Thoughtful Thursday: Precocious Readers

I come across so many interesting tidbits of information and research studies in all of the educational psychology books I read, that I thought I would start sharing some of my favorite finds (on Thursdays - if I can).  The latest topic that has caught my attention is that of precocious readers....

A child who learns to read at a very early age...say by 2 or 3 is considered a precocious reader.  In many cases these children learn to read without any formal or special instruction.  Here are some interesting facts about precocious readers as a group:

• they tend to be above average intelligence, but not necessarily exceptional
• they tend to have large vocabularies, although not all precocious talkers become precocious readers
• they tend to have large working memory spans
• they master pre-reading skills like reciting the alphabet and identifying letters before 3
• they tend to have a keen interest in reading, above that of most children
• they will likely remain superior readers through at least 6th grade (although it cannot be assumed that reading early causes the later reading advantage)

While 50% of children with high IQs tend to be early readers, the other 50% are not; in addition, reading early can be a sign of "giftedness" but not always. 

For more information, research findings, and ways to support early readers, check out this site regarding best practices in gifted education, advanced, and special needs learners.  I found this excerpt extremely interesting. 

Enjoy and expand your knowledge....