This week’s question comes to us from Julie at JadeSky who asks:
How young do you think children should be when they start reading?
I’m not sure that the question should be when should they, but more when can they. I think that babies, with their weird, miraculous little brains, are capable of learning in ways that we can’t even imagine. Given the right input—which is typically parents reading to them ad nauseum—babies will learn to read like they learn to speak, which is to say with no actual instruction.
Now, to get this outcome, parents should start reading to them when they are wee-wee-wee. I would suggest reading to infants from the first day, and reading to them every day until they can read on their own. For some babies, that’s been documented to be as early as under three years. For some, it might end up being late enough that they don’t learn till they go to school. For me, I think I was around four.
Do you remember being taught to read? When were you reading on your own? I’d love your stories in the comments?
The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book-related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog
fifty-two 
I vaguely remember being read to. But I don’t remember getting specificity taught to read. More like I’d start recognizing words as I was getting children’s book read to me.
And then more and more until I was reading with just a little help; and then none at all.
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That’s how I think it goes for many kids who are read to. 💕
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I’m old enough to remember the old Ladybird reading books! I too think it’s more important to read and share books with children from birth rather than set a target date for them to be reading by.
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my parents read to me starting when i was a baby, and i have memories of them reading to me when i was really little! it’s so beneficial to kids to have stories read aloud to them when they are really young!!
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My mom started reading to me when I was probably a baby. I always loved having her read to me. When I was old enough to start reading myself I did and still love to read today. My mom loves to read too. My dad doesn’t like to read. 🙂
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My mom never had time to read when I was growing up. She would read maybe eight or ten books a year, but mostly, it was me and my dad devouring everything we could get our hands on while she worked full-time and chauffeured the three of us everywhere. But once she retired, she has made up for lost time and she now reads ALL THE BOOKS. It’s been great to get one more thing in common with her.
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That’s an interesting point about the capabilities of newborn brains! Thanks for stopping by! happy reading!
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