My 4-year-old boy gets annoyed when I try to teach him sounds or to identify letters while reading him a story. Does this mean he’s not ready?

I think your observation is correct. Showing a lack of interest or having a short attention span with any part of the reading process is a fairly good indication that children aren’t quite ready to work on that part yet. Every child develops language skills at a different pace. It’s important to allow for that difference in growth. That way reading will be fun, and not a chore.

Keep reading with your child so that he can first of all be with you, and second, hear the cadences and rhythms of our language. That’s so important for pre-readers. When he shows a real interest in the letters in his name, the letters in your name, the letters on the cereal box, etc., then that’s a pretty good sign that he’s ready to start putting it all together. Keep up the good work, and enjoy the process of working with your child.