# When did you learn to read? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2006, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555 "2006-04-06T11:03:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/41 "2006-04-06T19:52:12Z")
I was late 3, early 4 by the time my parents discovered I could read. One day they saw me reading words out of a book out loud and were not aware that I picked up the ability to read on my own. I think watching Sesame Street helped me to learn this skill early on. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/42 "2006-04-06T19:53:02Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Two and some, according to oral tradition. With my own kids, the first one learned by age two and a half, the second probably closer to five. There is zero correlation between how early they learned to read and how they’re doing in school these days. There never is; the age at which a child first learns to read is of virtually no importance in determining their academic prospects. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/43 "2006-04-06T19:56:13Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > In the womb. Man, you guys are late starters! The ability to read has been passed on genetically in my family since the first life appeared on the planet. There has literally not been a time since the first primitive organisms began to combine DNA that a member of my traceable family was unable to read. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/44 "2006-04-06T19:58:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > There never is; the age at which a child first learns to read is of virtually no importance in determining their academic prospects. True in my case; I could read very well before I was three, but I flunked out of high school. Law school went okay, though. Less math. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/45 "2006-04-06T20:00:55Z")
I started reading somewhere around the age of four at the latest; I actually don’t remember learning to read, but I remember reading well before I entered kindergarten at age five. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/46 "2006-04-06T20:19:27Z")
These threads are always curious to me, because even when they’re trying to get at the average age of reading, it tends to flush out the people who read at an unusually early age. Pleased to report I’m Joe Average over here. I didn’t read until after I started kindergarten. That certainly appeared to be the norm at the time–none of my classmates could read when kindergarten started, although some learned pretty quickly. My mom was a reading teacher, even. Fancy that. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/47 "2006-04-06T20:20:39Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I started reading somewhere around the age of four at the latest; I actually don’t remember learning to read, but I remember reading well before I entered kindergarten at age five. Ditto for me. I do clearly remember working out in my mind the concept of multiplication when I was five, and I have written proof in one of the books I used to read back then. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/48 "2006-04-06T20:44:58Z")
I was four. I had the same situation as others in this thread when I hit Kindergarden. What do you do with someone who can already read when you are trying to teach the rest of the class ABCs? My Mother did get treated to a sitcom moment when I was 2 1/2 - 3 years old. According to her I came walking into the room and started reading _The Four Puppies_ (my favorite book) out loud to her. I guess it took a few minutes for her to realize that no matter what she handed me, it had curiously similar prose to _The Four Puppies_ 😃 I don’t remember anyone “teaching” me to read. My Mother loves reading and she always had me in her lap reading to me. Can you learn to read that way? I never remember transitioning from “can’t read” to “can read”. I just remember picking up a book and reading it (of course, it was a long long time ago). Math, on the other hand… _cough_hopeless_cough_ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/49 "2006-04-06T20:59:28Z")
I went to Montessori daycare, and I they had me reading “chapter” books at three. I started reading Dickens at 5. These days, I watch American Idol. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/50 "2006-04-06T21:09:27Z")
The first book I remember reading by myself was some story about ducks on a farm - I was 5. My first book with chapters was _Stuart Little_ at 6 or 7 years old. Looking at the ages posted above, I feel like I was a late bloomer, yet I’ve always tested very high at reading comprehension, and I’ve always been a reader. It’s possible I read at an earlier age, yet I don’t remember it. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/51 "2006-04-06T21:28:22Z")
> [@LunaV](#): > > The first book I remember reading by myself was some story about ducks on a farm - I was 5. My first book with chapters was _Stuart Little_ at 6 or 7 years old. > Looking at the ages posted above, I feel like I was a late bloomer, yet I’ve always tested very high at reading comprehension, and I’ve always been a reader. It’s possible I read at an earlier age, yet I don’t remember it. That doesn’t sound like late bloomer, that sounds like right on schedule, or a little ahead. “Stuart Little” is a pretty impressive read for 6 or 7. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/52 "2006-04-06T22:19:53Z")
This thread is making me incredibly anxious. I’m so afraid the OP’s friend is going to look at it and use it as evidence to further freak out because her three year old is not reading yet, and that’s just not right. To alleviate my own anxiety, I’m going to post a few things from various educational sites. All bolding mine. > [@http://www.wisegeek.com/how-can-i-teach-a-child-to-read.htm?referrer=adwords\_campaign=teachachildtoread\_ad=015071&\_search\_kw=children%20reading](#): > > There is no magic age when one can teach a child to read; while some children are ready in Kindergarten, others, especially boys, **may not be ready until age eight or nine.** Traditional schools have programs and quotas which expect them to teach a child to read the basics **by the end of the first grade** , but many children simply are not ready. A child should not be pressured or berated if he struggles in reading; he should simply be helped along at his own learning pace. If a child still cannot read by the beginning of 3rd grade, parents might consider homeschooling so they can teach the child to read at his own pace without the pain of peer pressure. > [@http://www.ed.gov/PressReleases/06-2000/0601.html](#): > > In the fall of 1998, for example, 94 percent of beginning kindergartners could recognize single-digit numbers and basic shapes, and **66 percent could recognize the letters of the alphabet.** > [@http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/reading/effective.html](#): > > With this evidence to inform their practices, teachers can now be better equipped than ever to plan and deliver effective reading instruction, and to involve the whole school, the home, and the community in helping **every child become a successful reader by the end of Grade 3.** > [@http://www.brainconnection.com/library/?main=genhome/early-reading](#): > > Children are usually expected to acquire basic reading skills in the \*\*first through third grades. \*\* > [@http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/index.html](#): > > Early Reading First Program Goals… > \* To provide preschool-age children with cognitive learning opportunities in high-quality language and literature-rich environments so that the children can attain the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary for optimal reading development **in kindergarten and beyond** Get it? People pushing their agendas for “Early Reading” are talking about kindergarten throuth third grades, not 2 and 3 year olds! **LunaV** , you were not, by anyone’s definition, a late bloomer. You were actually quite early! It’s the 2, 3 and 4 year old readers in this thread who are the freaks! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/53 "2006-04-06T22:24:10Z")
Just the other day our newspaper had an article on readiness for Kindergarten. Your friend can relax. Five-yr-olds are supposed to know the alphabet (upper and lower case), be able to count, and know their (basic) colors. More importantly, they need to know how to take turns, pay attention, and wait in line. And they should know their full name and address. A friend of mine who’s studying ECE was posting on this subject recently, I’ll quote her: > [@fessie's friend](#): > > Repetitive and predictable books are best (such as Scholastic’s "High Frequency Readers). At first all they are doing is memorizing it, but it gives them the confidence that they can read and eventually they will begin to recognize those words by sight. > > I wouldn’t do flash cards per se, but go to an educational resource store and see what type of games they have for sight word practice as kids are more likely to respond to games than flash cards or workbooks. > > I would also avoid workbooks for older children that can write as doing more hands on things such as rearranging words into a sentence using sentence strips cut apart is going to be more beneficial. There are kids who love workbooks, though, so just limit the amount they do and vary it with other hands on activities. > > Teaching your child about basic rhyming words along with phonics is also a very good thing to help increase their sight word vocabulary. For example, if the child knows c-a-t is cat then if they see h-a-t you tell them it ryhmes with cat and have them sound out the first sound to figure out the word. Pre-reading this is a skill you can work on. She also recommended A Is for Angry (Boyton, 1983) Animalia (Base, 1986) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Martin & Archambault, 1989) Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions (Musgrove, 1976) (Caldecott winner) (As for me personally, I was behind in 1st grade when I switched from a parochial to public school, and really didn’t know how to read until the end of the year. Within a couple of years I was testing years ahead; your friend shouldn’t sweat it at age 3) ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/54 "2006-04-06T22:50:19Z")
1. I remember in kindergarten (age 5) I was begged by other kids to read them stories. I also remember being able to spell **giraffe** and impressing the hell out of my teacher. Then they moved me into Grade 1 halfway through the school year and scarred me for life! But that’s a whole 'nother thread … I asked my Mom recently how she taught me to read, and she said she didn’t “teach” me at all, that she and Dad just read to me lots, and I learned my alphabet early, and somehow was able to put it all together around age 4. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/55 "2006-04-06T23:26:29Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Interesting… schools here (Massachusetts) typically want kids reading by the end of kindergarten. So much is driven by standardized testing, which begins in earnest in the third grade. I think there’s a feeling that kids won’t be prepared for testing if they’re not reading by the time they start first grade. I don’t know if there’s a correlation to the tests or not. I know that kids were expected to be reading by the end of kindergarten back during the 1982-3 school year, and that predates the drive for standardized testing. Back in the 80s we didn’t get a “big” test in MA until 4th grade, not third like now. There were only a couple of us who could read going into K, but **everyone** could read Dick And Jane before our graduation. Alphabet People and phonics worksheets were a weekly, if not daily, part of class. When doing a thread like this, IMHO it’s best to firmly delineate what you mean by “read.” I’ve known a lot of people who claimed that they could read at 2 or 3, but upon further questioning most meant that they could recognize their own names and a handful other words. To me reading means you can get through picture books with words on your own, or with minimal help, so I say I learned at four. By the other definition I could “read” at three. If you’re not specific, you’ll probably get people using various definitions. On the other hand, maybe you don’t care… ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/56 "2006-04-06T23:27:18Z")
I remember something about blocks with letters and the next thing I know I’m in the 12th grade. After that, beer, lots of beer. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/57 "2006-04-07T00:20:19Z")
Mom, who had been a grade school teacher before I was born, started teaching me to read when I was 2 and change. She stopped for a while when she realized that my reading ability was getting too far ahead of my speaking ability. I was probably reading on the 2nd- or 3rd-grade level when I started kindergarten, and was a little obsessive about it - Mom would constantly catch me reading under the covers with a flashlight. But she actually pulled me out of the neighborhood grade school and threatened the school district that she would home-school me unless they enrolled me into the limited-admission, weirdo experimental magnet school, which had radical stuff like mixed-age classrooms and unstructured blocks of time and all sorts of arts and reading and math enrichment programs. (I had come home from kindergarten one day in tears, upon being told that I was _not allowed_ to read anymore and had to go play with modeling clay with the other kids. In hindsight, I was such an introverted geek that it probably would have done me good to play with the other kids. That, and a teacher telling me I had drawn a jack o’lantern _wrong_ because it had triangular eyes, were the kiss of death for that school for Mom - she was very big on encouraging creativity.) But they put me in the magnet school, and I was a teacher’s pet forever after. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/58 "2006-04-07T01:13:24Z")
I’m rather curious about what the early readers in this thread were reading. I started reading at a very young age but it was always kids’ books; the grown-up books were scary things to be avoided. I remember trying to read Treasure Island at 7 or so and not managing to get anywhere. The first adult book I read and finished was Fahrenheit 451, at 11. If you gave me Dickens to read as a kid I’d have put it down and wandered off to read Beverly Cleary. I’m not sure if it was a comprehension issue or an utter lack of interest but it seems very different from what the other early readers are saying about their reading habits. Wasn’t there anyone like me? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/59 "2006-04-07T01:34:51Z")
I was **11** , going on **12**. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555/60 "2006-04-07T01:39:00Z")
I started reading by four at least, as I have memories of reading at that age. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-you-learn-to-read/351555.md?page=4)