When should infants/toddlers/children start reading? Is there an age which is too young? What methods should be used to teach reading early in life?

All the skills needed to become a good reader are learned from birth. Some would say even before birth. Reading involves so much more than learning what words say. Reading is the end result of years of learning the ; pre-reading' skill of visual discrimination , auditory discrimination, sequencing skills, attention, concentration and the ability to remember. A good vocabulary helps comprehension later.

These are learned in the first three years of life by interacting with an adult, playing, scribbling, drawing, painting and being stimulated by the enviroment. There are critical windows of opportunity in the first five or so years which are the best times for learning language and so reading which is part of language development as a whole. Don't miss these golden opportunities! Start talking with your baby from day one and don't stop. Read books with them from day one and don't stop. Listen to story cds and the radio. Read yourself and be a role model, Point out print and words in books and in day to day life. Give your child a stimulating environment and reading will follow naturally.

It is never to early to read to your child. Infants begin to learn languages from the time they are born, and reading can aid in this development. Reading also provides a time for you and your child to be together, which is good for their emotional development. The main line is - the early you start reading, the better. keep reading →