is your nearly 2 years old reading books already ?

[babySophieRose]

Just read a tread in chat about toddlers being able to read at age of 18 months. Some have medical conditions, but the rest are just bright. My LO is 21 months and nowhere near reading, got 30+ words, two words sentences and a lot of non- sense talking. What is considered normal at this age? Is my LO behind or normal? We speak two languages at home by the way and she goes to nursery two days a week. Thanks

[catkind]

massive range of normal at this age (and most ages). Your LO sounds lovely, fab that you're teaching her two languages that'll be a real asset to her.
My 4 yr old can decipher the odd word but wouldn't say he can read. My 18 month old thinks all letters are "g" and any other writing is "22".

[enormouse]

errrm?no. My 22mo DS mostly babbles nonsense and knows about 20ish words.

But he does like flicking through his books whilst I read them. His current favourite is 'dear zoo' with appropriate animal noises for each animal.

[stopgap]

Gosh, no. My son is about to turn two, and though he's stringing two words together, most of his speech is still jargon. He does love books, though, and has many favourite characters ("Mee" is Mr. Macgregor, and "Pi" is Pippi Longstocking, both of whom are slotted into daily conversation, such as "Pi, tea?" "Yes, MiniStopGap, Pippi loves her tea with milk and two sugars ).

[Splatt34]

DD1 can read the gruffalo, as can I with my eyes closed

[HerrenaHarridan]

My close friends ds could recognise letters and sing the alphabet at 18 mo.

He is now 3 and he can read any word ( by independently breaking it down and sounding it out) he reads books freely and with pleasure.

He knows his numbers up to 50 and can add and subtract simple stuff.

He hasn't been hothoused he is just obsessed with letters and numbers.

This is most definitely not the norm and tbh I wouldn't be surprised if later he is diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. His social skills are appalling and his reaction to having his concentration broken scary.

IMO the thing to do is expose your kids to letters and numbers through toys, song and tv and let them take an interest when they are ready.

Love and accept them as they are and teach them to accept themselves.

[Goldmandra]

This is most definitely not the norm and tbh I wouldn't be surprised if later he is diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. His social skills are appalling and his reaction to having his concentration broken scary.

I had no idea that my DD1 teaching herself to read aged 2 was an indicator that she had Autism and, if anyone had suggested it at that time I would have laughed them out of the room. I thought smugly she was just very clever, a bit shy and very attached to me at that stage. I now wish that the HV who did her 18m check and told us she was gifted had known enough to alert us to the possibility of Autism. It could have saved us and DD1 a lot of heartache when she was older.

I know a few other parents whose children were very early readers and were diagnosed years later.

[insanityscratching]

Ds was already on the radar at two for autism the ed psych who saw him at two and a half saw the reading as another indicator of him having autism and moreso when he wouldn't read when he gave him a book but would read when I passed him the same book.

[Lala29]

DD is 22 months and knows some books almost by heart, so looks like she is reading them. We have just started teaching her the flashcard method of reading and she absolutely loves it. We are a bilingual family and DD now recognises about 20 words I guess in both languages. However, actual reading, definitely not and certainly have never heard of it (bar special needs children). DH was reading by around 3 through being taught the flashcard method.

[BritishAsianMum]

My 2 year old son - knows his favorite story books off by heart and can pretend to read them...however can he actually recognise words...not yet..a few letters and numbers...yes...I just focus on him enjoying books and taking a interest in them rather than trying to teach him to read at this stage...

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

DS1 went to school just before he turned 5 and he couldn't read before he started Reception!

They mostly all level out in the end. I used to worry so much about their development, not anymore. They are 9 and 10 now and I've got much more relaxed.

[MammaEAR]

Kids do things at different times. I have learned not to worry about that stuff. I tell my DH, that most kids don't use a pacifier anymore in high school... meaning, so much is just developmental and there is no reason to rush a child, only to give them every advantage you can, and see what they do. I was happy that we got a discounted version of hooked on Phonics from ReadingThatWorks.net , for example, because it turns out my first daughter was really interested in it, AND she learned. But she was no where near as young as the kid you mentioned.

Give them opportunities, but don't sweat it. Thats my theory.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

Ds1 could memories a book after listening to it once at 2 but he was talking at a really young age. Hes 18 now and I dont think hes read a book since leaving school, unfortunately his love of books stopped during junior school.

Ds2 is 10 and will read anything and everything. He was around 5 when he started reading

Ds3 is 2 and paper books are all hidden as he just wants to pull the pages out. He is good at making the animal noises though.

[matana]

Ds is 3 next month, loves books and being read to, 'reads' them himself (i.e. looking at the pictures and saying a few words he remembers from the page) but no, he can't read yet.

I could read when i was 4 apparently, and at that time (30 years ago) my literacy was considered to be advanced. I wrote a short book when i was 5/6.

My niece is 4.5 and is just learning her letters, but she can't yet read.

2 is way early!

[TwerkingNine2FIve]

Five children here and not one of them has read before 4! Not something to be rushed or forced in my opinion. You can read to them a lot and encourage them but there is no point in trying to teach it at this age. It's way too abstract for a baby of 21 months to get their head around. That's what school is for! Incidentally, all my children were reading extremely competently by the age of 5.5 years. Some of them were barely talking by 21 months never mind reading!

[NellyTheElephant]

As others have said reading that early is v unusual, although not unknown. My niece could read at 2 (party piece of reading out sections of Sunday Times perfectly, although little real understanding of the actual content of the paragraph). My DD1 is 3 months older than DN and we both found it a bit tiresome! Now they are 8. DN is definitely not ASD and is a truly gifted (and utterly adorable) child in many many ways (e.g. her piano playing is virtuoso!), but her reading is no better that DD1's. In fact DD1 is way more of a bookworm and constantly recommends and lends books to DN.

I have 3 DC and in my experience I'd say 4.5 is about normal to START the real reading process (as opposed to some knowledge of letters)

[Bettercallsaul1]

My two-year-old is writing books.

[LovesBeingOnHoliday]

I was quite impressed at tge attention my just 2 yr old was showing to one of Dds books, he licked it. Yes licked it and when he got to tge top he turned it over so he could lick down tge other side.

[MomAtWork]

I would say it really depends on how much support a child is given and how much do they enjoy learning. But from experience I can say that when learning to read is mixed with fun activities, the children learn really quickly. We had enrolled my daughter in an Online Learning Program and she really enjoyed the reading, writing activities and was rewarded with songs, puzzles, games etc.

[Jinty64]

ds3 (7) is one of the best readers in his class and he couldn't read a word until he went to school at five.

[Scunnilingus]

Errm no not 'normal' and not always a sign of good things. I'm sure some toddlers are naturally gifted and genuinely 'good' at picking things up.

However, my friend was very proud of her lovely little DS who could read words by 20 months. He was obsessive over letters and words and that's all he was interested in. I remember thinking I must have done something wrong because my 18 month old was not in the slightest bit interested in letters and couldn't recognise any of the alphabet, only had about 4 words!

Sadly, her was diagnosed with Autism aged 3 and is now a severely autistic 7 year old who will not make eye contact with anyone and who barely speaks . We all now realise that her son was not a genius, he was actually autistic and none of us knew at the time.

My DS didn't learn to recognise any letters until he was 3 and couldn't read until he was 5.

DS2 is now 21 months and has absolutely no interest in letters or words. He listens to stories but mainly just looks at the pictures. He has no idea what the marks on the page are and that they letters make sounds. I wouldn't even know how to explain that to him at this age. That's why they go to school isn't it???!

[absentmindeddooooodles]

I was reading at just turned 3. Remember going to school and having to skip levels and levels of reasing and go straoght upto the older stuff. I wasnt gifted or super intelligent, just liked books and words.....and still do.

On the other hand I am totally crap at maths and all things texhnical so guess thats just how mu brain works.

Ds is 2.6. Not even anywhere near reading!! He loves sitring with me for stories and can point out all characters etc but no massive intwrest in words yer.

When he draws a picture he will to squiggles like writing and make sounds like "a" "e" "j" etc. Think its just because hes sewn me doing it, but nice that hes ahowing an intrest. He didnt talk until after he was 2 properly and now will never evee shut up can hold a proper conversation and understands me perfectly.

My little sister is 3.6. Not close either. As others have said she has memorised books and can "read" aboit 15 in this way. She can recognise her own name and my sons name so shes just now starting to take an interest.

[absentmindeddooooodles]

God I so sorry about the typos. I have a useless phone and am not wearing my glasses. So just fumbling through.