<p>I was a nanny when D#1 was a baby, for two adorable kids whose mom was using the Doman/Delacato method of flashcards patterning for a while ( short while).
Even if I thought it was necessary, I am not that organized- I’d rather just buy books. 
( and even though we did go to the library often, I bought many- because we liked to look at them over and over again).</p>
<p>I taught myself to read when I was 4 - and back then that was an indication I was ready for school ( even though that was the only indication).
In retrospect- that put me at a disadvantage- because I was physically small & socially young, I was “younger” all through school than my peers & especially in the early grades, I was still bored to death with the level of work- so I wasn’t in a hurry to formally teach D#1.</p>
<p>So, I was startled when I found out she could read @ three. We were driving and stopped at a light, she looked down the street and said " that is like Daddy’s car" ( he drove a Toyota Corona). I looked but I didn’t see any cars, but I did see a small Toyota Truck ( with the name across the tail gate) .
She just kept going from there. I was happy to find lots of early reader books for her, much more interesting than Dick and Jane, like Frog & Toad, Owl at Home & Commander Toad. ( Owl at Home is one of my favorites)</p>
<p>However, as a very petite, not adventurous child, her inclination was to read or do other quiet activities and since she already had gross motor delay, probably from her prematurity and genetics , I made an extra effort to encourage things other than reading. The reading she was going to do anyway. ( Despite what my MIL thought- she thought I was * making* D read! * as if!* ;)</p>
<p>After she aged out of her wonderful preschool experience ( I was in school & she attended a co-op preschool where most of the parents were profs/students at the University of Wa), I did have difficulty finding another program for her. The public kindergarten teacher, told me that her classroom wasn’t really set up for someone that was reading & suggested I look elsewhere. 
I really liked Waldorf schools, I was into Mothering magazine & family bed & the whole nine yards, but when we toured the schools I was put off by the disallowing of Mr Sketch pens ( too bright) & they were put off that she was reading chapter books- they thought I must have pushed her to read :eek:</p>
<p>I enrolled her in a version of a Montessori school, but the parents were competitive & acted like it took away from their kids, to have her reading.
I took her out and put her in a 5’s co-op program- that was very experiential & lots of hands on science. ( the parents weren’t the reason I took her out of Montessori but it didn’t help)
It was a challenge finding books that suited her increasing vocabulary but were “appropriate”.</p>
<p>When D#2 came along, I wasn’t worried about her learning to read, until she was 7 at her very small private school & didn’t know letter sounds. Her teachers insisted that it would come, but that combined with some other things at the school, made me decide to put her in public school so she could get special help ( even though she was actually getting more special help at the private school- but I didn’t know that at the time)</p>
<p>Even though she couldn’t sound out words- her teacher began reading the first two Harry Potter books to the class & that compelled her to work harder at figuring out what those squiggles meant.
So although she was dyslexic, (but public school system doesn’t acknowledge dyslexia), she managed to finish reading Harry Potter herself by the end of third grade.</p>
<p>I think all kids should have reading introduced in K, if not before, but our school district is changing expectations to have all kids reading earlier than IMO many are developmentally ready. I worry that this will actually turn kids off from reading.</p>
<p>It does remind me though that some people just don’t read * books*
One friend, whose husband is a musician says that he doesn’t read books in bed, he reads music scores :)</p>