Reading ideas for gifted child

[AnyDream]

Schedule in a time to meet the school librarian (with him along) and she can teach him how to browse the sections of the library that has material suitable to his reading level...and how to select material himself. He should be reading a mixture of fiction & non-fiction, material that is too easy, material that is just right and a few things that are a bit harder too. Talk to him sometimes about what he's reading, and read aloud together, so that there's a culture of shared enjoyment in the house.

There's a fabulous website in every state for the Premier's Reading Challenge, they have age-grouped book lists which could give you some ideas. Don't forget that you can also provide him with magazines, newspapers and "real life" reading opportunities. It all counts esp if he's thirsty for information.

[Phteven]

I was an advanced reader. My advice would be to get a membership for your local library and let him decide what to read for himself. It doesn't matter if he reads a novel in 30 minutes if he enjoyed it (although it gets to be a PITA to be constantly having to find new books). Ask the librarain to teach him the basics of the dewey system and what a bibliography is and he'll be able to use any library in the world.
My parents never bothered telling me what was too old for me so I ended up reading all sorts of 'unsuitable' literature and remaining blissfully unaware of how adult it was.

[Turkish Delight]

Fabulous idea about meeting the librarian and getting him taught the dewey system. I'm taking him to the library tonight then. He lurves the library. He goes directly to the picture book section. I have to keep remembering that he is only 7.

I'll get him to make a list of favourite non-fiction topics which we can look for in the library together.

We are really bad at returning books back. So i tend to buy them. And at $10 a book which he reads in about 30mins.....

Thanks girls.

[Rouge]

Let him read what he wants to read, age appropriate material be it fiction or non fiction. My daughter is gifted and the school allocate her special areas of the library from which she can read from. And she's reading at grade 6 level (in grade 2) yet they need to monitor content thoroughly. Something you might want to keep in mind.

Be wary with the premiers challenge my GF had LOTS of issues with it because her daughter is gifted and they won't let her enter in the older section but she will not ready the younger children's books for her age group.

[~Saram~]

Yep it is hard to find stuff that interests them and is appropriate for them but stll extends their reading level. In my experience any reading is good reading so yep if he wants to read picture books, go for it. there are some great picture books for older readers like Mao's last dancer, and books by Gary Crew - check these though as some are a bit dark and scary. Colin Thompson (I think) also does some good picture books for older readers.

Also have a look at the magazine section if he is interested in science (scientrific is a good one) and there are others as well that might pique his interest.

Non- fiction are great for building vocab if you can find topics he is interested in.

To extend his reading ability as well talk to him about the books and read them together out aloud so he builds his comprehension and also verbal reading skill, using tone, pitch and punctuation.

I think it is fabulous that you are involved in his reading!!! Fantastic work

[AnyDream]

TD, enjoy your visit to the library! He will probably keep reading picture books for a while even alongside harder stuff, and it's completely appropriate for him to do so. There are a lot of age-appropriate concepts and information about the way the world works in picture books that is not necessarily spelt out in novels.

Be wary with the premiers challenge my GF had LOTS of issues with it because her daughter is gifted and they won't let her enter in the older section but she will not ready the younger children's books for her age group.

That's totally dumb. In our reading challenge (SA) you're allowed to read up, and if a particular child is reading at a different developmental level (down) they are allowed (with approval from their teacher) to read from lower booklists too. My DD slowed herself down by selecting books above her reading age and I had to redirect her to some easier books just so she'd get the challenge finished on time.

[Rivlas]

My DH used to read encycopedias from a young age, starting from just browsing through the pictures to fully reading them.
You can also get him to write stories including pictures, for his sister and then reading them to her.