How Your Child May Read Books by Age 5
There are benefits to early reading - for cognitive development and for your wallet.
One day, we woke to find our son Pug taking books out of the bookshelf. He has been doing this often of late.
We also see him reading books by himself on the floor or the sofa, the toy cars and Legos strewn around him ignored. Occasionally he toddles over and asks me what this or that word is. Both Chinese and English.
He is only 4 going on 5.
This is a big relief for us. We were wondering if we should send him to reading classes, which many of his preschool friends go. But at almost $200 a month, that's quite pricey.
Early reading between ages 4-6 is associated with good academic outcomes, brain development and importantly, a love for learning that lasts into adulthood.
For us, it also means saving on the Lego sets he seems to love and play intensely for a grand total of 1 week, before quickly losing interest.
How did I get my son to be an early reader?
Language is like a code that can be “cracked” once you pick up on cues like sentence structure, logic and context.
To do that, there are several scientific, tried-and-true ways to start your child on his magical reading journey. Both my children are early bilingual readers.
I will also be revealing the best books to get your child improving his literacy in English and Chinese, in a quick and effective way.