Reading at age 2?

[vonfirmath]

My FIL worked with my son over Christmas -- flashcards with words on them. Popping them up, etc. He said this is how they taught my husband to read before age 3. And my son DOES appear to have learned at least some of the words to the place where he can recognize them in a form other than on the printed-out "flashcard" type of sheet. I spelled them on the refrigerator with magnets and pointed them out in other books we were reading.

But... I want to look up more information before continuing this.

I had already taught him to recognize most of the letters (not by intentional teaching so much as because he liked us to write down letters when he told them to us, watching Letter Factory, etc.) I had had the idea that I'd be teaching letter sounds and eventually get into putting multiple letter sounds together. No need to read NEARLY this early (except for "bragging rights"). Etc.

But I would like to look into more information on it. My FIL DID back off on trying to convince me to do this when I told him he was pushing me away from it entirely. But given that it does appear to be working, at least to the extent I have tested it, I would like to research it more.

[Momof3Labs]

There's a big difference between true reading and sight recognition or decoding; you may want to research that. Both of my boys recognized certain words by sight early on but reading took a while longer (DS2 isn't reading yet, but is pre-reading).

[nrp]

I don't know that it is necessarily harmful, but teaching a young child to read some words by sight is not really "reading" IMO. It's a nice party trick, and I think what the "Your Baby Can Read" system employs. If your DS likes it, I don't see any particular reason to stop, so long as it is just one "game" among others. Otherwise, I would think reading to him a lot and doing other pre-reading activities - rhyming, sequencing, etc. - would be the best at laying a foundation for reading later.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds1 has seen those "Your baby can read" commercials and really thinks we should be doing it. My reply is that I have no need for my 2yo to be able to read. :) Even if he could read, could he really comprehend it? Would it matter? kwim?

Beth

[m448]

Actually it may be harmful. I don't have the studies/materials on hand but I remember reading that there are some eye muscles that don't develop until the age of 5-6ish which help children track words on the page. Apparently starting too early and with SOME kids (particularly boys) you can cause a tracking issue that will later present as dyslexia.

There's definitely and absolutely no harm in waiting until your child shows a push (for an early reader) and even then there's age appropriate things, or waiting until later when they're absolutely ready.

[mommylamb]

I don't think it's harmful, but I think at age 2 it's unlikely that they will use phonics. That said, I'm dyslexic, so I never learned to read by phonics. I've always sight read.

My DS is 2.5 now, and he can sight read a number of words. He learned all his letters well before he turned 2 and will now tell you what sound they all make and asks me to spell things constantly (as in, we're in the car and he keeps yelling out "spell truck. spell airplane. spell helecopter, which considering how dyslexic I am isn't always a joy). I expect he'll be an early reader, but I can't imagine he'll be able to sound out words for a while. I also don't do flash cards or anything like that with him. If he wants me to spell things for him, I do that, but I don't push at all. We read to him a lot and I try to read in front of him to model reading behavior.

[mommylamb]

I don't know that it is necessarily harmful, but teaching a young child to read some words by sight is not really "reading" IMO. It's a nice party trick,

Sight reading isn't a party trick. It's the way I've always read as someone who couldn't learn phonics. Even if you originally learned to read by phonics, as an adult you recognize a word rather than spell it out because you've been reading for so long.

[KpbS]

In addition to the concerns listed by PPs, I would worry about burnout. I want my kids to love reading and books. I think if you push them to hard, too early it could backfire. IME kids learn to read at varying ages and speeds. If I were you I would continue to read to your son, talk about letters and letter sounds and leave it at that. He will let you know when he is ready for more. Stay away from the flashcards.

[nrp]

Sight reading isn't a party trick. It's the way I've always read as someone who couldn't learn phonics. Even if you originally learned to read by phonics, as an adult you recognize a word rather than spell it out because you've been reading for so long.

Oh, I totally didn't mean that sight reading itself was a "party trick" - just teaching a young toddler to do it before they have any ability to comprehend what they are reading. I totally agree that sight reading is an important part of reading for all kids. I have a couple of friends that are teaching their five and six year olds to read primarily by sight reading and having great success with it.

[egoldber]

:yeahthat:

The majority of adults are sight readers. It just comes with practice. Sarah learned to read by sight (she was 5, so not really early) and quickly developed a HUGE sight reading vocabulary. She learned phonics rules afterwards, which helps her to pronounce words correctly (sometimes....gotta love the irregularity of English), but being primarily a sight reader has never hindered her ability to read text in any way.

[gatorsmom]

I don't think it's harmful, but I think at age 2 it's unlikely that they will use phonics. That said, I'm dyslexic, so I never learned to read by phonics. I've always sight read.

My DS is 2.5 now, and he can sight read a number of words. He learned all his letters well before he turned 2 and will now tell you what sound they all make and asks me to spell things constantly (as in, we're in the car and he keeps yelling out "spell truck. spell airplane. spell helecopter, which considering how dyslexic I am isn't always a joy). I expect he'll be an early reader, but I can't imagine he'll be able to sound out words for a while. I also don't do flash cards or anything like that with him. If he wants me to spell things for him, I do that, but I don't push at all. We read to him a lot and I try to read in front of him to model reading behavior.

WOW- you are dyslexic? Weren't you the one reading through the heavy wording of the health care initiative legislation for us? I know very little about dyslexia but I do know that even basic reading can be difficult for those with that handicap. :bowdown:

[gordo]

My DD taught herself to read right around the age of 3. She literally woke up one day and could read. We never worked on it with her. We read to her all the time (reading is about the only thing she wants to do all day). She learned her letters and letter sounds mostly from watching the Leapfrog Letter Factory and we got her a Tag reader at 2 1/2 which I also think helped. She was reading by sight. She has a crazy memory and once she sees a word, she knows it. Around 4 she started using phonics to sound out words that she didn't know, but she is still primarily a sight reader.

[kayte]

If you want to read some research that suggests it's not the best idea (trying to teach children skills they are not necessarily developmentally ready for ) I suggest David Elkind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Elkind

Your library should have a copy The Hurried Child at the very least.

It is certainly feasible to teach your child to sight read at this age (obviously your husband was taught), but I ask to what end? What other more pertinent skills should he be practicing and using during the instruction time (especially gross and fine motor skills)? How will it shape your relationship as he does something to please adults that he can't actually comprehend ( reading comprehension is rarely attainable until age 4)? And most research suggests the reading skill, decoding and comprehension levels even out to a peer standard by age 8-9 no matter what age the instruction begins -- independent of how early or late one starts.


ETA- Kathy Hirsh-Pasek also addresses this issue in her research. I have read a few of her papers --you might check ERIC for those but you should be able to get "Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn--and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less" from the library or through ILL. It is an interesting read and specifically addresses early reading programs. I believe she also contributed to "The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind".

[sidmand]

My DD taught herself to read right around the age of 3. She literally woke up one day and could read. We never worked on it with her. We read to her all the time (reading is about the only thing she wants to do all day). She learned her letters and letter sounds mostly from watching the Leapfrog Letter Factory and we got her a Tag reader at 2 1/2 which I also think helped. She was reading by sight. She has a crazy memory and once she sees a word, she knows it. Around 4 she started using phonics to sound out words that she didn't know, but she is still primarily a sight reader.

:yeahthat:

I never taught DS to read (nor did anyone else) but he could read at about 3.5 and it was mostly what you would call sight reading but he definitely was reading. Mostly he had learned letter sounds and words from the Letter Factor and the Tag and he has an amazing memory as well, so maybe that all goes along.

But he just did it and chose to do it. Now he's sounding out words more and using phonics more. I think it's very much a case of if your child wants to do and picks it up on his own than go for it. But otherwise it does tend to be more of what someone called a "party trick." Sight reading in and of itself is not a party trick but if someone is reading before they really show an interest, I think that is more along the lines of what people are calling a party trick. Like the Baby Can Read books.

[niccig]

I wouldn't push it. I would read to your DC and let them see you read. If they're asking to learn, they you can introduce things in a fun way. And flashcards I don't think are fun. I did flashcards when learning a 2nd language and you have to go over and over and over again.

DS goes to a developmental school, so their philosophy on reading is this "Does anyone ask an adult how old they were when they started to read?" No one cares if you were reading at 3 or 4 or 5 or 6...the age we started doesn't matter to where we end up in life. Is your DH's reading better than someone else who started reading later? Is your DH's job better because of his early reading age?

A friend has a Masters in Special Ed., she told me that an early reader is a sign of an early reader. It is not a sign of increased intelligence, but parents think it is and will brag that their child is already reading. I think reading should be a fun activity, and I don't want to push DS and take the fun out of it.

[mommylamb]

WOW- you are dyslexic? Weren't you the one reading through the heavy wording of the health care initiative legislation for us? I know very little about dyslexia but I do know that even basic reading can be difficult for those with that handicap. :bowdown:

:hug: Aw, that gave me the warm fuzzies. Yup, I'm dyslexic. I had to leave the classroom for reading help until I was age 10. Of course, as a kid I found this terribly embarrassing and it had a horrible impact on my self esteem, but at least I learned to read. Some people, myself included, can kind of grow out of their dyslexia, or at least they're able to compensate for it with other strategies.

[mommylamb]

Oh, I totally didn't mean that sight reading itself was a "party trick" - just teaching a young toddler to do it before they have any ability to comprehend what they are reading. I totally agree that sight reading is an important part of reading for all kids. I have a couple of friends that are teaching their five and six year olds to read primarily by sight reading and having great success with it.

No offense taken. Sorry if I came off badly.

[sste]

Vonfirmath, what is FIL's level of educational attainment? This is what I have observed. Among very highly educated people, people who were themselves in gifted and talented programs, went to top schools, have highly competitive jobs, really I am talking here about the top 5% or 10% or less of the population in terms of educational/career attainment . . . flash cards, sight reading, memorization are NOT popular. None of our friends that fall into this category spend any time working with their kids on flash cards, sight reading, or really any other type of formal reading teaching pre-k. The emphasis is on asking lots of questions about books and everything else in life, encouraging creativity, play, and a wide range of enriching and stimulating activities. And finding top-quality daycares, preschools, and elementary schools.

Among my less formally educated relatives and some of our still educated but less highly educated/intellectual friends, flash cards seem to be all the rage! They are horrified that DH and I will not buy flash card, gadgets, etc. for our 2 year old.

I really think this is a case of people valuing education and thinking that reading will help a DC "get ahead." But, if you have taken those gifted and talented tests they are not about reading. They are about critical and creative thinking. If you think about higher education or the most intellectually challenging jobs they are also not about reading, that is a given like walking or typing. They are about critical and creative thinking.

[HIU8]

DS is learning to read via sight as well. He is 5. He recognizes some words and knows what they are. I was told by his preschool that they teach kids to sight read as a precursor to learning via phonics--which comes later. I have never done the flash cards etc.. with DS. First, he was NEVER interested in doing that. I just let it go and he finally became interested. Now he is going like gangbusters and really wanting to learn how to read.

[vonfirmath]

Vonfirmath, what is FIL's level of educational attainment? This is what I have observed. Among very highly educated people, people who were themselves in gifted and talented programs, went to top schools, have highly competitive jobs, really I am talking here about the top 5% or 10% or less of the population in terms of educational/career attainment . . . flash cards, sight reading, memorization are NOT popular.

He must be the exception then. He's got two doctorates -- He was a foot doctor for a while (podiatrist? I forget the name) and then moved and got a PHD in music (composing, I believe) -- things happened and he could not make the foot doctoring work after he left a clinic due to philosophical issues and he loves to play his trumpet.

[sste]

Well, feel free to ignore him anyway! Maybe the fact that reading music is "sight reading" has made him value sight reading in general more???

Anyway, if any part of the goal is to help accelerate a DC or help a DC enjoy greater success in later schooling, I really don't think this is the way to go.

[geochick]

Both of my kids learned to read before 3. We used the Leapfrog movie (for letter sounds) and the Bob Books (for simple 3 word sentences).

We didn't need flashcards.

Give it a try, but don't push it.

[Mamma2004]

My DD taught herself to read right around the age of 3. She literally woke up one day and could read. We never worked on it with her. We read to her all the time (reading is about the only thing she wants to do all day). She learned her letters and letter sounds mostly from watching the Leapfrog Letter Factory and we got her a Tag reader at 2 1/2 which I also think helped. She was reading by sight. She has a crazy memory and once she sees a word, she knows it. Around 4 she started using phonics to sound out words that she didn't know, but she is still primarily a sight reader.

:yeahthat:

I thought DS had just memorized the board books at around age 2.5 or so. I was flabbergasted when at age THREE he read a very private email over my shoulder and later brought up its contents to me. At that point he would "read" the Sunday comics and we assumed he was looking at the colorful pictures. Nope. He has one of those crazy memories, too, and once he learns a word (not "once we teach him a word" but once he learns it, heaven knows how), that's it.

FWIW, DS is now in K and read "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens this weekend...aloud to me...and now wants to know what else he can read by Dickens. Yes, we are proud of him...but it's definitely odd.

I don't think it will harm your DC to learn some sight words just for fun. However, I don't think an early reader will necessarily become a better, more intelligent reader. KWIM? DS receives enrichment through the public school and while I am absolutely grateful, it does mean that he is missing out on typical "K" material that I think would really benefit him.

Sorry for the lengthy reply. I just want your DC to LOVE reading, at whatever age. It is such a gift!

[arivecchi]

I would rather spend that time exploring new subjects/concepts and encouraging imaginative play. I deem those to be more important than memorization at an early age.

[1964pandora]

I would second the recommendation to read anything written by David Elkind. Not being deliberately cryptic, just only have a second to write. He is a voice crying in the wilderness about the effects of the "pushing down" of the elementary curriculum into the preschool years. He's a prominent child psychologist. Having said that, I think even he would say that there are some children out there (very few) who learn to read early because they want to and that's just fine.

[Ceepa]

FWIW, DS is now in K and read "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens this weekend...aloud to me...and now wants to know what else he can read by Dickens. Yes, we are proud of him...but it's definitely odd.

Wow. That is incredible.

[Gena]

Here are some things to consider:

Who is driving this interest, your son or the adults around him? If it is your son, what is his level of interest? Is he just kinda interested, like it's a fun game? Or is he obsessed, like it's something he craves? How is his verbal language: average? advanced for his age? delayed? How are his social skills? Does he seem to have any sensory issues (sensory seeker or sensory defensive)?

I'm asking because and early interest or ability with letters and/or an early ability to read can be (but is not always) a red flag for autism spectrum disorders or for certain language disorders. My son started reading sight words at just after he turned 2 and figured out phonics before age 3. He didn't talk until he was over 2.5, almost 3. Just after his 3rd birthday he received his official diagnosis of autism. He's 5 now and can read any text he sees (printed or in cursive) and his comprehension is at a 1st-2nd grade level.

I agree with the other posters that for typical children, there is no need to read his young. However, early reading can be a wonderful and amazing gift for children like my son, who do not have the ability to process verbal language correctly. The written word has been our best and most powerful teaching tool and communication strategy. White boards, cue cards, and written checklists are all over our house, but we consider ourselves lucky to have the use of these tools.

Of course, I am NOT saying that your child has ASD or a language disorder. Some kids are just interested in letters at an early age and some are natural early readers. But in my expereince, a very young child who shows a strong fascination for or talent with letters and/or reading should be watched closely for signs of developmental issues.

[jenandahalf]

Mine just suddenly learnt to read one day too. I have no idea how!

The thing I would say about your child learning to read very early is that when they get to school they are going to be very bored. My daughter reads a couple of grades higher than the rest of her K class and she has to have a special teacher come in to read with her when the rest of the class is doing that kind of work. It feels very isolating to me even though it's obviously preferable to her being bored and slacking off. I'm not saying don't teach your kids to read, just that they don't need to get too ahead of themselves or their peers.

[Mamma2004]

Mine just suddenly learnt to read one day too. I have no idea how!

The thing I would say about your child learning to read very early is that when they get to school they are going to be very bored. My daughter reads a couple of grades higher than the rest of her K class and she has to have a special teacher come in to read with her when the rest of the class is doing that kind of work. It feels very isolating to me even though it's obviously preferable to her being bored and slacking off. I'm not saying don't teach your kids to read, just that they don't need to get too ahead of themselves or their peers.

:yeahthat:
That is my fear. While it is definitely exciting for kids to excel at a given subject, it does set them up for isolation and even exclusion. My DS doesn't mind at all that he gets pulled out of K a few times per week, surely b/c he loves reading with the specialist. At the same time, though, he is not a genius who should skip to 5th grade; he is a five-year-old boy who truly needs the nurturing, social environment of K. By meeting with the enrichment teacher, he misses out on K activities every other day.

Reading early can be great when it is the child's choice. Just don't lose sight of how amazing the natural growth and progression of a child's mind is at ages two, three, four and beyond.

'nuff said for tonight. This is a hot-button topic for me so I wish you luck along your journey!

[jenandahalf]

Stephanie I am in the same boat, Kiki isn't gifted or extraordinarily talented, she just happens to be a good reader. It's hard because it's as if there is no in-between, either they're learning at the same pace as everyone or they are supposed to be testing into a gifted school. I also didn't want her to feel that she didn't have to put any effort in to other areas just because she has mastered this one.

[kijip]

My older son learned his letters, many corresponding sounds, and read his first word before he was 2 years old. This was on his own. To this day, I have no idea how he learned it. He just figured it out via listening to us read and looking at words. So early reading does happen in the absence of flash-cards and memory games. This challenged me to open my mind because I previously did not think kids really learned to read at a young age.

We were not interested in pushing it, so besides reading to him tons, we never worked with him on it even after he started reading on his own. He was reading very simple new to him books when he was 4 and chapter books at 5. I feel really strongly that letting it alone and not drilling him etc accomplished a few things:

-Left reading fun
-Allowed him to grasp the concepts at a deeper level because he learned by doing and figuring out
-Did not stress him about reading or literacy skills.

I am quite sure that with active coaching and instruction after his letter/sound/read first word thing that we could have seen him read at 3 and 4 instead of 4 and 5 but I don't see the point in that. We just let it happen. Given that there is pretty much nothing he can't read now, I don't think that we cost him anything by not making it a big deal and just seeing it unfold.

[Mamma2004]

Stephanie I am in the same boat, Kiki isn't gifted or extraordinarily talented, she just happens to be a good reader. It's hard because it's as if there is no in-between, either they're learning at the same pace as everyone or they are supposed to be testing into a gifted school. I also didn't want her to feel that she didn't have to put any effort in to other areas just because she has mastered this one.

:yeahthat: Exactly.

I don't mean to imply that DS isn't incredibly bright. We are amazed by his memory and by his reading, but we are acutely aware of his need to work on other skills. His math is age appropriate and his printing is certainly at K level. He is just now progressing to coloring within the lines (again, at the level expected in K) and his ability to draw is even "less" than mine (I need a ruler to draw a stick figure).

OP, I think it's fine for your DC to learn some sight words and enjoy the game, even at this early age. Perhaps later that WILL facilitate reading, as long as the entire process remains fun and child-driven. Best of luck to you!

[Mamma2004]

My older son learned his letters, many corresponding sounds, and read his first word before he was 2 years old. This was on his own. To this day, I have no idea how he learned it. He just figured it out via listening to us read and looking at words. So early reading does happen in the absence of flash-cards and memory games. This challenged me to open my mind because I previously did not think kids really learned to read at a young age.

We were not interested in pushing it, so besides reading to him tons, we never worked with him on it even after he started reading on his own. He was reading very simple new to him books when he was 4 and chapter books at 5. I feel really strongly that letting it alone and not drilling him etc accomplished a few things:

-Left reading fun
-Allowed him to grasp the concepts at a deeper level because he learned by doing and figuring out
-Did not stress him about reading or literacy skills.

I am quite sure that with active coaching and instruction after his letter/sound/read first word thing that we could have seen him read at 3 and 4 instead of 4 and 5 but I don't see the point in that. We just let it happen. Given that there is pretty much nothing he can't read now, I don't think that we cost him anything by not making it a big deal and just seeing it unfold.


Katie, I appreciate your chiming in because I know our boys both had the propensity to read early on. I love that you emphasize that letting him be and develop on his own has brought him to such a wonderful place.
[On the subject of his reading, I recall that he enjoys nonfiction. What else does he find challenging and entertaining at this point? TIA!]

[wimama]

We have taken a very laid back approach with our DS and we let his interest guide us.

We started reading to him at bedtime when he was 6 months old and could sit up. Our DS started learned his ABC at 18 months old. He just started standing at daycare's changing table and pointing to the letters on a poster hung over the table. We bought him Fridge Phonics and would play games, like "find me the letter "X"". Then, he got into learning his numbers. Then learned to count. He was so fascinated and eager to practice and learn each thing. I felt he needed something new to interest him. He also had some problems with pronouncing certain words. He could tell me how to spell his name and what letter each of his friends names start with. But, his pronunciation of words lagged behind his classmates.

So, I bought him the Leap Frog Letter Factory video when he was age 3 and he learned all the letter sounds in one week and his pronunciation of words improved considerably. So, we bought him the LF Word Factory video and he started trying to sound out words. He had fun trying to read every store sign of the stores we went in. LOL. Now, when we read to him at night, I have him sound out words I think are easy enough for him. He is starting to recognize some sight words and read those as well. He surprised me this last weeks in some of the words he is reading.

I want reading to be fun for my DS. The only reason I introduced phonics to our son was that he had some pronunciation problems and and I felt he was ready and willing to learn phonics. He is a very visual learner and I wanted him to learn phonics to help his speech and help him develop his auditory learning skills. And I think that it has helped both.

If your son knows the letter sounds I would just have him start sounding out words when you read to him.

[mommylamb]

We too have the Leap Frog DVDs (a set of 5) and DS loves them. I admit that he's learned from them, but I find them sooooo annoying.

[wimama]

We too have the Leap Frog DVDs (a set of 5) and DS loves them. I admit that he's learned from them, but I find them sooooo annoying.

My DS loved them. Watched the Letter Factory one for a week and a half straight sometimes twice a day and then I let him him watch the word factory one and he watched that a few times. Then he moved on to other DVDs and programs. It was like he was studying them. He is really into Word World now.