by Morgan Johnson

Created on: March 05, 2008

The method listed below has worked well for me twice with a daughter and granddaughter. I learned it from my parents who seemed to have developed it on their own. They taught me to read at two, but the slowest of my siblings was reading by three and a half.

1) The first step is to read to the child as early and as often as possible. It is possible to start before birth. The point is to accustom the young brain to the cadence and rhythm of reading.

2) Before the child is even old enough to sit up, hold him or her in your lap while you also read. Read anything to the child, even a school book or office work you're trying to catch up on. It doesn't matter if it's a fairy tale or a computer technical manual. Again, the point is the sound of reading.

3) At about two years of age, the child is ready to start associating the sounds with visual imagery. Children's books are most appropriate for this stage because of their tendency towards colorful illustration and simpler wording.

4) The next phase involves encouraging the child to read. Two to three years of age is also a good time to start. The repetition of hearing the story and following a finger across the words helps them to make the association of words to sound.

5) Even as the child continues to grow they will continue to take an interest in reading as long as the parents are actively engaged in reading to the child and listening to them. If the parent shows no interest in the process, then naturally the child will assume it isn't important.

6) The parent needs to limit distractions in the home during the critical first five years. It is all too easy to set the child in front of the television with their favorite DVD or on the Cartoon Network. But these do little to contribute to the learning process.

7) The home should have a ready supply of reading materials on hand at all times. My parents bought a set of encyclopedias and set them up near the bathroom, the "library" as we called it!

The Key element at every stage is parental involvement. Mothers can read to their babies before birth, and so can fathers. I used a paper tube from paper towels to focus my voice for my daughter. But remember to use a normal speaking voice; the child is small but not deaf!

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