Are children who read at 2.5/3 years gifted?

[bronya]

Or are they just in homes where everyone else values reading and access to text (and adults to explain it) is plentiful?

Reading is an obsession with my toddler right now, but if I had not helped him learn, I am sure he would have given up trying. Talking to my friends (almost all older children) many of their children were similar. Some encouraged it, some didn't want their children to learn the 'wrong' way so didn't help. All are good readers now.

I was like my DS is now. My mother taught me with Peter and Jane and I was fine lol.

Early reading is one of the signs of G&T, I think even decoding, as you cannot teach just any 3yo to decode.
And of course everyone will eventually catch up, we don't know adults who cannot read, do we? :)
People often seem to confuse g&t and achievements and this is why you will always hear stories about those children who "caught up".
Overall I agree with Mistigri

Some adult readers are much more proficient than others though, can remember the content better, not just faster at reading but integrate the knowledge better and can also concentrate for longer periods of time. I certainly think that in terms of reading - adults or children - some have a stronger 'ability' than others. But I am not sure if this is linked in any way with reading from an early age or education/interest etc. I can read but I am not as good at reading as my sister who seem to remember everything she reads.

I have spoken with parents of 'g&t' children over the years and there doesn't seem to be one single clear path. Some of the children read early, others had more of a pattern recognition, others could talk in sentences at 1 and others didn't say anything before they were 3 (that's the case with DS). He said his first word at 2.5, and his first sentence at 3.5 and even then it took another two years before he could be understood. He is G&T in maths and doing great at most subjects at school.