When a child teaches themselves to read, really teaches themselves (no being lead at all by flash cards, Star Fall or a program of some kind) by being read to, watching your lips and listening to the sounds and asking lots of questions one phase at a time (starting with "what's that?" when pointing to letters everywhere and things, asking how things are spelled endlessly) watching some of these kids shows on PBS, they do break the code and I guess there is something more than just memorizing going on. I just always had people challenging me on it (mostly family) so I tended to play it down somewhat.
My DD’s experience learning to read was very much in huge leaps and bounds that I could not define. It does happen to some kids. Actually the older librarian where we used to go (his second career after retiring as a chemist) remembers learning how to read when he was about 3 1/2. He doesn’t know how it happened but he does remember the day when he could pick something up and start reading it on his own. He mostly just remembers spending time with his grandfather reading to him, asking questions here and there. Sometimes you read about slaves or other people that were kept in ignorance by a higher authority learning to read over time by seeing the cook reading recipes and other things, somehow linking the text to the speech. Some people are truly superb code-breakers.
We thought DD’d be an avid reader but she’s really not. It’s like she was more interested in the fun of breaking the code or so unhappy that there was this huge informational secret out there that she didn't know about and she couldn't take it anymore!
She’s still strictly in it for the information, or realizing that you should have a book with you if you think you’re going to need to wait, like going to the doctor’s office. She does love stories but she's not one of those voracious readers like a more classic gifted reader you'd think of.
The experience with me having a child who could read so early is part pride but part a big responsibility because I felt like I needed to shield her from more things at a young age and if she did have a chance to read a headline about kids killed in a car crash or something, her reaction really did indicate that she really understood what she was reading (unlike what the schools insisted she could not). There’s also the problem of the high risk of being bored to distraction upon entering school! And being sidelined for years in the classroom, stopping reading altogether to fit in...
Therefore, when I read or hear about people taking the lead in teaching a young child to read by introducing them to the process before they start asking about or taking an interest, I’m always very perplexed as to why they would want to do it.
No offense anyone!! LOL I think that, since I was considered a “late” reader, just on the verge of it becoming a big issue before I finally broke through, I don’t think there is any reason to rush into it.
IMHO as always.
