I have a 3 ½-year-old who recognizes all of her letters, can write many of them, and can correctly guess the starting letter of many common objects (like apple, cat, nail, hat, etc.). Is it too early for me to start into a formal phonics program? She is very bright, but I don’t want to push her. Thank you in advance for your reply.

The best guess I can give you is to try it and see. She is still a bit young, but sometimes children that age are ready and anxious to start. A few questions might help you decide—how are her fine motor skills, is she capable of holding a pencil and controlling it? Does she have an attention span of around 5-7 minutes? Is she starting to display a real curiosity in letters and sounds around her—asking things like, “Mommy, how do I write/spell my name?” or “Look mommy, that letter on the cereal box is in my name too.” This sort of curiosity is the beginning of reading interest—the natural curiosity that children start to display around 3 ½ to 4 ½ about how this “code” we call our language fits together.

If you’re starting to see some of those signs, and it sounds like you might be, then it might be a good time to start. You’ll be able to tell if she’s too young if she gets easily distracted while you’re working with her or if she tires easily during the lessons and doesn’t want to play anymore. Then stop, and wait for a bit longer. You’re correct in not wanting to push hard here. Reading should be fun, not a chore, and she has plenty of time still to learn all that she needs to learn.

A great place to start is with alphabet related music and songs. Your local library should be able to help you. Try to find songs that teach the name and sound of each letter. Good luck and enjoy the process of learning with your child.