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The "pushing" thing always cracks me up... More like trying to keep up!

I agree. The problem with putting a timetable--any timetable!--to things like reading is that there will always be kids who bloom early and kids who bloom late. As long as there are no problems or issues beneath the surface, then I really think it pays to respect a child's own timetable for learning.

There are definitely "sweet spots" with kids for learning specific things. Hit them in the sweet spot, and learning is easy. Someone here called it something like "the zone of proximal development," I think. (Not sure I got the term right and can't remember who said it--argh! Sorry!) I think that idea is totally right on!

I can't figure out how I could have kept my DS4 from reading. He was reading before 2...and even without books he would read shopping aisles, signs on the roads, etc. I never sat down with him and taught him how to sound out words. I don't think it would have been possible to keep him from reading even if I had wanted to. I agree that there is a big element of play that is needed for kids and it shouldn't all be about academics...but some are just driven that way. I had never heard that about Waldorf schools. And funny because a psychiatrist that I used to work with had his son attend a Waldorf school and was recommending it for my son when he had heard about my son being so academic at a young age. Strange. He seemed to be telling me that Waldorf would meet his needs better because he was the way he was, but maybe he was hinting that I should lay off and stop teaching DS to read, LOL.

Let's think the best and assume that he didn't realize the "no reading before 7" rule, shall we? LOL! Or maybe there's a Waldorf School near you that is more relaxed about it. As always, different schools and teachers are different.

I like that way of thinking better!

Our local Waldorf school and local Waldorf college isn't "anti-reading before 7" they're just "anti-teaching reading before 7." They heavily favor a fantastical, magical imagination and oral tradition that allows for rich language development. They also believe that if you wait to teach a child to read until maximum brain development- they will learn to read quickly and without struggle. In many ways, this actually makes sense for ND kids. Forcing reading instruction at 4 or 5 can ruin a child's love of reading, make it always a chore and create a power struggle where it doesn't need to exist. The delay in teaching writing would also solve many of our problems here- fine motor skills that don't allow the child to perform quickly enough.

I think Waldorf would have worked well for my DS. He loves pretend, poetry, music, fairy tales and could sit for hours listening to stories. The focus on ethics, emotions, morality and festive occasions would have fit nicely into our lives! That being said, we wouldn't have survived our local Waldorf methods school because they require you to get rid of your television and sign a pledge :-)

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.

Ditto with DS5.

WOW CAMom,
This is the complete opposite of Montessori schools who preach it will be HARDER to teach a kid to read after 6. Who knows, I guess it all depends on the child.

I couldn't have kept DS6 from reading if I wanted too. He decided to learn and he learned, period. That's how he does everything, doesn't make any difference if i'm on board or not!

Last night I was in tears b/c someone had the nerve to tell me to "just let him be a kid" again. It didn't help that I'm an emotional wreck this week anyway (I know you didn't want to know that). Sadly, part of me really can't wait for the day that I can turn to that person, stick my tongue out, put my thumbs in my ears and have at her! LOL. <insert angel icon here>