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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

19 month old seems to want to learn to read

25 replies

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 10:04

My 19 month old dd has suddenly started wanting to know what letters are and what sounds they make. Started with books, now it's everything. Even the AVENT on her cup this morning had to be spelled out and pronounced. She has always been very interested in books from a young age but until now only in the pictures.

It seems rather young to be doing this sort of thing - should I just ignore it? Or is it a passing phase? Or do you think she really does want to read? I don't want to do something inappropriate for her age IYKWIM.

I know that I read very early and dh did too so do you think it's just a sort of family trait?

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twiglett · 19/04/2004 10:15

message withdrawn

Original poster

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 10:16

Oh no I don't mind at all - just don't want her to be some weirdo kid who is reading at 19 months!!!

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Original poster

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 10:16

(unless that is not weird of course - I don't know as this is my first)

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prettycandles · 19/04/2004 10:19

By all means encourage her! If a child - or baby - can do something and enjoys it, then it's appropriate for their age. That's my philosophy anyway.

It's a wonderful development, and you don't need to rush her, just take it at her pace. If you go out for a walk with her (not in the buggy) you'll be amazed at how much lettering there is at a toddler's eye-height. My ds showed great interest at that age, and loved to 'read' street names, gate notices, parking signs, house numbers etc. My mum made him a wash-glove embroidered with his name, ditto some bibs, so he learned to read those three letters and delighted in identifying them everywhere.

I don't think he's particularly advanced in reading or numeracy now (3.6y), but still gets a great deal of pleasure from reading and writing. I think the trick is to take things a tiny step further (adding more letters, for example) and see whether the child is still enjoying the activity. If so, continue, if not, return to the previous level or intensity.

It may well be a family trait. My db, ds and I could all read fluently before we went to school, as, I believe dh and sil could.

Codswallop · 19/04/2004 10:22

OOh i would catrry on and let her take the lead

ds1 was mad on street signs too but not so young, she has probably sussed that you notice her interest in this!!

Original poster

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 10:23

Yes maybe you are right. Well I shan't encourage it madly I think, but if it's what she wants will indulge her. Maybe I should get one of those nice wall charts with letters/pictures on it?

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Marina · 19/04/2004 10:27

Letterland do something along those lines CD. I'd agree with everyone else, go with her enthusiasm. She is obviously very bright and observant but it doesn't necessarily follow that this interest means she'll be reading fluently by two, I'd have thought!

Original poster

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 10:33

Good point Marina! She seems to pick things up so bloody fast that I was assuming that she would be reading the Guardian (of course ) within a week or two....

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juniper68 · 19/04/2004 10:34

My ds2 has always been interested too from a young age. He isn't advanced though, quite the opposite though very dextrous (??spelling)

Don't worry and like the others say go for it

tamum · 19/04/2004 11:08

I would recommend the Lucy and Tom's ABC book by Shirley Hughes. It's a lovely book anyway, great pictures, and it will probably fuel her interest without being too intrusive. Ds used to love guessing the letters before I read the text, and soon knew them all. I would just go with the flow!

Hulababy · 19/04/2004 11:29

CD - I have had to do this with DD for a few months now too. DD is 24 months and like your DD has been into books since really early. We have to spell out letters and words on everything but she enjoys it. Not noticed her being able to do it herself yet, other than recognising the letter m - which is what her name starts with.

We also have letters for the bath which she likes to play with and for me to write words with on the bath side.

And we have the Jolly Phonics poster and play at doing some of the actions of the letter sounds, which she enjoys.

I never did it with her until she was interested, and I don't think she is particualrly advanced regarding her letters - just interested and curious.

kiwisbird · 19/04/2004 11:34

funny little things aren't they
my dd is 17 mths and has been book fanatic since birth... she can recognise B and says it all teh time, lots of b words (not bugger yet thankfully lol)
so everything is b book b bum b bear b box
she is now moving on to T!
I just do it, with my ds I found it went in fits and starts... he did read very early though, I am pretty book mad myself, and always laden my babies down with books!
She sounds ace, clever girl and clever mummy!

marialuisa · 19/04/2004 11:34

hi CD, our DD was just the same. THIS IS NOT A BOASTFUL POSTING BTW!!! We got her foam bath letters and let her mess around with them and told her letter sounds when she asked and so on. We just went along with wahtever she was interested in and by the time she was 2 she was blending sounds and so on. More recently (through nursery) she has become obsessed with letterland so she knows all the characters and why "SH" makes the sound it does and so on. She is now 3y 2m and "reads" spontaneously. She's not bothered about reading books to herself but likes to point out words she knows and builds on word patterns easily.

We have just gone with the flow and yes, I read early too. The only hiccup is that she's very keen to write but her fine motor skills aren't fab so her letter formation is unique. School have said not to worry though.

Original poster

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 11:35

Oh she is Kiwi, such fun at the moment! Her latest rather odd thing is singing the whole of "Happy Birthday to you" at breakfast every morning, first to me, then dh, then the dog LOL!!!

Am feeling v happy about this now, seems it is normal so will carry on regardless

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Original poster

CountessDracula · 19/04/2004 11:37

those foam letters sound good marialuisa. I have wooden letters spelling her name, plus dh bought her a little pull along cart with wooden blocks with letters on them, think I'll start with those

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Hulababy · 19/04/2004 11:39

The bath foam letters are really cheap CD by the way. You can get a big tub for the bath from Suoerdrug for £2 or £3 maximum.

Pook · 19/04/2004 13:31

I read at about 2yrs, as did both of my brothers. My mother, an English teacher (!) used to stick labels on practically everything i.e. table, chair, door and we just picked it up. We joke now about putting a label on our cat, which dd loves to bits.

roisin · 19/04/2004 13:36

Marialuisa - I love those Letterland stories as to why 's' + 'h' makes 'sh' and so on ... No wonder your dd enjoys blending sounds! Letterland seems to be really out of favour atm, but imo it's excellent for little ones who are interested in letters and words.

marialuisa · 19/04/2004 13:44

I know Roisin, but she's completely gripped. my mum passed on a few of the storybooks that my sis had 15 years ago(!) and I've just about got the rest of the collection through ebay. We have endless conversations about what sounds would be made if dippy duck stood next to lucy lamp lady and so on.

hercules · 19/04/2004 13:47

I stuck labels I'd made myself all over the house for things eg fridge, table etc. It was something my mum did for us and he enjoyed it and I hope absorbed it.

Hulababy · 19/04/2004 13:55

Don't know about Letterland. Do you think that is better than the Jolly Phonics then for litle ones?

I remember I made loads of sticky labels for when my sister was really young. I am 10 years older and thought it was my 'job'. See - must have been destined to be a teacher

roisin · 19/04/2004 14:04

I do Hulababy. Little children really seem to associate with the letters as characters. With JP 'untrained' people still don't achieve the objective of producing a pure phoneme without the 'uh' sound at the end ... Letterland doesn't attempt this difficult task, but 'Munching Mike' gives you all the 'mmm' qualities of the letter 'M'.

Another great one is differentiating between letters - purely anecdotal but IMHO 'Letterland children' very rarely confuse 'b' and 'd' because the pictograms depict entirely different characters. DS2 started using JP at school, and it hasn't caused him any confusion or difficulty.

Anyway, I'm a big fan.

marialuisa · 19/04/2004 14:05

I think opinion is divided Hulababy! Some concerns have been expressed about kids identifying too strongly with Letterland characters but I've not actually come across anyone whose child has had this problem. I think Jolly Phonics is supposed to be more "boy-friendly" as it's more of a multi-sensory approach.

DD's school uses Letterland primarily in the pre-school classes (now don't strike me down people) as they expect kids to recognise letters and the corresponding sounds by the time they start Reception (not unreasonable as only about 2 kids a year haven't come through school's own nursery).DD is in love with the whole system and I've spent a small fortune on ebay but as this is what floats her boat so I'm not bothered.

Hulababy · 19/04/2004 14:11

Thanks - may go and have a look in ELC or Waterstones later when I have a walk into town then.

DD is only just 2 but loves the idea of letters and words. So anything that makes it fun - and easier for me!

LIZS · 19/04/2004 14:18

Read somewhere, possibly on MN, that JP was originally designed with special needs kids in mind because it was multisensory and developed from there as it was seen as successsful in NT kids too. Friend of mine (ex Primary techer) thinks Letterland is more suitable for younger ones and ,if used with all the bits (stories, games, songs, rhymes) , can be equally multisensory and simple to understand. She uses this with her younger daughter while elder is moving onto JP. ds is using JP and enjoys making games from the word cards, however he has found the work books a bit fiddly as the characters and patterns are small and his fine motor skills not great.

CD I think it is great that your dd is showing an interest and perhaps reading some simple word books, such as the Usborne First Hundred Words, together would be fun. She can match the pictures and start to associate the words.

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