4 year old cannot recognize any letter

[Anonymous]

Can he recognize shapes?

[Anonymous]

Can he repeat (echo back) a consonant sound when you make it? Can he repeat back a word when you ask him to say it?

If so, can he tell you the sound at the beginning of a word ("Say snake... What sound do you hear first?")
[This may require some modeling and practice if he's never done this before, and I'd also keep to a small set of easy-to-hear beginning sounds at first.]

If he is having a hard time repeating back sounds, I would check with the pediatrician about a hearing screening.

A vision screening would also give you more information.

As for recognizing letters, finding out if he recognizes shapes, as pp have mentioned, would be helpful.
Does it matter what color the letters are printed in?
Is school working consistently with one set of letters (uppercase or lowercase), or uppercase and lowercase?

Is his name printed and posted on a wall somewhere so he can regularly see it?

Starting with his own name is a powerful way for kids to connect to letters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah, I love these reading panic threads. I didn’t learn to read until I was 7 or 8 (second grade). According to my mother, I wasn’t interested and they didn’t push it. Fast forward 10 years, got perfect scores on the reading and writing sections of the SAT with no prep. Always in advanced reading classes. Early literacy just doesn’t matter. Other countries don’t stress about this the way we do.

OP is not concerned that their child cannot read. They are concerned that the child cannot recognize letters after a couple of years of frequent exposure. Most 4 year olds with exposure to letters can recognize some by that age. Maybe they are just not interested, or maybe they are experiencing a challenge that can be addressed early. While it is stressful as a parent to worry about these issues, early intervention is better in the long term.

Anybody think it’s ironic that the guy who is bragging about his ability to read wasn’t able to actually read the question posted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah, I love these reading panic threads. I didn’t learn to read until I was 7 or 8 (second grade). According to my mother, I wasn’t interested and they didn’t push it. Fast forward 10 years, got perfect scores on the reading and writing sections of the SAT with no prep. Always in advanced reading classes. Early literacy just doesn’t matter. Other countries don’t stress about this the way we do.

OP is not concerned that their child cannot read. They are concerned that the child cannot recognize letters after a couple of years of frequent exposure. Most 4 year olds with exposure to letters can recognize some by that age. Maybe they are just not interested, or maybe they are experiencing a challenge that can be addressed early. While it is stressful as a parent to worry about these issues, early intervention is better in the long term.

Anybody think it’s ironic that the guy who is bragging about his ability to read wasn’t able to actually read the question posted?

I think it’s freaking hilarious! I was hoping that I wasn’t the only one to catch it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a bilingual household?

how would being bilingual matter in this case?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah, I love these reading panic threads. I didn’t learn to read until I was 7 or 8 (second grade). According to my mother, I wasn’t interested and they didn’t push it. Fast forward 10 years, got perfect scores on the reading and writing sections of the SAT with no prep. Always in advanced reading classes. Early literacy just doesn’t matter. Other countries don’t stress about this the way we do.

OP is not concerned that their child cannot read. They are concerned that the child cannot recognize letters after a couple of years of frequent exposure. Most 4 year olds with exposure to letters can recognize some by that age. Maybe they are just not interested, or maybe they are experiencing a challenge that can be addressed early. While it is stressful as a parent to worry about these issues, early intervention is better in the long term.

Anybody think it’s ironic that the guy who is bragging about his ability to read wasn’t able to actually read the question posted?

Totally. What an idiot.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. He can recognize shape and color, and he can recognize his names out of some name lists. He can repeat back all the words or sounds that I say. He can talk, and he can recognize pictures and tell me what they are. He cannot rhyme any word, cannot tell what is the beginning sound of 'snake", and he has problem recognize any letters (uppercase or lowercase) PLUS numbers.

He has been screened for hearing test and his daycare is for K readiness. Developmental pediatrician is not concerned for now, but I am more sitting around for problem to come. He can sing abc songs and number songs. He can tell me "a" is for apple, "b" is for bus etc because he memorized them all. He is exposed to a foreign language a month ago, and it is interesting that he memorize a new kid song in that language.

How & where can a kid that young to screen for dyslexia? Who is performing the test? Speech therapist or reading tutor or what? But he can't read anything yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. He can recognize shape and color, and he can recognize his names out of some name lists. He can repeat back all the words or sounds that I say. He can talk, and he can recognize pictures and tell me what they are. He cannot rhyme any word, cannot tell what is the beginning sound of 'snake", and he has problem recognize any letters (uppercase or lowercase) PLUS numbers.

He has been screened for hearing test and his daycare is for K readiness. Developmental pediatrician is not concerned for now, but I am more sitting around for problem to come. He can sing abc songs and number songs. He can tell me "a" is for apple, "b" is for bus etc because he memorized them all. He is exposed to a foreign language a month ago, and it is interesting that he memorize a new kid song in that language.

How & where can a kid that young to screen for dyslexia? Who is performing the test? Speech therapist or reading tutor or what? But he can't read anything yet.

I meant I am not sitting here and waiting for problem to come later.

[Anonymous]

OP, you could start with Child Find - they will do a free assessment. I do not have any personal experience with them or know of experiences with regards to dyslexia, but the people I know who have used Child Find for other issues have had very good things to say.

[Anonymous]

OP, no one is going to screen a 4 yo for dyslexia. You just have to keep working on the skill and see where he lands. Testing discussions for dyslexia don't usually start until 1st grade at the earliest. I think they usually want kids to be at least 7 yo before testing in my school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. He can recognize shape and color, and he can recognize his names out of some name lists. He can repeat back all the words or sounds that I say. He can talk, and he can recognize pictures and tell me what they are. He cannot rhyme any word, cannot tell what is the beginning sound of 'snake", and he has problem recognize any letters (uppercase or lowercase) PLUS numbers.

He has been screened for hearing test and his daycare is for K readiness. Developmental pediatrician is not concerned for now, but I am more sitting around for problem to come. He can sing abc songs and number songs. He can tell me "a" is for apple, "b" is for bus etc because he memorized them all. He is exposed to a foreign language a month ago, and it is interesting that he memorize a new kid song in that language.

How & where can a kid that young to screen for dyslexia? Who is performing the test? Speech therapist or reading tutor or what? But he can't read anything yet.

The Reading Rockets website will answer some of your questions and has suggestions for alphabet-learning apps:
https://www.readingrockets.org/literacyapps/alphabet-knowledge

More suggestions: https://www.pbs.org/parents/preschool-learning-at-home/literacy-for-preschoolers-letters

You say he can't recognize letters or numbers, but what if you ask him to write them? Can he trace and then copy them? Or trace and say the letter or number out loud repeating after you?
Read about making sand and playdough letters: https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow/age-3/literacy/writing

[Anonymous]

This could be an expression of their dissatisfaction with their GAAB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. He can recognize shape and color, and he can recognize his names out of some name lists. He can repeat back all the words or sounds that I say. He can talk, and he can recognize pictures and tell me what they are. He cannot rhyme any word, cannot tell what is the beginning sound of 'snake", and he has problem recognize any letters (uppercase or lowercase) PLUS numbers.

He has been screened for hearing test and his daycare is for K readiness. Developmental pediatrician is not concerned for now, but I am more sitting around for problem to come. He can sing abc songs and number songs. He can tell me "a" is for apple, "b" is for bus etc because he memorized them all. He is exposed to a foreign language a month ago, and it is interesting that he memorize a new kid song in that language.

How & where can a kid that young to screen for dyslexia? Who is performing the test? Speech therapist or reading tutor or what? But he can't read anything yet.

Hi OP,

Since he has trouble recognizing letters, how he is able to recognize his name? Can you ask him how he can tell it is his? I’m wondering what he sees when he sees a bunch of letters together. Is he looking at the first letter? The length of the name? A specific letter that looks like a shape, like an o?

[Anonymous]

As a parent - you frequently know when things are off even if you can not put your finger on the technical thing.

Call Mindwell in VA to discuss when they think the best time to schedule an evaluation.
https://mindwell.us/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. He can recognize shape and color, and he can recognize his names out of some name lists. He can repeat back all the words or sounds that I say. He can talk, and he can recognize pictures and tell me what they are. He cannot rhyme any word, cannot tell what is the beginning sound of 'snake", and he has problem recognize any letters (uppercase or lowercase) PLUS numbers.

He has been screened for hearing test and his daycare is for K readiness. Developmental pediatrician is not concerned for now, but I am more sitting around for problem to come. He can sing abc songs and number songs. He can tell me "a" is for apple, "b" is for bus etc because he memorized them all. He is exposed to a foreign language a month ago, and it is interesting that he memorize a new kid song in that language.

How & where can a kid that young to screen for dyslexia? Who is performing the test? Speech therapist or reading tutor or what? But he can't read anything yet.

Hi OP,

Since he has trouble recognizing letters, how he is able to recognize his name? Can you ask him how he can tell it is his? I’m wondering what he sees when he sees a bunch of letters together. Is he looking at the first letter? The length of the name? A specific letter that looks like a shape, like an o?

My son is dyslexic -
I can not explain his brain but my assumption was he saw his name as a shape as opposed to 4 distinct letters and was there for able to know it was his name.