Our pediatrician was the first person we turned to for help and guidance when our son started reading spontaneously at 2 1/2, and she was completely useless. She basically told us to ignore it and focus instead on making sure he spends plenty of time outdoors (as though we kept him locked in his room, chained to a desk all day). The dr. wouldn't have believed that at that age, my son had already begun insisting on taking books outside with him, against my wishes. At 3, he once played tag with the ND neighbor kid in our front yard with his favorite Magic School Bus book tucked under his arm. I'll never forget that image.
It hadn't even occurred to me to teach my son to read when he started. Early on, my mom sent me some phonics books for him that she had found used. I stuck them in the back of the closet for when he was reading age. When I later came across them, I realized DS3 was already way past them and that my opportunity to use them had come and gone without me knowing it.
