I have been trying to teach my 3 (now 4) y/o to read and while he's getting it, the process is very slow and he won't try reading on his own except to look at the pictures.
On the other hand, he finds numbers delightful, can add two digit numbers and knows his multiplication table up to 10, loves squares and square roots, and can do simple algebra problems in his head (equivalent to solving 3x+1=28). He once sat by himself with his blocks for an hour figuring out all the triangular numbers ("step squad" numbers) that he could make with the 200 blocks he had.
I think you just have to try different things and see what the kid latches on to. Lego, drawing, music, whatever. Reading is not the only way to activate your brain, and I think peer pressure is a big part of why kids want to learn to read once they get to school. That and there are just too many ways to be entertained these days (video, audio, toys, etc.) while reading takes true grit.
My oldest son was similar and when he did start reading he wouldn’t stop. We restricted screen time but never books (until he was up all night reading, rushing through work to read, etc.).
You may want to look into having your son tested for gifted services when he reaches school age and if he’s highly gifted and your district offers it, enroll him in a comprehensive gifted program. Someone with abstract reasoning like that may benefit from a modified educational environment.
On the other hand, he finds numbers delightful, can add two digit numbers and knows his multiplication table up to 10, loves squares and square roots, and can do simple algebra problems in his head (equivalent to solving 3x+1=28). He once sat by himself with his blocks for an hour figuring out all the triangular numbers ("step squad" numbers) that he could make with the 200 blocks he had.
I think you just have to try different things and see what the kid latches on to. Lego, drawing, music, whatever. Reading is not the only way to activate your brain, and I think peer pressure is a big part of why kids want to learn to read once they get to school. That and there are just too many ways to be entertained these days (video, audio, toys, etc.) while reading takes true grit.