Kids and Reading

Quite often I am asked "When should a kid read?".  I am asked this question by friends with and without kids, from moms on play dates (that know I was a teacher), and by other nannies.  I am asked by "fellow moms" at places like The Little Gym while we watch our children play.  I figured since I am asked so often, I thought I would share my opinion.

I stress that this is my opinion, because I am sure there are many other thoughts on this issue.  The thing is... there really is no right answer.  Just know this--your kid better be reading by first grade or before they leave first grade.  That would be about age 6.  I guess we would also need to discuss what we mean by "reading".  I do not mean sounding out a few short vowel words.  I mean reading sentences at a fluent and rather fast pace.

Personally, I do not believe in forcing a young child into reading just for the sake of being able to say they can read.  I find that we have somehow shifted to a society where people pin, "my kid could read at 3" on their chest and walk around in pride like they have a genius.  It's not about when your kid can read.  It's about how well they can read, if they can comprehend what they read, that they understand the rules for reading, and that they enjoy reading.

I have heard of kids reading at 3.  I have also heard of kids reading at 4.  That is fine---IF the kid is interested and picking it up, then by all means go for it!  MOST kids start to read around 5.  That is also perfectly acceptable.  A child can go to Kindergarten not knowing how to read.  This is actually quite common.  They start to learn to read in Kindergarten and then really strengthen those skills in first grade.

Here's a myth I would like to debunk: The age at which a child reads will show and/or determine their intelligence.  WRONG!  A child that reads at 3 can still struggle in life with school.  A child that doesn't learn to read until they are 5 or 6 can still be a 4.0 student the rest of their life.  I think parents tend to think that the earlier their child reaches a benchmark or cognitive skill is a direct relation to their future and intelligence.  This is just not the case.  Some kids develop slower than others.  Some kids are not interested right away.  Unless your kid is in 2nd grade and not reading--don't push them!  That doesn't mean not to work on skills or not to introduce them to the concepts.  It's just not going to help to sit them down and twist their arm until they start to produce.  You will all be frustrated.

Bottom line: Kids learn to read anywhere from 3 to 6 and none is better than the other.  As long as they are being engaged and being introduced to the concepts and building the process up, it will be OK.