"And what starts out as a distinct advantage is usually relegated to a personal milestone. The child who learns to walk at 9 months isn't going to grow up to be a better walker or hiker or runner in the field than the child who didn't walk until he was 13 months. Such is the case with the early reader. 'By the time they're in fourth grade, the other kids have caught up to them and often even superceded them.' says Trish Melehan, who for many years taught kindergarten and fourth grade at Spring Hill."
I read this to mean that by fourth grade there was no advantage to the kids who learned to read at 2 over those who learned to read at 6. Obviously, some kids will be reading better than others, but it's not necessarily the ones that learned to read early who will be ahead.
Inserting my own personal bias against teaching babies to read and toddlers phonics ... but it is big business to prep kids for kindergarten. Not surprising that schools are not impressed by parent claims and take a wait and see attitude.
