Do you remember how you learned to read? and when?

[Anonymous]

I was four or so, and I learned to read by a combination of being read to by my parents and following along in the prayer book during church services. I think the church bit was the key -- unfamiliar words and no context, no illustrations. I had to do something to keep myself from being bored to death, so I played "guess the next word they're going to say."

My parents didn't know I could read until the day I walked up behind my mom and started reading a letter that she was typing to a friend. I don't think I got to the good part, but she hustled me away from the typewriter quickly.

[Anonymous]

I was almost three and my grandmother was reading to me, then I started reading the book to her. At first, she thought that I had memorized it, so she switched to another book and then another. Sure enough, I could read. She told my mom, and from then on, I read to myself a lot. My daughter is four and can't yet read.

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the PPs who read at 2. My own DC probably wasn't reading until 5 or 6 (depending on what counts as reading and relying on my fading memory, LOL!)

At any rate, I suspect that the availability of books on tape made independent reading less appealing/necessary for my kid than it had been for me. Basically, like me, DC was read to a lot by parents, but, unlike me, there was also the option of listening to a book with a much more complex and interesting vocabulary and plot and being able to putter around (e.g. draw, play with blocks) while doing so. And the option of hearing the whole book in one big gulp (vs. a chapter or two a night read by a parent). Sure beats decoding a pre-primer, LOL!

FWIW, I think audiobooks were great for DC. DC wrote earlier than I did and still has a great ear for language(s). Independent reading was an easily-acquired skill for DC, but not one acquired before it was needed (i.e. in school).

OTOH, DH started reading later than I did, so it's always possible that DC just takes after DH. (or that DH, like DC, and unlike me, had better things to do when he was little!)

[Anonymous]

I think these posters are full of shit.

I have no recollection of learning to read or taking my first crap on the toilet.

I also think most of their parents are full of shit too with faulty memories.

[Anonymous]

4 - in the 1980s with these little yellow books with safari-type animals. I remember it being really hard.

[Anonymous]

I have no recollection of learning to read. There were a lot of books in the house and we read a lot. We were home with our mom and we so learning was integrated all throughout our day but she didn't sepcifically try and teach us to read early. I was reading novels by the end of kindergarten - I read Famous Five, Bobbsey Twins type books. I was always very verbal - talked early, learned second and third languages with only minimal exposure and no instruction. That part of my brain worked well. I remember in grade 1 I was in the highest learning group however we were still reading simple story / picture books and I was bored to death so me and a boy I always sat beside spent reading group learning to flip our eyelids inside out!

[Anonymous]

Don't remember how, but by age 6 I was reading.

[Anonymous]

I'll be 47 in a couple of months and learned to read at age 6, in first grade, around December: by April I was basically a fluent reader and tracked in an advanced reading level. I moved to an urban environment in November of that year and was basically the only child not reading (we were in the mountains prior to that, in a more rural setting). I quickly caught on and caught up with my peers.

[Anonymous]

I am 40. Started reading at 3. I remember in K a teacher would walk me to a second grade class for reading group. It was so scary. Glad we moved!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think these posters are full of shit.

I have no recollection of learning to read or taking my first crap on the toilet.

I also think most of their parents are full of shit too with faulty memories.

I would not use your language, but I knew that the braggy ones would not be able to help getting on this thread and saying that they learned at 2.5 yrs.

[Anonymous]

I didn't learn to read at 2.5 but my cousin's DC did. (Not living in the DC area.) Why is it "braggy" to answer the question? I don't understand. A question was asked an answered. When I opened this thread I thought that the OP might have been asking the question for any number of reasons, and gaining information about what makes children early readers might be one of them. Surely no reason to be nasty or defensive because you, your DC, or I did not start reading as early as some of the others who have posted. It's not a competition, it's just a question. We can all read now, so there's no need to be so uptight. Why is every question and response met with such angst?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't learn to read at 2.5 but my cousin's DC did. (Not living in the DC area.) Why is it "braggy" to answer the question? I don't understand. A question was asked an answered. When I opened this thread I thought that the OP might have been asking the question for any number of reasons, and gaining information about what makes children early readers might be one of them. Surely no reason to be nasty or defensive because you, your DC, or I did not start reading as early as some of the others who have posted. It's not a competition, it's just a question. We can all read now, so there's no need to be so uptight. Why is every question and response met with such angst?

The early readers rush to answer.

[Anonymous]

I was around 4 1/2

[Anonymous]

I was reading somewhere between 3 and 4 I think, but definitely before school because I was allowed to skip kindergarten because of it. This was in the early 80s and not in the DC area.

My daughter LOVES books, but is pretty resistent to the idea of trying to read by herself. She'll be 6 next month (she's in K). I try to remind myself that all kids develop at their own pace, but knowing my history, it does frustrate me. I worry because her daddy has slight dyslexia.