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How Early Should Our Children Learn to Read?
Filed Under (Raising the Child) by Footyman on 01-07-2008
I read in our local newspaper yesterday about a 3-year-old child who can read simple words and order his own food off the restaurant menu while most of his peers are still struggling with their ABCs.
Frankly I think my son is one of those still struggling.
Am I worried? I don’t think so. Am I jealous? To be honest, and to my own surprise, I don’t think so too.
So what if my son can read at 3? According to an educator quoted in the article, "the earlier the child reads, the better the child reads and it is more likely that he will enjoy reading ".
Well I guess I would be happy if my child enjoys reading, and starts reading at an early age. But I am not going to be too highly-strunged about this start-to-read-early thing.
I would rather focus on finding out the talents he has, and to help him develop them to the fullest potential. If he has the talent in a certain discipline, he is likely to become good at it and most importantly, enjoys doing it.
Do note that it is also possible to be good at doing something, yet not enjoying it. So please do not confuse a child’s excellence with talent. For example, I know of quite a few piano 8th graders who don’t really enjoy their music.
If the boy above really enjoys reading, I guess his parents took the right steps in grooming him in that area. If he hates it, there is always the danger of over-stressing the child.
In summary, my stand is this: at such a young age, if they enjoy doing a certain thing, by all means develop & facilitate their interest. If they do not, look for other GOD given gifts in the child. There is definitely AT LEAST one.
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Our son was reading by the age of three and helping the neighbor kids (2nd graders) follow instructions on video games LOL! I’d read to him from very, very, very early on and we really enjoyed those times together. His own natural curiosity made him want to know “what’s that say!” To this day, his test scores in English and related material are exceptional. I’m hoping this serves him well in his adult life!
One thing I always used to say to him was, “Books are our friends.” He took it to heart
I really believe that children like the closeness of looking at picture books on mom or dad’s lap and the positive attention they receive by “reading” as toddlers. What gives them positive attention, they continue to do. I think it is more important for children to learn to love to learn. Whether they decode at 3 or 7 doesn’t really matter by the time they are in middle school, but whether they have a love of learning will.
My mom would read to me EVERY night before bed. Those were good times
My son started to read at the age of 4 and now he is 10 years old and he is topnotch in class.
3 is still young and as your child grows, he will learn to read.