At what age does the average child begin reading?

Question

Thank you I would just like to know the answer to the question at what age do most kids start reading

Answer 1

That's a very good question. It really depends on the individual child. Some children have a natural interest/ability in language, and therefore they begin to read earlier than their more mathematically oriented peers. Reading is now taught as early as Kindergarten, so some students are able to read as early as 5 years old. For children younger than 5, in preschool: if their parents read to them a lot, take them to the library (when COVID-19 is not a factor) and get age-appropriate books for them to read at home, and if their preschool teachers introduce them to reading at the simplest level, some children are able to start picking up on reading at ages 3-4. Most children, however, do not really begin digging into books on their own (whether required for school, or pleasure reading on their own time) until age 6-7 after they enter 1st Grade and begin developing their literary skills/literacy more head-on in greater depth than before.

But as long as children are able to enjoy what they read as opposed to have it being nothing more than a school assignment with followup book reports and reading comprehension tests containing lots of pressure, then young people will be able to begin reading naturally and maintain that love of the pastime long-term.

Answer 2

Usually the desire to read and get acquainted with letters appears by 6 or 7 years old, less often, by 5 years old. This is a sensitive (most favorable) period to start learning to read. Best of all, if the little one`s parents love to read and regularly read to their child the best works of children's literature. The cult of a good book will be passed on to the younger reader because kids want to be like their mother or father.

Answer 3

Excellent question Maria: Children start to 'read' in stages. First they pick up a book and realize that there are pictures in the book and the pictures match print that is on the page. They learn that we turn the pages and go from left to right and front top to bottom. They learn to listen as the adult reads the passage and take turns turning the pages at the right time. This is print knowledge and may not seem important but it is. This stage helps them to get prepare for the big show which is to start to identify the things on the page (letters) with sounds. Fl, fr, fo, fum, (fly, fry, for, fumble.) If the student goes to a good kindergarten that used phonics training, they will learn to identify sounds that are common in words. They learn to 'sound out' the sounds and then 'sound out' the words. This connecting the sounds with the letters is very important because it helps them connect words on the page with the same words they know in their heads. They can begin reading very simple things in kindergarten and they will gradually advance as they get older. It is really a good idea to have a lot of 'beginner' books at home that the child can look at over and over which they love to do. Thanks! Courtney W., MA

Answer 4

Children are capable of learning to read as soon as they are able to talk. In fact, in our family, our older son's speech was delayed so we were teaching him sign language before he could speak. Your child's brain is geared to quickly learn whatever you are interested to teach them. But there are natural progressions and unnatural ones, and gentle ways to teach and harsh ways. You must be careful with your child's development so as to encourage their curiosity and maintain their enthusiasm.

Young children learn best - and most quickly - through play, and play activities maintain their enthusiasm. So do not sit them down and try to force them to read. With our sons, we first bought alphabet squares to teach them the alphabet. We laid out various patterns on the living room floor - and we and the kids would hop from one square to the next while saying the corresponding letter. We would mix up the pattern frequently and it was not long before our children knew their alphabet.

We also read to them - a story time in the afternoon and a bedtime story time at night, and we made the books available to them during the day so that they could look at the pictures and the over-sized letters. Story Time is quality time one-on-one with a parent, so children love it, and interesting stories and pictures gradually broaden their concept of the world. It was not too long before they were associating "H" with "horse" or "hippo" and "T" with "tiger" and their ability to read just naturally progressed from there. Pointing to each word on the page as you read it is important because they will mimic that behavior. They eventually memorized the stories we were reading to them, and then would sit by themselves and attempt to associate the spoken words of the story with the written words on the page. By the time they were in kindergarten they were reading simple children's books on their own.

But the point is that from their perspective, it was all their idea. We never pushed them to learn but always either made it a game, or an adventure, or allowed them to explore on their own. As soon as you make it a chore or an obligation, you kill their enthusiasm and curiosity and you lose them. Toddlers just naturally want to learn about the world around them and emulate the behavior of older children and adults. All you need to do is to guide them along the right path. And they will be reading in very short order!