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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Can anyone's 2 year old read?

70 replies

Jimjams · 03/03/2004 07:45

I have a horrible suspicion that ds2 (2 years and 1 month) is reading a number of words. I've tested him a few times and he keeps getting them right. I am NOT happy about this- and I have NOT taught him aything- the last thing I need is him showing signs of hyperlexia. (linked to autism blah blah- elder autistic brother could read odd things at 2 as well- although ds2 seems to be able to recognise more than him).

So please someone tell me your totally normal, completely normal with no social or language problems was abe to read at 2 years and one month (or younger - I've been trying to ignore ds2's "ability" for a while).

He shows no other signs of autism btw- speech is very unclearbut he's talking in sentences and his language is fine. Very sociable, copies. I just panic occasionally that he's going to regress.

So go on reassure me- someone else must have a young child with excellent pattern recognition skills who isn't autistic.

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Original poster

Jimjams · 03/03/2004 22:57

The trouble with describing Steiner education is that it always ends up sounding chaotic when in fact the day is very structured.

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misdee · 03/03/2004 23:15

dd1 recongised words at 2, but couldnt read really.

and about the whole learning too early tbhing which i just read, yes i do get shocked by what dd2 does as she has reached milestones ahead of time (rolling at around 3months, crawling at 5 months, walking at 10months, sorts colours and shapes,) it scares me somewhat. she is good at speech, makes the right amount of sounsd for words (grandad is gaga, nanny is nana,) but she said boo today when playing with her boo toy.

Jimjams, my younger brother at around the age of 2-3 recited a thomas the tank book word for word. my parents thought he was amazing and could read, but when he was 8 found out he could barely read as he was dyslexic.

tigermoth · 04/03/2004 07:07

I think that much depends on personality. I think some young children are more eager to display their knowledge and some more secrative about what they know. If my oldest son knew something - the name of a colour, recognising a word, counting to 10, he wanted to tell the world. My youngest son hasn't the same desire to share his knowledge, so I am never as sure about what he knows and what he doesn't know. And he plays games with us. For instance, age 4.5 he still tells us he doesn't know how old he is, despite being able to count to 20 and recognise groups of 2 or 3 or 4 things etc. If a stranger asks him his age, he looks blank and asks me how old he is. Likewise it was only a few months ago that he would admit to others that he know his surname. My oldest son was much more open at that age.

tigermoth · 04/03/2004 07:14

glad you're reassured jimjams.

I wonder if the steiner school you talk about is the same one we always drive past on our way to stay with our inlaws? all you can see from the road is a wooden sign with steiner in curvy writing.

As for ability evening out, I tend to agree. All the children in my 9 year old's class can read, write, etc etc and my son says no one is really 'top' or 'bottom'. Whenever I see all their work display, the standard looks pretty much the same, at least to me with an untrained eye.

shrub · 04/03/2004 09:10

i don't think there is anything wrong if they are interested. if he sees that you and your dh/dp reading books/newspapers he probably wants to be part of it? my ds1 started to ask what letters/ words meant so we started to tell him. we tried steiner for my ds1. it didn't work out for us, each place is different but this one was very pro quiet girls. when i asked if they had any wheeled wooden toys available which were made locally by the camphill community they said they had forgotton to replace them. there are some wonderful aspects to steiner philosophy -i still actively use some of them and i still have friends there. but i was left feeling uncomfortable, everyone was terribly serious, i never got the hang of anthroposophy. i felt the closed community thing was almost a cult - but i stress each place is different and i was also new to the area which doesn't help. i believe there is one steiner school which is completely outdoors - even in winter, which would of suited my ds1 much better. he only had the opportunity to go outside for the last 10 minutes of each session which is very difficult to explain to a very active spirited 3 year old when he could see 5 acres out of the window. i also found some more information at www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles.html which left me feeling suspicious about some of the practices and long term advantages. it is so hard - i want to protect my ds1 from all the stupid hoops that he would have to jump though if i choose a conventional education but i also have to think about preparing him for the real world, whatever the 'real world' means.......

Original poster

Jimjams · 04/03/2004 09:50

Agree about different places shrub. I fell in love with Steiner because at a time when ds1 was being asked to leave lots of places (not because of disruptve behaviour- just because he was odd basically) the local- at that time- Steiner school welcomed us and accepted him totally. Even though he didn't join in. I will always be grateful for that- they showed a real kindness at a very very difficult time for us.

I went to visit the local steiner school (now we've moved) and the atmosphere was quite different- more closed and defintiely less welcoming.

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aloha · 04/03/2004 09:56

My ds loves books, but he likes to be told stories with no text even more - I say, shall I read you a story and he says, 'No TELL me a story" and he loves made up ones, which sounds very Steiner. We do fairy stories in the car Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are favourites.

shrub · 04/03/2004 09:59

i also forgot to say that we have a good friend now in late 30's who was steiner educated. we did ask his opinion on what he got from it - he replied 'self confidence and independence- but that could be coming from a wealthy background!' to confuse the issue even futher
recent stats from university of chicago (daily telegraph article 'learn what you want' feb 9th) found that 94% of what we learn in school is never used in later life and einstein didn't utter his first word until he was 3! its a mixed old bag this education malarky

Original poster

Jimjams · 04/03/2004 10:00

ds1's school keep sending him home books without text and he hates it! He likes books to be the same every time (for obvious reasons)- preferably rhyming, or just one word on each page. I must get round to telling them this- maybe next meeting.

Ds2 however likes storys- any story, and listens to stories in a way that ds1 can't.

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Original poster

Jimjams · 04/03/2004 10:03

shrub that's interesting- as one thing I've felt that a steiner education would give was confidence, and an ability to work things out for yourself. (Being a teacher(ish) myself- I would stay conventional education is NOT good at teaching children to work things out for themselves- ag my favourite quote from the education chat room I work in "wot is da ansa teecha"

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Clarinet60 · 04/03/2004 10:37

jimjams! I'll remember dat one forever.

Tigermoth, ds1 is always pretending he doesn't know his age or how to count. I wondered if thinks that less will then be expected of him.

Shrub we went to a lovely Steiner playgroup for a while and I loved the play acting and singing. It was a bit of a cult though. DS1 was welded to his dummy at that stage, which was really frowned on. I also spent much of the time there in stitches as I kept saying the wrong thing. eg, I said I wanted DH to get some camels for our farm (because I love watching them, so funny) and people assumed it was because I wanted to eat them, lol.

pupuce · 04/03/2004 10:39

Interesting DS loves made up stories too.... he gets one every night and now he wants us to make it up with the characters and some events that he has chosen that evening... HARD work !

Honeybunny told me her borther went to Steiner and she didn't think it suited him (I think).

There is a Steiner school 30 mins away from us but I also fear the "too close knit" community which might not be welcoming us - I haven't met them so it's just an impression....

One of the best French speaking authors currently - she is in her early 30s.... didn't speak a word before she was passed 3.

Original poster

Jimjams · 04/03/2004 10:43

Droile I remember my friend's face when I told her that we were given herbal teas to drink at the playgroup (parents and toddler NOT mothers and toddlers!). She couldn't believe there was no coffee.

You see I fit in quite well now - training to be a homeopath, un-vaccinated child....... I pass the tests (Not sure dh does though I suspect his job rules him out)

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Clarinet60 · 04/03/2004 11:10

What's his job jimjams? I've forgitten.

tigermoth · 04/03/2004 21:05

droile, glad my son is not the only one who 'forgets' his surname and age. And like you I've also wondered if he hopes less will be expected of him.

Emski · 04/03/2004 21:20

I read last night that Anna Seward (I think that was her name!), who was a Romantic poet, was reading Milton at the age of two. I thought it was complete codswallop till I read this thread! I understand Jimjams concerns re. autism, but hopefully she just has a very bright child. I think our children (and ourselves!) are capable of so much more than we know. I dont agree with pushy parenting, but if a child wants to learn (and most of them do)let them! I wish I had been encouraged to learn more about the world around me at a young age, perhaps I wouldn't be trying to catch up now!!

Original poster

Jimjams · 04/03/2004 21:29

lawyer drolie- ugh. Not very Steiner

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kiwisbird · 04/03/2004 21:36

My son did also, I thought it was a freak thing, was in denial for ages.
He ended up being dx'd a gifted child eventually... Great number cruncher too, obvously skips a generation
He physically used to spell out words himself, very quickly from the sounds and letters he knew..
And I am so not a pushy parent but I do read a LOT with my kids from birth.

hmb · 04/03/2004 21:37

Jimjams, I agree that the 'normal' school system does not make children independent learners. I also agree that Steiner is very good for some children. But I must say that I would have hated it as a child. I was a very early reader, and was so keen to get to school and read more. If I'd have been made to wait till I was 7 I'd have been climbing the walls.

Chinchilla · 04/03/2004 22:35

Haven't read the whole thread, so forgive if I am talking complete cr*p! My ds is 2y 7m. He can count to 20, and knows all his alphabet. He loves pointing out numbers, and used to know all his friends by their house numbers! Now, wherever he goes, he is always spelling things out from signs. He is always asking me what things say in books or on labels. He says 'Call Mummy?' (i.e. 'What is this called?' ), and I have to tell him what the things says. It amazes me, but I cannot say if this is advanced or not. My friend's daughter is a year older, and still does not know her numbers from 1-10.

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