OP, you're getting very defensive in this thread.

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that teaching a child to read at three is really about the parents and wanting to show off that the child reads at three.
From the original post, it's seems like the child is interested in books as many children are at that age but how is she asking to read?

Our soon to be 4yo (oldest) is expressing some interest in learning how to read. She's always been book-obsessed since she was a baby, and pretty insatiable in terms of being read to and having stories told to her. For several months now, she's been "pretending" to read - an odd display of sitting in her bed late at night, going through piles of books, sounding out words, but not actually reading from the book, reciting from memory or making it up based on the pictures she sees.

Anonymous wrote:A child who is truly ready to read at 4 would have picked it up by him or herself. There was a very very early reader in my DD's class a few years ago in preschool and he just made the connection between letters, sounds and words one day. The teachers were surprised. The parents were surprised.

There's an assertion without evidence.

Certainly a child who picked it up by themselves was ready to learn to read. The converse is not necessarily true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Being able to read is like a pony who can do a neat trick? Really?

Being able to read AT AGE THREE.

Why shouldn't a three-year-old who is ready to learn to read start learning how to read?

I wouldn't sign up or Kumon yet. The reading is tied in to writing in Kumon so the progress can be slow because the child has to learn to write letters as well as learn the eater sounds. When my son turned 4 we started dong 15 minutes a day of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. He really learned how to read beginning chapter books after 6 months. It took more than 100 lessons because some days we broke up the lessons and around lesson 50 or so I went back and had him repeat lessons 30 to 50 so he wasn't getting overwhelmed. Then when my son was 4 years, 10 months (exactly one year before kinder) I signed him up for Kumon to work on the fine motor, practice doing written work, sitting at table quietly at the center, etc. it worked out well. Kumon is helpful because you have extra accountability in that lessons are due very day, and your child sees other young kids doing work. At the same time he attended a 100% play based daycare where he played all day from 8 to 4. So it was a good balance.
I am not Asian. I met many Aisian families there who will support your decision of doing Kumon early. Now my son is in third grade and is still a top student as are many of his former Kumon classmates I sometimes run into.

Anonymous wrote:

Being able to read is like a pony who can do a neat trick? Really?

Being able to read AT AGE THREE.

A child who is truly ready to read at 4 would have picked it up by him or herself. There was a very very early reader in my DD's class a few years ago in preschool and he just made the connection between letters, sounds and words one day. The teachers were surprised. The parents were surprised.

I think the point is that teaching a child to read at three is really about the parents and wanting to show off that the child reads at three.
From the original post, it's seems like the child is interested in books as many children are at that age but how is she asking to read?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe how many are taking this seriously. Of course not. Wtf?

Q: My daughter, who is almost 4, really wants to learn to play piano and spends hours and hours "playing" piano. Should I get her lessons?
A: No, of course not. Just keep providing an enriched environment with plenty of piano music, and she'll learn to play piano eventually on her own.

No one is suggesting the OP "just provide an enriched environment". They are suggesting that she just provide an enriched environment now, so that when she is ready to benefit from structured learning in Kindergarten she moves quickly and confidently.

Q: My daughter, who is almost 4, really wants to learn to play piano and spends hours and hours "playing" piano. Should I get her lessons?
A: No, of course not. Just keep providing an enriched environment with plenty of piano music. If she doesn't learn to play by herself now, she should wait until she gets lessons a few years from now.

Anonymous wrote:

No, it's a critical life skill. But being able to read early, late 3 instead of 5, isn't critical. If your kid happens to do it, that's great. It's something to be pleased about it, but pressuring your kid to do it by putting them in Kumon is sacrificing their long term learning (because that kind of academic pushing is harmful to kids) so that you can brag at parties.

Pressuring? OP's child is asking to learn to read. OP is trying to find out how to help OP's child get what OP's child wants, namely: learn to read.

Also, one undeniable advantage of being able to read at 4, if you're ready, is being able to read when you're 4, instead of having to wait when you're 5.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe how many are taking this seriously. Of course not. Wtf?

Q: My daughter, who is almost 4, really wants to learn to play piano and spends hours and hours "playing" piano. Should I get her lessons?
A: No, of course not. Just keep providing an enriched environment with plenty of piano music, and she'll learn to play piano eventually on her own.

No one is suggesting the OP "just provide an enriched environment". They are suggesting that she just provide an enriched environment now, so that when she is ready to benefit from structured learning in Kindergarten she moves quickly and confidently.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:honestly, op, what's the rush? if she's interested in learning can't you provide her enrichment with other things like taking her to museums?
some kids do pick up reading at this age but if it's not happening on it's own there's no need to push it. otherwise it's just like trying to get a pony to do a neat trick but won't help her in the long run.

Being able to read is like a pony who can do a neat trick? Really?

No, it's a critical life skill. But being able to read early, late 3 instead of 5, isn't critical. If your kid happens to do it, that's great. It's something to be pleased about it, but pressuring your kid to do it by putting them in Kumon is sacrificing their long term learning (because that kind of academic pushing is harmful to kids) so that you can brag at parties.

Anonymous wrote:honestly, op, what's the rush? if she's interested in learning can't you provide her enrichment with other things like taking her to museums?
some kids do pick up reading at this age but if it's not happening on it's own there's no need to push it. otherwise it's just like trying to get a pony to do a neat trick but won't help her in the long run.

Being able to read is like a pony who can do a neat trick? Really?

also the way our dd learned to read on her own was by memorizing books and matching them up to the the words. so maybe this is what your daughter is doing and if it is she'll just get it on her own at some point.

honestly, op, what's the rush? if she's interested in learning can't you provide her enrichment with other things like taking her to museums?
some kids do pick up reading at this age but if it's not happening on it's own there's no need to push it. otherwise it's just like trying to get a pony to do a neat trick but won't help her in the long run.