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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 a 3 year old learn to read?

50 replies

Mooncupflowethover · 12/03/2010 20:28

I'm asking because my DS1 loves being read to. He often brings books to me during the day and asks me to read them (although I know a lot of kids do). Just lately he's been pointing out words on packets, tins, toys etc and asking what the words are.

I'm really not into hothousing kids at all. I was perfectly happy for him to wait until he went to school to learn to read, I have no desire for him to be precocious.

Having said that, he does seem really interested. Do you think I should try to teach him, or just wait until he's older?

If anyone thinks teaching him would be a good idea, have you got any good book recommendations to start him with?

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FabIsDoingPrettyWell · 12/03/2010 20:30

Of course they can. My DD started on her older brother's keywords at 2 1/2 and is 6 1/2 now and a fantastic reader.

I would just tell him what the words are when he asked rather than formal trying to teach him.

Elena67 · 12/03/2010 20:53

Yes. It's not hothousing - just read with him so he recognises more and more words and then he'll just be off. Don't believe phonics etc are necessary for lots of kids who are interested and motivated - they'll learn whole-words easily enough (and me a teahcer too - I'll be struck off!).

Elena67 · 12/03/2010 20:54

Aargh! teacher! Clearly I need to learn to PROOFread.

FabIsDoingPrettyWell · 12/03/2010 20:56

Phonics are still really useful for children who are keen to read.

jollyma · 12/03/2010 21:12

Of course most 3 year olds can read if taught but I have never understood why they need to learn. Ds1 was always into books as a pre-schooler and his love of books has I'm sure helped him pick up reading very easily since he started school (now y2).

I'm glad I never started to teach him because he found his reception year at school so exciting as the reading world opened up to him.

wonderingwondering · 12/03/2010 21:17

My son was the same at that age but I deliberately didn't teach him. I just told him what words were when he asked - so, like you, food labels, signs, shop names, station names and so on.

I didn't want him to get to Reception and be too far ahead that he got bored and played up (I could read and write before school and that's what happened to me). I taught him letters, though.

He's doing fine with his reading now, and enjoying school - his teacher said he came in with a nice level of knowledge.

thumbwitch · 12/03/2010 21:23

I learnt to read at 3, Mum had flashcards for me but I don't think I was forced or hothoused in any way. If he's wanting to learn, let him and help him. If he's not bothered, leave it for a bit.

When I went to school, the teachers didn't force me through the Ladybird levels because I was already ahead of them, so they allowed me to pick my own books and read quietly while the others did the Ladybirds. Didn't bother me at all (but it would have if they HAD forced me to do what the others were doing)

ouryve · 12/03/2010 22:57

DS1 always loved books and was sight reading some words from the age of 2. He did teach himself to write when he was 3 (and boy did he have some bad habits to break, once he started school!) and taught himself phonics, prompted by BBC's Fun with Phonics and using the Starfall website when he was 4 and learnt to read very quickly. No hothousing was involved. We simply followed his interests.

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 12/03/2010 23:01

ds could read at 3. He always had a book in his hand and learnt the alphabet at a very young age by playing with a toy bus that had letters on the side, push the letter and it tells you what it is IYSWIM. He tried to read a book himself so I taught him to say the letters phonetically and then say them together without the spaces and it clicked.

coldtits · 12/03/2010 23:02

Yes, I read at three.

teach him the Jolly Phonic alphabet, with Ah, B, C not AY Bee Cee

ButterPie · 12/03/2010 23:07

I could read at three, so could DP, and DD turned three on Wednesday and knows most of her letters and is starting to put them into words. I don't think it really makes any difference at the end, but I would HATE to tell her to hold back her learning to stay "average" - what a horrible idea. She needs to just follow her curiosity and learn how to learn, iyswim.

mumset · 12/03/2010 23:13

Yep ds was the same. Could read simple CVC words and some sight words at three.

He learnt letter sounds after he'd learnt the names on Countdown (I used to watch it and he learnt them when he was about 2).

Not done him any harm. He hasn't found reception boring at all - there's too much fun stuff going on.

He continues to do well with and enjoy his reading and I don't regret it. There was no way I could have not answered his questions anyway and it felt natural and not hothousey to teach him the basics.

vesela · 13/03/2010 16:24

I'm sure I've read somewhere* that the brain changes that make it possible for children to start reading occur at any time between the ages of 3 and 7. (Hence the argument that schools should start at 7, when all children are ready, instead of 5, when not all are). But there will also be some children who are ready to learn at 3.

Can he tell what letter a spoken word begins with - if you say a simple consonant-vowel-consonant word like "hot" very clearly, can he hear that it begins with a h, and can he also hear o and t in it? (I think they then start to hear the last letters, and finally the middle ones, or is it the other way round?)

(*I thought it was in Proust and the Squid: The Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf, but I can't see it there now).

pranma · 13/03/2010 18:30

My dd learnt to read at 2.6 and by 5 had read The Railway Children-at 3 she could read Topsy and Tim books and by 4 loved My Naughty Little Sister and Milly Molly Mandy.Her brother could read by the time he started school at 4.8 but only just.As they grew older both were prolific readers and still are as adults.They 'can' learn at 3 but not all do.You go ahead-I used flash cards but that was in 1976

Southwestwhippet · 13/03/2010 18:32

My brother started trying to learn to read on his own at 2 and a half - he was picking out words and demanding help from my mother. She just went with it and started teaching him (she'd already taught me and my brother to read so was fairly confident) and by three he was reading confidently on his own. there are 5 of us all together and apparently we were all reading at 3. My mother isn't into hothousing either, but reading is something we did lots of and she enjoyed teaching us.

Sounds as if your DS is similarly interested, I think you should go for it.

EggyAllenPoe · 13/03/2010 18:34

of course.what harm can it do?

bran · 13/03/2010 18:38

I could read at 3, I don't remember being taught so I don't know how I learned. I do remember that the teachers were a bit pissed off when I started school though.

LilyBolero · 13/03/2010 18:41

I could read fluently at 3, and could read music as well. Apparently I read Alice In Wonderland before starting school....

racmac · 13/03/2010 19:43

I could read at 3 - I started school and mum told the teachers i could read - they looked at her as though she were mad (single parent family 1970's - you can imagine)
they were really rude and patronising to her - they told her i wasnt reading i had just memorised my favourite book

I came home from my first day at school with "I have a reading book" badge and the teachers didnt mention it again.

I have DS aged 9 who has no interest in books or reading and a DS 4 who is teaching himself to read so they are all very different

I would encourage it - it cant do any harm but foster a love of reading

EggyAllenPoe · 13/03/2010 20:00

yes, my mum was told my sister couldn't read, then she went and picked the teachers notes up and read out some words.....

my mum could read age 4, without anyone making any effort to teach her.

starkadder · 13/03/2010 20:36

I learned to read when I was 2 and it didn't do me any harm. In fact, my love of reading has been a huge support to me throughout my life. Go for it, I say.

Original poster

Mooncupflowethover · 13/03/2010 20:52

Thanks for all of your responses ..

After reading through them I think I'll give encouraging him to read a go. He is really interested and can recognise letters, so as long as I don't push him it seems like a really positive thing.

I remember seeing an article some months back about boys being reluctant to read, so if I can foster his enthusiasm so much the better. I loved to read as a child, and as far as I'm concerned it's far better than endless Peppa Pig episodes.

I'm impressed at the ages some of you/your DC's/DH's started to read!!

OP posts:

ButterPie · 13/03/2010 21:21

I have just been reading up on the whole thing. Apparently the best letters to start with are satpin. So, this week we will be doing S themed games I'll see how that goes before doing any more letters, if it goes well I might up the pace slightly, if it doesn't I will go back to the letters she does know (atm she is confident with m, p, g, d, e)

Twinkster · 13/03/2010 21:24

Depends on the child. My DS was reading fluently before three: he was just interested, and there's no way I could have stopped him even if I'd wanted to. DD is 5.5 and her reading isn't a patch on DS's at three. She's not fussed, and I'm certainly not going to push her. Go with the child!

Twinkster · 13/03/2010 21:25

(IME, the stuff about children being bored in Reception if they can already read just isn't true. DS's teacher started him on free reading in Reception after a week on the ORT, and she gave him plenty to do to make sure he was never bored...)

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