Sorry, I shouldn't have piped in at all since I'm supposed to be working and don't have time to look up helpful references. That said, I just remember being able to read around age 4. From seeing my son, who all of a sudden knew how to read, I suspect that it involved a lot of being read to, and then figuring out "the code" somehow just through exposure without even realizing it. I'll try to go away now since I don't think I'm being especially helpful!