He's just not interested in it and isn't fully grasping the concept, but he will get it. I've been amazed at how my DS's capacity to understand this has just exploded in the past few months. He's 4.5. Prior to this, he really didn't get the concept but recently, he's said out of the blue things like, "Peanut butter and purple both start with P." I can do what you're doing and say, "Da da dragon -- what does that start with?" and he often knows. We haven't done anything major at home or at school except some small amount of practice, etc. I think it's just a developmental thing.

At this age, I absolutely do not think this is unusual. If he still can't get the concept at all in at age 4.5 or 5, then you might look into what the PP described in terms of dyslexia, but I think that's unlikely to be the case just based on what you've said. Just keep practicing sounding things out. In fact, you might want to practice JUST using letter sounds more than the names of letters because it can be confusing. So, call the letter "m" (which you'd normally call "em") as "ma" and "w" (which you'd normally call "double u") as "wa."

This was my child. Everyone said just wait - it is not a milestone DC should have yet. At 4.5 they started learning rhyming in pre-school - and she absolutely could not do it, despite being able to describe rhyming, the process for doing it etc, for > 12 months. Turns out significant delay being able to learn pre-reading skills is dyslexia too (I thought it was only delay learning to read). Kindergarten staff basically laughed and said can't be dyslexic so young. Fortunately we got intense private help and her reading skills were back on track in a year.

So - it could absolutely be just a fluke. However if you have concerns, see a speech pathologist. Some speech therapy places like Treatment Learning Center periodically offer free screening.

How about D is for...Dafuq?

Anonymous wrote:I would just be saying..D words...dragon, dance, draw, dark, deck...and he can pick one to being to class...and eventually he will make the connection... Doesn't have to be today.

Or even in the next 2 years.

Do you think he should also be able to do calculus? If no, then why? Because it's above his developmental level. So is this. Back off. There's plenty of time for him to learn these concepts.

Also, back off on the letter names. Don't ask what starts with "Dee". Ask what starts with the "dih" sound. You are trying to get him to make too many connections (word to sound, sound to letter). Keep it more simple.

I would just be saying..D words...dragon, dance, draw, dark, deck...and he can pick one to being to class...and eventually he will make the connection... Doesn't have to be today.

Anonymous wrote:My 3.5 year knows all his letters and letter sounds. He can spell his name and even spell some other sight words. He can not name me words that sorts with a specific letter. I could ask to name me words that starts with S and he will say snake only because that's the picture that goes with S on his puzzles, he can not name anything else that starts with S even though he knows the sound.

Tomorrow he has show and share at preschool and he has to bring something that starts with the Letter D and despite them going over items all week that start with the letter D he could not remember any of them. I said what about dragon can you sound out the word dragon and he went "dragon ddddragon da da dragon." I said good what letter do you think dragon starts with! His response "umm.. k." I said well hmmm you said da da da dragon what letter makes the Da sound? He happily told me D makes that sound. Good so what letter does da da dragon start with? "Umm I dunno a B?"

How is he completely missing this concept. It is like he has no understanding of the concept. How can I help him understand the words correlate with the sound?

It isn't age appropriate for him to understand this AT ALL. So back off.

It's. a cause he has no understanding of the concept. That's ok, it's not something he needs to get at 3. Just keep having the conversations where you make the letter sounds. Focus on getting him to identify the sound-not the letter. Over time it will connect.

*you should only have this conversation if you can make it fun and not get stressed or angry if he is wrong.

Anonymous wrote:Stop. Just stop.

You beat me to this exact response!

Stop. Just stop.

Aww, he's only 3! Id be really surprised if his preschool teacher expects them all to be able to do that at this age. This is just the very early stage of learning letter sounds. My son is 4.5 and while he likes to TRY to identify letter sounds, he's not always right. And nobody is worried about that.

He can't get it now. Just back off and try again after the new year or something. It'll click at some point. It's clearly just not going to click now.

Maybe you should teach yourself not to be insane.

My 3.5 year knows all his letters and letter sounds. He can spell his name and even spell some other sight words. He can not name me words that sorts with a specific letter. I could ask to name me words that starts with S and he will say snake only because that's the picture that goes with S on his puzzles, he can not name anything else that starts with S even though he knows the sound.

Tomorrow he has show and share at preschool and he has to bring something that starts with the Letter D and despite them going over items all week that start with the letter D he could not remember any of them. I said what about dragon can you sound out the word dragon and he went "dragon ddddragon da da dragon." I said good what letter do you think dragon starts with! His response "umm.. k." I said well hmmm you said da da da dragon what letter makes the Da sound? He happily told me D makes that sound. Good so what letter does da da dragon start with? "Umm I dunno a B?"

How is he completely missing this concept. It is like he has no understanding of the concept. How can I help him understand the words correlate with the sound?