An unexpected early reader

Fintan, three, is the least verbal of our children. He is very much a visual child. Yet, he has surprised us with his verbal development.

A few days ago, my wife Syahidah was in a library with Fintan, where she was reading books to him. Suddenly, he pointed at some script and said: "What about this: follow the line."

Syahidah looked at where he was pointing and read there the words: "follow the line."

What surprised her was not that he should recognize some words - for he has been doing that for over six months, at random times, but that he should have read words she was sure she had never read to him, before. He had not seen the word "follow" or the word "line" written down before.

Fintan, the least verbal of our children, is reading.

What is also notable is that he didn't say the words piecemeal as if reading phonemes one by one, as some children might - but had said the words naturally in a normal, conversational voice.

We are coming to understand, that every one of our children is surprising. All three of them defy our expectations. If we come to a view of them, and a set of expectations, it is not long before they do something to upset that view.

What next?