DD started reading at age 2. All we did was read to her and teach her the alphabet. Kids will do all sorts of amazing and stupid things, sometimes even amazingly stupid, lol.

Let her be a kid. She has the rest of her life to learn and feel pressure. But as of now, it should be all about play doh, finger painting, and exploring the world safely.

DS, OTOH, is 2 and we’ll most likely have him evaluated in January as he has only spoken 4 words. We’re not stressed about it, kids do different things at different times. I can ask him to put his dinosaur back in the toy box in his room and he’ll listen. I can ask him to get his crayon from under the chair, and he’ll (usually) do it, so he understands perfectly well and I’m sure he’ll talk when he’s good and ready.

Maybe our nonchalance about both of the above make us bad parents, but I look at it like we are meeting our kids where they are, not where we want them to be.

You can’t really teach her to read until she knows all the letter sounds. Both of my kids started reading at 3, one already knew his letter sounds and the other watched Letter Factory and learned all of them watching that for a week. Start with all the -at family, then -an, -ag, etc. It takes a really long time at 3, but if you do it a few minutes a day, by beginning of Kindergarten she‘ll be reading chapter books. Ignore the alarmists, reading before school is an amazing skill; once your child reads fluently, they can read to learn. And it’s one of those few cognitive skills that is unmatched in its exponential return on investment, the better they can read, the more they want to read, the more vocabulary they acquire, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't. Seriously don't.

+1

Mistake. They will be bored in school and will hate it or act out. Plus early readers are more likely to actually dislike reading as adults. Foster the love of books and stories. Let the kindergarten teach teach reading. Make sure they have appropriate social/life skills:ie how to take turns, how to cope with frustration, how to lose a game gracefully, dealing with clothing, shoes, weather, etc.

So not true. In fact, it’s ridiculous. I have two very early readers who love school and excel. And it’s ridiculous to think that knowing how to put on your shoes and reading are mutually exclusive! Reading doesn’t negate life skills.

+1 These skills are not mutually exclusive. If a kids is going to read early, they just will, in much the same way some kids talk early.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Op my sister did teach herself to read it as a young 3, it is a condition called hyperlexia. It is often a sign of autism, so I wouldn’t push it too much. The poster who referred to her “High-strung” daughter I think is on to something. Some of these kids have true autism, some have autistic traits early that they cover for as they grow/ the traits “diminish”
Enjoy your kid- don’t worry about reading at 3, it is an abnormal trajectory.

You’re child can’t catch hyperlexia from learning to read early. It’s a symptom and not a cause.

I enjoy my child by teaching him as well as play. Those aren’t mutually exclusive. I will absolutely teach him to read early if he shows an interest.

Yes, you clearly will as I don’t know you or your child... best of luck to you.... win the race!!!

Don’t.

Seriously. Let them play.

They’ll be learning reading in kindergarten no matter what. If you start them early, they’ll just be bored when they start school. (Ask me how I know...)