a vision check with an eye specialist. He has slight farsightedness, which is rather common among young children. No glasses were prescribed.
With this latest research article “Farsighted Kids: Reading Skills Fall Behind Before They Start First Grade”, I’m starting to wonder if his reading skills are affected by his farsightedness. However, the research is in its early stages and there isn’t any recommendation.
So for us, I’d continue to do these:
– offer large word cards to read
– read aloud regularly to him
– provide materials that allow him to practise reading aloud and silent reading
If your child is struggling with reading at age 5-6, explore the various possible causes: eyesight problem? eye tracking problem? dyslexia? Each child has his own unique strengths and weakness. As parents / educators, our role is to help them develop their strengths and overcome their weaknesses.
Happy reading!
~ MieVee
MummysHomeschool.com
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Photo credit: OpenClipArt
