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Original poster

At what age could you read/write... and what are your academic/professional qualifications?

147 replies

wonderingwondering · 18/05/2009 18:02

And do you think reading young is generally linked to greater academic/professional achievement overall? Whether that is because of intelligence, nurture, an innate love of or aptitude for reading/learning? Or are the two completely unrelated?

OP posts:
Original poster
wonderingwondering · 18/05/2009 19:33

Sorry Hulababy, I was posting in a hurry, started to reply to you and got sidetracked!

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Habbibu · 18/05/2009 19:36

Just talking to dh about this - he made the point that no-one tries to correlate between athletes and early walkers... (or do they?)

Original poster
wonderingwondering · 18/05/2009 19:37

Filljonk, that is exactly the concern I had - once I could read, that is pretty much all I did. I couldn't ride a bike until I was nearly ten, while DS can ride his already, and swim, and is learning tennis. And he plays really well with his toys, lots of imagination, which I never really did. So my instinct is not to push to formal learning, as that will follow in due course.

But there do seem to be lots of early readers - both in on this thread, and others on mumsnet - so I wondered whether I'm doing DS a disservice by not encouraging him more - sitting down to read, rather that a more ad-hoc, if there's a word we'll look at it, approach.

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Karam · 18/05/2009 19:39

I vividly remember begging my primary school teacher to let me start school at the age of 4 because I could read. Obviously, I was not old enough and she wouldn't let me start. I started reading at 3 and was fairly fluent by 4/5. Actually remember arguing with my teacher on my first day at school because she wouldn't let me read 'roger red hat' or 'billt blue hat' or any of the others and I wanted to start from the beginning. Instead I had to read 'the village with three corners' on my first day at school. Very vivid memories.

I have always had a love of learning, and I think that has carried me on ever since - through my GCSEs and A levels. Not surprising I am now a teacher myself, with a first degree in theology, a PGCE, a masters in education and now just studying for a second masters degree in philosophy - which I am doing just for fun!

KerryMumbles · 18/05/2009 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Stinkermink · 18/05/2009 19:40

I had no idea what age I could read and write until my DS started writing about a week ago, he spontaneously (obviously he's seen his name everywhere and been able to read it since about 2, and pre school work very hard on literacy), wrote his name yesterday. He is 3.9 but as I say has been able to recognise key words for a while. My mum tells me that I could read confidently aged 6, and could write some words aged 4+. Not sure on the truth of this tbh. But I have 2:1 first degree and MIPD, so I guess that counts as post grad and various other bits and bobs in between.

My mother on the other hand claims to have been reading confidently alone by age 4 and has no qualifications...again I am dubious. So reading this thread with interest.

Original poster
wonderingwondering · 18/05/2009 19:40

Ah Habbibu! My DS was an early walker and as my last post shows, is quite strong and sporty!

But there is an aptitude point - Rebecca Adlington said she jumped in the pool at 4 and swam, without having lessons. So an early walker might be physically strong/motivated/co-ordinated which could lead to sorting ability?

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Stinkermink · 18/05/2009 19:44

wonderingwondering now ikwym, I like your son could swim aged 3, ride a bike at about 5 and was generally very confident with balance and coordination and have always been able to pick up sports etc relatively quickly. But I love reading and fit it in as much as I can. And always have. I can remember going on holiday aged 7ish and my dad had bought the entire Mallory Towers collection at a car boot sale and I read the lot over the week.

Motor skills are learned independantly I think. Walking or talking are mastered at differnet times. Children are physical or they aren't. Are motivated to read or do physical activities. Everyone is different, but ultimately most get to the same point in the end.

MarshaBrady · 18/05/2009 19:45

I loved reading when I was little, but can't remember when I learnt to read.

I do remember putting my hand up to answer 2+3=5 and feeling overjoyed at getting it right, very young, 4 or 5 I think. And being very fast at times tables.

3 degrees, B Commerce, B Arts, Masters.

Still equally split between a love of mathematics / physics / economics and literature.
Although can pretty much leave something like history..

tigerdriver · 18/05/2009 19:51

Hey MissMiss - if you are really 24 then you're about 23 years behind me

Dare I ask which College? I went back for a reunion th'other day - interesting who was still around.

MANATEEequineOHARA · 18/05/2009 20:05

Not entirely sure, my Mum said I wsa an early reader, and I can remember reading books in reception with no difficulty (or so I thought!).

I was a bit of a screw up at the end of school and went to horsey college just to prove that I didn't need A levels sigh, but now I am doing a BA

emkana · 18/05/2009 20:11

I think it's a bit of a silly question really, in Germany where I come from the vast majority of children do not learn to read until they start school aged six, and they are quite bright as well...

I learnt to read when I started school aged six, and I have a first in history and German lang/lit (from a German uni, if that makes a difference )

Original poster
wonderingwondering · 18/05/2009 20:14

Emkana, it just seems so many people set great store by early reading, I wondered whether there was really any link between that and later academic ability.

I know everyone is different, and I know that formal learning is left until later in other countries. But we've also just had introduced through EYFS a target for a quarter of 5 years olds to be able to use simple punctuation. So presumably someone thinks early ability is important, or else there wouldn't be a gov't target to push children towards.

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ProstetnicVogonJeltz · 18/05/2009 20:15

I could read and write by the time I was 3. Mother thought I was some sort of child prodigy but it didn't last long .
I scraped through GCSEs with decent grades and no work. Dropped out of A levels. had some children. went to university at 25. Got 2:1. now back in university again for second BSc.

ProstetnicVogonJeltz · 18/05/2009 20:16

oh and I still read anything and everything but as an adult I think I'm rather average.

neversaydie · 18/05/2009 20:22

Didn't read until I was 6 - but by 7.5 I was reading the Narnia books to myself, and by 8.5 had read Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. Learned to write as I was learning to read. Still read voraciously at any opportunity.

Top grammar stream at a fully streamed (20 classes per year), very large army comprehensive. Then a BSc and a PhD.

The late reading may have been because I was brought up bilingual, and the second language was an asian one so the vowel sounds are very different. I certainly made up for lost time once I cracked it!

mrz · 18/05/2009 20:40

I can't remember not being able to read and I could write before starting school at 4. I've a 2.1 BEd and a MA. My son could read before he was 2 and started writing in Y6...

MamaChris · 18/05/2009 20:48

don't remember when I could read, but I know I struggled in early school, and was put in a special school for a while till my mum got me into a different school. all in all, not very promising. then something clicked around age 12/13, and I stopped feeling like the school thicko. by 15 realised I was bright after all, now have lots of degrees (but maths-related, not language based).

So no, I don't believe early reading is predictive of adult educational achievement

ShellingPeas · 18/05/2009 20:50

No idea when I started to read, but can remember going to school on the odd occasion with my Dad (teacher) when I was around 3 and being able to recognise some flashcard words (showing just how old I am!).

I have a B.Sc and B. Music, LTCL and the equivalent of a PGCE.

However my DH didn't start to read before starting school, and still doesn't read terribly much but has a 2:1 B. Eng.

DS (9) didn't start to read until he started school and has now read Lord of the Rings aged 8, and the complete Narnia series, so I don't think that early reading is indicative of later academic achievement potential.

But I do think that reading for fun gives any child a huge advantage over those that don't read. Their vocabularly is much greater and I think it gives their written work a depth that may not be present in children that don't read.

ShellingPeas · 18/05/2009 20:52

vocabulary of course!

BCNS · 18/05/2009 20:57

I remember really struggling at 7/8 and older.. but 7/8 sticks out because I wanted to play cludo and my dsis said I couldn't because I couldn't read .
writing I'm still awful at.

I have a first class BA hons. Part way through a BSc.. and am going to embark on a PGCE.

violethill · 18/05/2009 20:58

Reading at 4, writing at 5.
Did O and A levels at a comprehensive, then BA and MA. Also got PGCE qualification.

Very interesting thread!

My brothers were definitely quite a bit later with their reading and writing and have pretty similar qualifications.

allthetwinklystars · 18/05/2009 20:58

I waas 7 when I learned to read. I can remember very clearly not being able to, crying with frustration at home with my reading book, the look of the black marks I just couldn't decode on the page.

Once I learned though, I became a bit of a book worm. When I left primary school I'd read all the books in the library. I've got at BEd and a MA. When I taught year 1 I used to love telling the kids who were struggling with reading that I couldn't read at their age.

MrsTittleMouse · 18/05/2009 21:00

No I don't (believe that early reading is linked to greater academic acheivement, that is). Which is a shame, because it looks as though DD1 will be an early reader.

BCNS · 18/05/2009 21:04

oooo oooo.. I remember distictly when I learnt the alphabet in the correct order!!.. I practiced and practised and went into mum and dads bedroom to show them.. which was met with a huge round of applause.. I was 7.