Home » Misc » Early reading age

Early reading age


Reading Milestones (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

en español: Hitos en la lectura

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Nemours BrightStart!

This is a general outline of the milestones on the road to reading success. Keep in mind that kids develop at different paces and spend varying amounts of time at each stage. If you have concerns, talk to your child's doctor, teacher, or the reading specialist at school. Getting help early is key for helping kids who struggle to read.

Parents and teachers can find resources for children as early as pre-kindergarten. Quality childcare centers, pre-kindergarten programs, and homes full of language and book reading can build an environment for reading milestones to happen.

Infancy (Up to Age 1)

Kids usually begin to:

  • learn that gestures and sounds communicate meaning
  • respond when spoken to
  • direct their attention to a person or object
  • understand 50 words or more
  • reach for books and turn the pages with help
  • respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Kids usually begin to:

  • answer questions about and identify objects in books — such as "Where's the cow?" or "What does the cow say?"
  • name familiar pictures
  • use pointing to identify named objects
  • pretend to read books
  • finish sentences in books they know well
  • scribble on paper
  • know names of books and identify them by the picture on the cover
  • turn pages of board books
  • have a favorite book and request it to be read often

Early Preschool (Age 3)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore books independently
  • listen to longer books that are read aloud
  • retell a familiar story
  • sing the alphabet song with prompting and cues
  • make symbols that resemble writing
  • recognize the first letter in their name
  • learn that writing is different from drawing a picture
  • imitate the action of reading a book aloud

Late Preschool (Age 4)

Kids usually begin to:

  • recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers
  • recognize words that rhyme
  • name some of the letters of the alphabet (a good goal to strive for is 15–18 uppercase letters)
  • recognize the letters in their names
  • write their names
  • name beginning letters or sounds of words
  • match some letters to their sounds
  • develop awareness of syllables
  • use familiar letters to try writing words
  • understand that print is read from left to right, top to bottom
  • retell stories that have been read to them

Kindergarten (Age 5)

Kids usually begin to:

  • produce words that rhyme
  • match some spoken and written words
  • write some letters, numbers, and words
  • recognize some familiar words in print
  • predict what will happen next in a story
  • identify initial, final, and medial (middle) sounds in short words
  • identify and manipulate increasingly smaller sounds in speech
  • understand concrete definitions of some words
  • read simple words in isolation (the word with definition) and in context (using the word in a sentence)
  • retell the main idea, identify details (who, what, when, where, why, how), and arrange story events in sequence

First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)

Kids usually begin to:

  • read familiar stories
  • "sound out" or decode unfamiliar words
  • use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words
  • use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing
  • self-correct when they make a mistake while reading aloud
  • show comprehension of a story through drawings
  • write by organizing details into a logical sequence with a beginning, middle, and end

Second and Third Grade (Ages 7–8)

Kids usually begin to:

  • read longer books independently
  • read aloud with proper emphasis and expression
  • use context and pictures to help identify unfamiliar words
  • understand the concept of paragraphs and begin to apply it in writing
  • correctly use punctuation
  • correctly spell many words
  • write notes, like phone messages and email
  • understand humor in text
  • use new words, phrases, or figures of speech that they've heard
  • revise their own writing to create and illustrate stories

Fourth Through Eighth Grade (Ages 9–13)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore and understand different kinds of texts, like biographies, poetry, and fiction
  • understand and explore expository, narrative, and persuasive text
  • read to extract specific information, such as from a science book
  • understand relations between objects
  • identify parts of speech and devices like similes and metaphors
  • correctly identify major elements of stories, like time, place, plot, problem, and resolution
  • read and write on a specific topic for fun, and understand what style is needed
  • analyze texts for meaning

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Date reviewed: May 2022

Share:

/content/kidshealth/misc/medicalcodes/parents/articles/milestones

What is the best age to learn to read?

Loading

Family Tree | Education

(Image credit: Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

By Melissa Hogenboom

2nd March 2022

In some countries, kids as young as four learn to read and write. In others, they don't start until seven. What's the best formula for lasting success? Melissa Hogenboom investigates.

I

I was seven years old when I started to learn to read, as is typical of the alternative Steiner school I attended. My own daughter attends a standard English school, and started at four, as is typical in most British schools.

Watching her memorise letters and sound out words, at an age when my idea of education was climbing trees and jumping through puddles, has made me wonder how our different experiences shape us. Is she getting a crucial head-start that will give her lifelong benefits? Or is she exposed to undue amounts of potential stress and pressure, at a time when she should be enjoying her freedom? Or am I simply worrying too much, and it doesn't matter at what age we start reading and writing?

There's no doubt that language in all its richness – written, spoken, sung or read aloud – plays a crucial role in our early development. Babies already respond better to the language they were exposed to in the womb. Parents are encouraged to read to their children before they are even born, and when they are babies. Evidence shows that how much or how little we are talked to as children can have lasting effects on future educational achievement. Books are a particularly important aspect of that rich linguistic exposure, since written language often includes a wider and more nuanced and detailed vocabulary than everyday spoken language. This can in turn help children increase their range and depth of expression.

Since a child's early experience of language is considered so fundamental to their later success, it has become increasingly common for preschools to begin teaching children basic literacy skills even before formal education starts. When children begin school, literacy is invariably a major focus. This goal of ensuring that all children learn to read and write has become even more pressing as researchers warn that the pandemic has caused a widening achievement gap between wealthier and poorer families, increasing academic inequality.

There are many ways to enjoy reading. In this Namibian school, blind and visually impaired children learn the Braille script (Credit: Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

Family Tree

In many countries, formal education starts at four. The thinking often goes that starting early gives children more time to learn and excel. The result, however, can be an "education arms race", with parents trying to give their child early advantages at school through private coaching and teaching, and some parents even paying for children as young as four to have additional private tutoring.

Compare that to the more play-based early education of several decades ago, and you can see a huge change in policy, based on very different ideas of what our children need in order to get ahead. In the US, this urgency sped up with policy changes such as the 2001 "no child left behind" act, which promoted standardised testing as a way to measure educational performance and progress. In the UK, children are tested in their second year of school (age 5-6) to check they are reaching the expected reading standard. Critics warn that early testing like this can put children off reading, while proponents say it helps to identify those who need additional support.

However, many studies show little benefit from an early overly-academic environment. One 2015 US report says that society's expectations of what children should achieve in kindergarten has changed, which is leading to "inappropriate classroom practices", such as reducing play-based learning.

The risk of "schoolification"

How children learn and the quality of the environment is hugely important. "Young children learning to read is one of the most important things primary education does. It's fundamental to children making progress in life," says Dominic Wyse, a professor of primary education at University College London, in the UK. He, alongside sociology professor Alice Bradbury, also at UCL, has published research proposing that the way we teach literacy really matters.

In a 2022 report, they state that English school system's intense focus on phonics – a method that involves matching the sound of a spoken word or letter, with individual written letters, through a process called "sounding out" – could be failing some children.

A reason for this, says Bradbury, is that the "schoolification of early years" has resulted in more formal learning earlier on. But the tests used to assess that early learning may have little to do with the skills actually needed to read and enjoy books or other meaningful texts.

For example, the tests may ask pupils to "sound out" and spell nonsense words, to prevent them from simply guessing, or recognising familiar words. Since nonsense words are not meaningful language, children may find the task difficult and puzzling. Bradbury found that the pressure to gain these decoding skills – and pass reading tests – also means that some three-year-olds are already being exposed to phonics.

"It doesn't end up being meaningful, it ends up being memorising rather than understanding context," says Bradbury. She also worries that the books used are not particularly engaging.

Language in all its richness – written, spoken, sung or read aloud – plays a crucial role in our early development (Credit: Xie Chen/VCG via Getty Images)

Neither Wyse nor Bradbury make the case for later learning per se, but rather highlight that we should rethink the way children are taught literacy. The priority, they say, should be to encourage an interest in and familiarity with words, using storybooks, songs and poems, all of which help the child pick up the sounds of words, as well as expanding their vocabulary.

This idea is backed up by studies that show that the academic benefits of preschool fade away later on. Children who attend intensive preschools do not have higher academic abilities in later grades than those who did not attend such preschools, several studies now show. Early education can however have a positive impact on social development – which in turn feeds into the likelihood of graduation from school and university as well as being associated with lower crime rates. In short, attending preschool can have positive effects on later achievement in life, but not necessary on academic skills.

Too much academic pressure may even cause problems in the long run. A study published in January 2022 suggested that those who attended a state-funded preschool with a strong academic emphasis, showed lower academic achievements a few years later, compared to those who had not gained a place.

This chimes with research on the importance of play-based learning in the early years. Child-led play-based preschools have better outcomes than more academically focussed preschools, for example.

One 2002 study found that "children's later school success appears to have been enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences", and that overly formalised learning could have slowed progress. The study concluded that "pushing children too soon may actually backfire when children move into the later elementary school grade".

Similarly, another small study found that disadvantaged children in the US who were randomly assigned to a more play-based setting had lower behavioural issues and emotional impairments at age 23, compared to children who had been randomly assigned to a more "direct instruction" setting.

Preschool studies like these don't shed light on the impact of early literacy per se, and small studies in single locations must always be treated with care, but they suggest that how it is taught, matters. One reason why early education can result in positive social outcomes later in life may have nothing to do with the teaching at all, but with the fact that it provides childcare. This means parents can work uninterrupted and provide more income to the family home.

Anna Cunningham, a senior lecturer in psychology at Nottingham Trent University who studies early literacy, argues that if a setting is too academically focused early on, it can cause the teachers to become stressed over tests and results, which can in turn affect the kids. "Of course it's not good to judge a five-year-old on their results," she says. Parental anxiety about how well their child is doing at school can also feed into this: according to a survey commissioned by an educational charity in the UK, school performance is one of parents' top concerns.

With the right support, children can learn to read in a wide range of settings, like this open-air school in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Credit: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Later start, better outcomes?

Not everyone favours an early start. In many countries, including Germany, Iran and Japan, formal schooling starts at around six. In Finland, often hailed as the country with one of the best education system in the world, children begin school at seven.

Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. In line with that child-centred approach, the Finnish kindergarten years are filled with more play and no formal academic instruction.

Following this model, a 2009 University of Cambridge review proposed that the formal school age should be pushed back to six, giving children in the UK more time "to begin to develop the language and study skills essential to their later progress", as starting too early could "risk denting five-year-olds' confidence and causing long-term damage to their learning". 

Research does back up this idea of starting later. One 2006 kindergarten study in the US showed there was improvement in test scores for children who delayed entry by one year.

Other research comparing early versus late readers, found that later readers catch up to comparable levels later on – even slightly surpassing the early readers in comprehension abilities. The study, explains lead author Sebastian Suggate, of the University of Regensburg in Germany, shows that learning later allows children to more efficiently match their knowledge of the world – their comprehension – to the words they learn. "It makes sense," he says. "Reading comprehension is language, they've got to unlock the ideas behind it."

"Of course if you spend more time focusing on language earlier on, you are building a strong foundation of skills that takes years to develop. Reading can be picked up quickly but for language (vocabulary and comprehension) there's no cheap tricks. It's hard work," says Suggate. In other work looking at differing school entry ages, he found that learning to read early had no discernible benefits at age 15. 

The question remains that if reading ability is not improved by learning early, then why start early? Individual variation in reading appetite and ability are one important aspect.

"Children are hugely different in terms of their foundational skills when they start school or start learning to read," explains Cunningham. In her study of Steiner-educated children, who only start formal education at about seven, she had to exclude 40% of the sample as the children could already read. "I think that's because they were ready for it," she says. She also found the older children were more ready "to learn the process to read in terms of their underlying language skills" because they had had three extra years of language exposure.

World Book Day celebrates the joy of reading, and has become increasingly popular. Here, British Olympic Gold Medallist Greg Rutherford joins in (Credit: Matt Alexander/PA Wire)

Studies also show that reading ability is more closely linked to a child's vocabulary than to their age, and that spoken language skills are a high predictor of later literary skills. However, we know that many children who enter school are behind on their language skills, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Some argue that formal teaching allows these children to access the support and skills that others may pick up informally at home. This line of thinking is espoused by UK educational authorities, who say that teaching reading early to those behind on their spoken language  is "the only effective route to closing this [language ability] gap".

Others favour the opposite approach, of immersing children in an environment where they can enjoy and develop their language comprehension, which is after all central to reading success. This is exactly what a playful learning setting helps encourage. "The job of teaching is to assess where your children are and give them the most appropriate teaching related to their level of development," says Wyse. The 2009 Cambridge review echoed this and stated: "There is no evidence that a child who spends more time learning through lessons – as opposed to learning through play – will 'do better' in the long run."

Cunningham, whose daughter has also recently started learning to read, has a reassuringly generous view of the ideal reading age: "It doesn't matter whether you start to read at four or five or six as long as the method they are taught is a good, evidenced method. Children are so resilient they will find opportunities to play in any context."

Our obsession with early literacy appears to be somewhat unfounded, then – there's no need, nor clear benefit of rushing it. On the other hand, if your child is starting early, or shows an independent interest in reading before their school offers it, that's fine too, as long as there is plenty of opportunity to down tools and have fun along the way. 

* Melissa Hogenboom is the editor of BBC Reel. Her book, The Motherhood Complex, is out now. She is @melissasuzanneh on Twitter.

--

Join one million Future fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter or Instagram.

If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter, called "The Essential List". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife, Travel and Reel delivered to your inbox every Friday.

;

What and how to read for young children | Consultation (younger group):

Reading for children under 3 years old.

The benefits of reading, what and how to read to a child?

Have you ever seriously thought about the benefits of reading to children, why should a young child read at all? It is known that reading books contributes to intellectual development, replenishment of vocabulary. But, rather, you think that this applies to school-age children and adults.

So why read to a toddler who doesn't even understand words yet? Or who can't speak yet? In this article we will talk about the benefits and features of reading to children, what and how to read to a child from birth to three years.

For the youngest children, who have not yet learned to speak, reading books is a whole complex of different activities. Here you look at the pictures together, tell what is shown. The child learns to look, notice details and listen. The baby expands his horizons, there is an understanding of objects and actions. Reading is a calm and useful pastime that perfectly prepares the little fidget for sleep.

In addition, there are at least 10 more reasons why a child should read:

Reading to children has a beneficial effect on the development of creative abilities. Thanks to this activity, the imagination and imagination of the baby develops. During this process, the child presents the characters and events in their own way. Cartoons and films already have a ready-made picture and image, so there is no need to fantasize here.

When reading to a child, moral education does not stand aside. The kid tries on the image of a hero, experiences with him, learns to distinguish good from bad, good from evil. Sometimes the child may even have conflicting emotions, and he may ask his parents to reread the same story until he forms his own point of view. Nothing can replace such work of the soul.

Toddlers to whom parents often read books are able to learn to read on their own faster in the future, and success in school becomes much higher.

Reading contributes to the development of speech, replenishes vocabulary and broadens one's horizons.

Reading to children means teaching them to analyze, to think. Reading helps develop logical thinking, teaches you to understand the relationship of cause and effect.

Reading is a great way to improve your relationship with your child. And spending leisure time with a child in this way, warm memories will remain for a lifetime.

Another important plus in reading to a child is the development of intelligence and literacy. The kid from an early age hears the correct speech, turns, learns to think and express his thoughts correctly.

Reading books perfectly trains the memory, which will greatly help in the assimilation of the school curriculum, and then in the university.

If you read a good story to a child at night, he falls asleep faster, and sleep becomes stronger and healthier.

Children who have been instilled by their parents with a love of reading will always find something useful and exciting to do. For them, the best leisure will be reading a book than, for example, wasting time on the Internet.

Start reading to your child as early as possible, because reading is great for developing creativity in children

What to read to children?

It is much easier for very small crumbs to pick up a book. It can be simple rhymes, nursery rhymes, songs. You can purchase any printed edition with simple, kind, bright and large pictures. Flipping through the pages, you only need to tell who or what is depicted.

With older children it is already a little more difficult. You need to choose a book that will interest your child. And if this book made an impression on the child, then perhaps he will ask you to read it again and again.

It is also important to consider the gender of the child. Girls may be interested in one subject, and boys in another. Remember what books you read. Maybe your little one will like it too.

What to read to children? What are the main areas of literature will help the baby in development?

Fiction (classics) is more suitable for older children. Reading such books is always useful and will definitely help the child at school and university.

Tales. Choose fairy tales only with a good plot. Unfortunately, many fairy tales are very similar to horror films. Such reading can not only worsen a baby’s sleep, but is also a kind of “instruction” for crimes.

Educational books. Here the choice is huge. The kid can read about animals, birds, crafts, phenomena and so on. Thus, the horizons of the child are greatly expanded.

Spiritual literature. There are children's books with which you can start your child's acquaintance with religion. The main thing is not to force the baby to listen if he does not like it. Discuss what you have learned with your child after each reading.

How to read to a child? Reading interestingly for children

There are some peculiarities in reading to young children that can make young mothers and fathers put the book indefinitely.

According to the experience of many parents, the main difficulty is that a very small toddler does not want to listen to his mother's reading. And if he listens, then a maximum of a few minutes, then he runs to do more interesting things for him.

The fact is that at an early age most children do not yet possess such a quality as perseverance. They can switch their attention from one object or action to another very quickly. There is only one way out in this situation - to regularly read books to the baby, and this must be done correctly and interestingly.

When choosing a book for a baby, it is important that it contains bright, colorful and large pictures. When reading to your baby, always pay attention to these images. Tell and discuss together what you see in the picture. While reading, change intonation, depicting the heroes of a fairy tale or story, your speech should be intelligible and understandable.

Be patient. If your child is not listening to you, try reading for a while anyway. Gradually, the child will begin to listen.

If the child expresses his disagreement about what he has read, discuss such points together. Praise the child when he asked you to repeat, reread, or wants to clarify something when he does not understand.

It is important to read the book to the end, even if not in one day. Only then start a new one.

Do not force your baby to listen to you if he does not want to, is naughty or not in the mood. Find another time or another approach. No need to discuss every line of what you read, highlight the main thoughts.

There are certain peculiarities in reading books for each age of a child. Of course, you do not need to read "War and Peace" to a newly born baby.

Acquaintance with the book from birth to the year

The first acquaintance begins with the simplest images. These can be black and white shapes, patterns, or large objects of the same color. Newborns are just learning to focus their gaze on a particular subject, developing their vision and enhancing brain function.

Starting from 3-4 months, the child can be shown more complex pictures: images of people, animals. Every time, be sure to say to the baby what you see.

At 6 months old, you can buy your baby's first toy book. As a rule, it has no more than 5-7 dense pages. The variety of such books is huge. Their pages can be soft, rustling, there are books specially designed for swimming with children. Choose the one you like. The main thing is that the images are large and bright.

Toddlers at this age begin to explore the world around them, to study various objects and their properties. In such a book, the little one will be interested in turning the pages. Along with this, fine motor skills of the hands also develop perfectly.

Choose books with realistic objects for the correct perception of the baby. This means that the frog should be green and the tomato should be red. Ideally, if one picture shows only one object or a simple action.

Work with your baby when he is in a good mood. Take it in your arms, put a book in front of it and, turning the pages, tell everything you see. For many children, this pastime becomes one of their favorite activities.

Reading to children 1-2 years old

At this age, kids have excellent memory. According to psychologists, children of this age cope with a huge flow of information, remember and understand a lot. Therefore, when reading to your baby, you need to include new learning elements.

Pay attention to letters and words, to the main characters, and to various details in the plot. At the age of two years, the book should still be with beautiful realistic pictures.

The list of the first books to read with a baby 1-2 years old is perfect for such as V. Bianchi "The Fox and the Mouse", E. Karl "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", "From Head to Feet", Russian folk tales and darkness in illustrations. Many children love these books, and parents have to read them to holes. They have excellent illustrations, and the text is short and clear.

Always focus on the pictures, telling your baby about it in detail. Soon, the little one will begin to point to the pictures, wanting to know the name of the object.

Reading with children should take place in a favorable environment, in a good mood, and extraneous sounds should be excluded (turn off the TV).

Read various short fairy tales, rhymes, nursery rhymes to children. Toddlers perceive simple rhyme very well. Perhaps, at the request of the child, you will have to reread the same rhyme 30 times a day.

Reading books for children 2-3 years old

At this age, kids still actively memorize and are the most grateful listeners. They begin to develop fantasy and imagination, and reading books to children is great for developing creative abilities.

Try to read to your child every day. Even if your little one is playing or doing something, sit down and read anyway. Sooner or later he will develop an interest in reading and join you.

Children become interested in role-playing games. Play with your baby in a home puppet theater or simple fairy tales, such as "kolobok" or "teremok". After reading another book or poem, try to draw a plot or main characters together.

Reading good books to children at night is good for sleep. The baby falls asleep faster, his sleep becomes stronger, and wakes up in the morning in a great mood.

Looking at pictures remains an integral part of reading for children. Images can be more complex, invite the child to talk about what he sees.

As for the choice of literature at this age, here it is already necessary to decide on your own which book may interest your little one. Consider the interests of the child. For example, if he likes the world of animals, then choose books with such topics.

How to teach a child to read?

Many parents wonder how to instill in their child a love of reading? Indeed, in the modern world there are so many different gadgets, and cartoons are shown all day and night on TV. All this may interest the baby much more than reading books. We figured out how to read correctly to children at a particular age. But it is also worth considering some more factors in order to easily accustom a child to reading.

Reading to children should be regular. You can offer the baby several books, and let him choose which one to read today.

A child needs to read what he likes, what he is interested in. Try to read different genres, topics. Find the right book for your child. Perhaps he likes to listen to fairy tales more than poems or songs. Or vice versa.

There must be a library at home. If there are no books in the house, then how can a child be taught to read? It is desirable that printed publications be freely available so that at any time the baby can take a book and ask you to read it. Or look at the pictures on your own, turning the pages.

Don't finish reading a book if your child starts acting up. You can not force to listen to reading "under pressure."

Always buy beautiful books with bright and large images. As mentioned above, looking at pictures for young children is an important part of reading. Agree that a child will never be interested in a book in which there are no illustrations or they are not large and bright enough.

Reading to children under three years of age should include elements of play.

As with any other question, you must lead by example. Remember that the baby learns everything from the parents. Even if you take a book, sit comfortably on the side and start reading, then, most likely, the baby will have an interest (what is Mom doing there that is so interesting?), And he will definitely join you. Captivate the baby, show him the fabulous world of books.

If your family favors reading a book over watching TV or sticking to smartphones, chances are your child will grow up to be a reader too.

Reading to children at home. List of Literature for Young Children

Of course, each parent chooses a book to read to the baby, depending on the preferences of the crumbs. This list is not mandatory, but will help young mothers and fathers in choosing literature for a little fidget.

V. Bianchi “The Fox and the Mouse”

E. Carl “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, “From Head to Feet”

K. Chukovsky “Fly-Sokotuha”, “Hedgehogs laugh”, “Chicken”. “A bunny came out for a walk”, “Moydodyr”

S. Marshak “The Tale of the Clever Mouse”, “ABC in Poetry and Pictures”, “Ladybug”

Poems by Agnia Barto for Children

Russian Folk Tales

V. Suteev “Chicken and Duckling”

L.

Tolstoy “Three Bears”

S. Mikhalkov “Stubborn Frog”, “My Puppy”

A. Pushkin “Lukomorye”

B. Zakhoder. “Toptyzhka Bear”, “Songs of Winnie the Pooh”

Series “My first book”: “This is me”; "Animals"; "Car"; "Check"; "Words"; "Farm"

Series "Mishutka": "Bon appetit"; "What to wear"; "Favorite toys"; "Merry Day"

Series "Lessons for kids": "Your toys"; "Counting"; "Everything sings"; "Let's play"

Series "Stompers": R. Sef. “Who looks like whom”

Series “For the little ones”:

When is the best time to teach a child to read. Q&A/ Kidskey Online School Blog

“In kindergarten, my son immediately passed the competition and got into a special group for gifted children. He mastered the elementary school program in 3 years and already at the age of 10 had an IQ of 124 points. After school, he entered a free department at a prestigious lyceum, where there was a competition of 400 people for 60 places. Then he passed the exam and entered the university on the budget.

⠀

I don't know what exactly is the reason for my child's success, but I think it's early learning to read. I started studying with Anton when he was only 9 months old…”

⠀

We came across such a story on one of the “mom” forums. But it was not even the story itself that interested me more, but the reaction to it. Other mothers were so inspired by the success of one child that they bombarded the author with comments. They thanked for the advice and scolded the opponents of early development. Say, thank you for dispelling our doubts about early learning.

⠀

Of course, every mother wants her child to be able to read by school and learn the program more easily, but it is important to understand that not all children are ready for learning from an early age.

⠀

In this article we answer your most popular questions about early learning to read.

What is the earliest age a child can learn to read?

A child can be taught to read at the age of 3. Yes, he can really read at the level of a schoolboy. But do not rush if his brain has not yet matured. This is not only a waste of time, but also a detriment to further development.

⠀

Let's take a simple example. Imagine a 6-month-old baby who is not yet able to sit, and you want to teach him to walk. How to do this if he has not yet formed special neural connections and has not developed leg muscles? Theoretically, you can put him on stilts and let him walk. As a result, of course, he will go with great difficulty, but he will grow up disabled. Because in development the most important stage was missed, which is responsible for the coordination of movements in space.

⠀

So it is with reading. From the point of view of neuropsychology, in children under 6–7 years old, the right hemisphere is actively developing, which is responsible for movement, perception, visual and spatial thinking. Therefore, at this age, more attention should be paid to the development of fine motor skills and physical activity.

If, however, at the age of 3 a child is seated for reading, this will lead to early stimulation of the still immature left hemisphere to the detriment of the right. Since the study of letters and symbols at this age inhibits the development of visual-figurative thinking, and in the future this may lead to a lag in learning.

When is the best time to start teaching a child to read?

The answer is when the child is ready. In fact, there is no ideal age for mastering the skill of reading. The brain of each person is individual and develops at its own pace. At each stage of psychophysical development, the child has new abilities that are responsible for certain skills.

⠀

Some people can easily start reading at 3-4 years old, because they are ready, while others will master this skill only by 10-11 years old and this is considered an absolute norm. It's just that the brains of these children develop more slowly, but this does not affect their abilities in any way.

Proceeding from this, it is more correct to start teaching children to read not earlier than 4–5 years old, when the right hemisphere and subcortical layers of the brain are already practically formed.

What factors influence a child's readiness to learn to read?

There are general factors influencing the readiness to learn to read:

1. Which hand is dominant in a child

It is more difficult for children whose left hand dominates to learn. If you notice that your child eats, draws, and brushes his teeth more with his left hand than with his right hand, he may be left-handed. Then with early learning to read you should not rush.

2. Developed fine motor skills

The sooner and better fine motor skills a child develops, the sooner he will be ready to learn to read. Because it is fine motor skills that contribute to the development of mental processes that are so necessary for memorizing letters, numbers and symbols.

⠀

Look at your child. If he can barely manage with a spoon, then do not rush to learn. Start working on fine motor skills.

3. Child's gender

Girls' brains are known to develop faster, so they are naturally ready to start learning to read before boys. But then again, all children are different, so you should not focus on this factor too much.

4. Temperament

Calm children are easier to learn than hyperactive ones. If you have a mobile child, do not try to seat him at the age of 4 with a book, let him run, play and develop. His time will come. Coercion can lead to the fact that at school he will be completely turned away from studying. Read more about the influence of temperament on learning in the article: Why a child does not want to study: what are the reasons and what should parents do?

5. Interests

If your child currently likes to draw or sculpt, do not try to switch him to reading. Thanks to their favorite hobbies, the necessary connections are formed in the brain of children, which in the future will help to easily master reading and other sciences.

How do you know if a child is ready to learn to read?

Do not rush things and do what interests your child. Play and watch. And the moment when it will really be ready for reading, you definitely will not miss it. The child will begin to show a natural interest, and he will try to read the inscriptions on all the signs that you pass by while walking on the street. He will constantly ask you questions and pull you to help read what he himself cannot yet.

⠀

At this moment, boldly start studying, and you will see how easy the process will go, and the child will learn to read.

How to start early learning to read so that the child does not lose interest?

Just play! Teaching children of preschool age and primary school should take place in a playful way, then the interest will not disappear and the result will please. Read more about this in the article: How to instill in your child a love of reading and teach him to read on his own.

⠀

And here is what our teachers say about early learning to read.

⠀

Valentina Melnikova, a teacher with 30 years of experience:

⠀

“Dear parents, start introducing your child to letters as early as possible.

Learn more