2 1/2 year old can recognize similar words...

Question

My 2 1/2 year old son is recognizing words that are the same on the pages of his books. Is this normal for this age? He enjoys pointing out the "matches" while we read. What do you think? Is there any other way to continue to encouage this?

Answer 1

I think hyperlexia should be evaluated by a pediatric neurologist.  My father did this at this age.  He was dx with hyperlexia at age 3, and later asperger's syndrome.  He is now a psychologist

Answer 2

Hi,

My daughter loved letters and words from a very early age, just like your son. We never forced her to learn anything, she would just come to us with a book and start asking "what is this" (the letters).

We had some ABC wooden blocks and started to teach her the alphabet and before she was 3, she knew all her letters and like your son, started recognizing similar words.

I think that teaching her the alphabet early was one of the best things we done to encourage that. Also we always read bedtime stories to our children and let them look at the pictures and words. We find that that created the basis for their love for books and reading, the association between a book and this magical, fantasy world.

There's also jigsaws that spell small words (like 3 letter words) and they were always around the house.

Some kids are just more naturally inclined for some areas than others.

I think that the best that you can give to your child is your time and attention. A lot of parents are to busy to answer their children and just send them to watch t.v. Make time for your child, and make sure to answer him and satisfy his curiosity, cause bright children ask a lot of questions (it can be tiring).

With relation to the previous answer, I would just like to say that you should not worry, but be happy, cause it seems that you have a litle bright child in the making. My oldest daughter is now 6 and she's in primary school. She's considered an excepcionally able student and one of the characteristics of children like her is exactly being able to read from an early age. She's also been recomended to do a university course designed for bright children.

It's tiring, but worth it.

Answer 3

Sure is. My son loved doing that also. We bought him some books that he was able to draw a line to the matches also. He loved it!!