Each to their own. Embrace your child’s interests!

If you want your child to be a reader, he/she must see you being a reader.
As for teaching your child before they go to kindy, I would say NO.
My youngest child learned from his older siblings and knew his maths tables as well as how to read.
He started school at 4.1/2 as the school needed a couple of more children to retain their teachers in the small school. When he got to third class he was held back, not because he couldn’t do the work, but because of his age [they said]. My boy couldn’t work out why he didn’t continue with his mates when he had passed end of year exams and others hadn’t but still went on to 4th class.
End result – he never tried from that day onwards, left school at 15 and perhaps never achieved what he may have done.
Beware mums.

If you teach your kids too early they get bored in school

My 2 year old is pointing to words so if he learns how to read before he goes to kindy it would bonus.
I do believe kids should have a basic knowledge of words when starting Kindy.

Im a teacher and its not necessary, the kids who learn later still manage to catchup (and sometimes even pass) the kids who learn before

My daughter starts kindy next year and she doesn’t know how to read yet. It’s something I won’t be pushing either unless she shows signs of being ready. There’s plenty of time to learn how to read and write over the next 2 years. I do think it’s important for me to read to her regularly though.

I don’t think taking an active stance against it is the wise thing to do, there’s nothing wrong with building a framework around work recognition rather than reading

Since when are we supposed to teach actual reading before kindy? I thought developmentally, on average, that age is about learning literacy skills through symbols (shapes, numbers, etc.)
When I went to kindy I hardly even knew English because I grew up bilingual. I don’t even recall doing any formal reading until grade one. And yet, here I am capable of reading.
Can’t understand the hate she got.

Most kids that I know of can’t read before kindy anyway so i don’t see it as a big deal. She’s still reading to him and teaching him important lessons in life also.

It’s all about balance – some will know more reading and writing and some will know more social and exploration skills. Either way they will learn!

We always have done a lot of reading, but haven’t specifically focused on teaching them to read before kindy.

Each child’s development will be different I guess.

This is another case of every child and every family is different.
My children are among those who could read at age 3. There was no formal teaching, we read to them all the time and they learnt. Once my boy learnt the phonetic alphabet he learnt how to sound words out. My kids have a thirst for knowledge and we encourage it. Not every child is like that, and it’s perfectly fine. Everyone learns at their own pace and every parent makes their own call on when to begin their child’s formal education!

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  • • Ellen replied
    • 12 Dec 2019 , 5:10 am

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  True !

Parents have a great responsibility to foster learning.

My 3yo loves books and knows alphabets, can recognize all letters and write his name. Also he loves numbers

We had tons of books around, read to our kids regularly – and they picked up a bit without specific teaching.

My daughter always loved books. We read with her since she was born, every evening. She became curious about letters and learned to read some words. It was never “work” though, just fun.

I didn’t teach them, though I would’ve loved to but wasn’t able to (personal reasons) but I did read to them. I wasn’t worried and they have excelled at reading since school anyway.

Kindergarten age children tend to like to read like the parents do, especially basic words.
Children whose birthdays are just before the closing intake date tend to need more help than those who are a few months older when they start school.

I think it would be good if your child could read before kindergarten however its not mandotory. That is what kindergarten is all about, spelling, reading and writing.
Kindy has taught my daughter, to read left to right. To break up sounds and letters when trying to pronounce a new word.
Get them use to the very important stuff like their name.
Also, it all the depends on the child too, all children learn differently and I think if they are force to do something earlier than school, they will get bored easily in class.