My daughter turned 2 in October, and I am not sure if it is too early to begin teaching her to read. She knows her alphabet and can tell me what the letters are even if they are not in order. She also knows her shapes, colors and numbers from 1-10. I do not want to add any pressure, but she absorbs everything and it does not take her very long to learn. Do you feel that it is too early to begin? Do you feel that she should wait until she is 3? Please advise.

It’s certainly not too early to begin introducing some reading concepts. But she is a bit young for pushing full reading on her. She sounds eager to learn and quite bright, but we want to make sure that reading stays fun and not a daily chore. A great place to start is with music. There is some great alphabet/children’s music available (library/bookstore can help) that teaches not just the letters but also the sounds—that’s important. Get some flashcards with the alphabet letters and play lots of games that have her identifying letters and saying the sounds that go with the letters. When she displays a real curiosity about the letters in her name, the letters in your name, the letters on the cereal box, etc., that’s a pretty good indication that she’s ready to start putting it all together and applying these letters that she’s learned into words. It sounds like you’re doing a great job. Keep up the good work and enjoy the process of learning with your child.