RedTailHawk wrote: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.

Ha, ha, ha. Don't fall for this scam. They say it's "free" so they can fake diagnose your kid. They're all about making money, so they'd be sure the OP would dump a bunch of cash on ST that her kid doesn't really need.

OP, you really should consider re-entering the workforce. Your brain needs to stop stagnating and making up imagined issues. Your kid is fine.

OP , take-home message… What you're asking of you 3 1/2 year-old is not developmentally appropriate.

RedTailHawk wrote: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.

I also know kids who couldn't walk at 6 months and went on to be found to have CP. While it's true that the very small number of kids who walk at 6 months usually don't have CP, not walking at 6 months is not a sign of CP. It's a sign of being 6 months old.

I would also question your dyslexia diagnosis. If one year of intense reading intervention got a kid completely on track, then the dyslexia diagnosis is quite suspect, since dyslexia is a life long condition, and would continue to impact her acquisition of skills.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Remedial reading teacher again.

Generating words that begin with a sound is not a skill that is needed for reading or writing. All they need to do to read is to know letter sounds, and be able to blend them together to make a word. For writing, they need to know letter sounds, and how to segment the whole word into each sound.

"Give me 5 words that start with the sound /s/" requires a lot of complicated skills and they aren't necessarily required for reading and writing, but they might be required to complete some reading and writing worksheets or activities he might be given in class.

1) search through memory to find a word, say the word, segment at least the first sound, and compare it to the sound /s/

or


2) say /s/ out loud and then search your memory banks for some words it could start.


It might be a lot easier on your child if you give him 10 possible words, and have him pick the ones that start with /s/.

You are describing a sequence of learning to read that is pretty specific for older readers who have very different cognitive skills from a 3.5 year old.

Totally not relevant here, and harmful to suggest.

Omg get a grip and let him have an original thought. He has his whole life to run the rat race.

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.

Remedial reading teacher again.

Generating words that begin with a sound is not a skill that is needed for reading or writing. All they need to do to read is to know letter sounds, and be able to blend them together to make a word. For writing, they need to know letter sounds, and how to segment the whole word into each sound.

"Give me 5 words that start with the sound /s/" requires a lot of complicated skills and they aren't necessarily required for reading and writing, but they might be required to complete some reading and writing worksheets or activities he might be given in class.

1) search through memory to find a word, say the word, segment at least the first sound, and compare it to the sound /s/

or

2) say /s/ out loud and then search your memory banks for some words it could start.


It might be a lot easier on your child if you give him 10 possible words, and have him pick the ones that start with /s/.

It's not unusual at all for a 3.5yo to have poor phonemic awareness and it's not a cause for concern at this age. It could be a sign of dyslexia if he was 5 and unable to identify beginning sounds or rhymes. At this point I would not be concerned at all unless there are other immediate family members with dyslexia.

For right now, just keep reading to him. Books with strong cadence, rhyming, and alliteration build phonemic awareness -- think Mother Goose, Dr. Seuss, etc. Dr. Seuss' ABC book especially incorporates beginning letter sounds. I also echo what PP said ... ask "what begins with a /k/ sound?" rather than "what begins with 'c'?"

your kids is 3.5.. chill the F out.

OP, I teach remedial reading for kids coming to this country with no literacy (and usually no English).

Here is the sequence I teach and expect. Your child at 3.5 might not be ready for it yet but should be soon.

1) teach one key word for each consonant and short vowel sound.

Show picture, say word. example:
<<picture of an apple>> say "Apple"
<<picture of an bat>> say "bat"

Important: Except for the key words for vowel sounds, all key words are one syllable words and they are very simple words -- CVC for the most part. bat, cup, duck. Don't confuse kids with 3 syllable words like dinosaur, dishtowel, etc. when doing phonics. Just three sounds.

2) teach kids to isolate the first sound of each word by repeating the sound 3 times, then saying the word.

"a...a...a...apple. b....b....b...bat c...c...c...cup d...d...d...duck....e...e...e...egg" etc.

Never have them say the letter name "Ay, Bee, See, Dee is for ....." Just say the sound.

Stick with this stage for as long as you need. You can say the sound "b....b.....b..... and wait for them to pick a picture card. Say they pick the picture <<duck>> You say... " OK let's try that... b...b...b...buck. Is that a buck? No? Can you find the word that starts with b...b...b....?

3) Eventually you want to be able to just say the sound and have the kids find the letter. SO you will put the picture on the back of the card, and the letter on the front, and let them flip if they need to. Then you want to say the sound and have them be able to write it.

This poor child.

You know what concepts your three year old needs to be working on? Which toys are awesome and how to be a good friend.

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?

You're absolutely right. He has no understanding of this concept. End of subject.

Keep working on it, by making learning fun.

Anonymous wrote: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.

+1 if he's not outside a development range, which he doesn't seem to be, you need to step away.

RedTailHawk wrote: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.

You are right, but... Please don't assume.that 31/2 year old who doesnt understand letter to sound connections is dyslexic. Too early. BUT if by 41/2 or 5 your child doesn't get it, or can't rhyme a little, etc then be concerned.