When and how did you learn to read?

tara747

It's not so strange to be able to read before starting school! I was 4 years and 9 months starting and by that stage I knew the alphabet and could read basic text. I don't think that there's anything exceptional in that. But it was thanks to my mum that I was taught the basics while still at home.

juno

moonbeam2007 wrote: »

Yes but honestly reading on your own at age 2???? I'm shocked you wasn't put on TV. I've seen a lot of children in my time my Mum was also a head teacher and I've never heard of any child reading alone a book at age 2.

I read Peter and Jane books at 2

Flyboy152

It was Janet and John for me.

postingalwaysposting

I learnt to read between both Mum and school. I understood some words from my Mum but rarely read a whole book and didn't understand reading alone until year 1. I don't remember learning with phonics but I do remember knowing that reading cat is spoken 'cat', but then Mum always reminds me that I was a chatty toddler.

I learnt in school with the oxford reading tree, biff, chip and kipper etc and boy did hate them. The stories were awful and I soon got bored with them. I can't remember what I then read through primary school but I remember going to the local libary and reading both young adult and childrens story books. However once I hit seniors in year 8+ I remember hardly ever reading unless it was textbooks/english books for exams. I always remember one of my school teachers saying to me 'read everything/anything Pap, devour books and your grammer/understanding will improve'. I never did and looking back I wish I did more reading in seniors.

The week I left school, to the day I remember reading and never stopping. It was like someone had turned a switch in me and I wanted to start reading. I would spend most of my part time income on books and even reading books in a day. Now I am in my 20's I am only just reading classics, black beauty, litte women etc etc and I really regret that, however I can't turn back time.

balletshoes

I remember learning to read - I could recognise letters and write my name before I went to school at age 4, but I couldn't read a book. I do vividly remember the "rainbow" series of books we had in the first couple of years at primary school, once you'd managed red you went to yellow etc. I had little cards with words on that were put in a little tin and were our homework in primary 1, we had to learn them and then had spelling tests afterwards. I remember flashcard books as well, they were split up across the page into pictures with the word underneath and you had to flip through the words to match to the picture. This was 40 years ago but I do remember it.
I loved reading all through school, still do, its like languages, it opens up worlds to you .

Primrose

Haven't had time to plough through the whole of this thread - too busy reading my library books !! but just to remind everybody that Saturday, February 5th has been designated "Save Our Libraries" Day. Everybody is being asked to visit or join their local library on that day, borrow as many books, CDs and DVDs as possible and encourage their friends and family to do the same.

minerva_windsong

I don't remember learning to read, but my mum tells me that when I was about three and a half I'd come into her room and pointed out the word 'the' in her book and said, 'that's the'. She then tested me with my own books to see if I really could do it and hadn't just remembered to say the words from looking at the pictures.

I also come from a family where reading was very important and we were often bought books for Christmas and birthdays and encouraged to read a lot. I was a particularly voracious reader and remember being about six and finishing my reading book (which was supposed to last me a week) in two days, then reciting the entire story back to the teacher when she didn't believe me.

kittykarate

I was about 3 when I could read, rather than recite familiar books.

Apparently I demonstrated this by reading my dad's copy of The Sun.

I still love reading, but I don't think being an early reader is a massive advantage (or disadvantage) in life, it's just one of those developmental mileposts that some people do earlier than others. By the same token, I couldn't tell the time or tie shoelaces until I was 8, so it's not like I was a child genius.

One thing that frustrates me is the 'one size fits all' approach to teaching kids, It just feels like should be space for kids to learn from the method that suits them, not the current method that is fashionable with child psychologists.

brighthair

moonbeam2007 wrote: »

Yes but honestly reading on your own at age 2???? I'm shocked you wasn't put on TV. I've seen a lot of children in my time my Mum was also a head teacher and I've never heard of any child reading alone a book at age 2.

I read on my own aged 2. Reading has always been my "thing" and caused me nothing but trouble at school. Accused of being a liar by a teacher as I couldn't have read the book in the time I had it. She told me to go away and not come back until I had read it properly :mad:
It's not unusual for me to read 5 or so books now in an 8hr work shift, I kept a diary last year and read pretty much a book a day. An average size paperback takes me about 45 mins to read
Mum read to me from the minute she found out she was pregnant, and then when I was born

JC9297

brighthair wrote: »

I read on my own aged 2. Reading has always been my "thing" and caused me nothing but trouble at school. Accused of being a liar by a teacher as I couldn't have read the book in the time I had it. She told me to go away and not come back until I had read it properly :mad:
It's not unusual for me to read 5 or so books now in an 8hr work shift, I kept a diary last year and read pretty much a book a day. An average size paperback takes me about 45 mins to read
Mum read to me from the minute she found out she was pregnant, and then when I was born

So you spend almost half of your working day reading! What job do you do and does your employer know?