You can teach your 2.5 year old how to read!

blog on how to teach a toddler to read

Brain Development:

I taught my 2.5-year-old children how to read and I’m sharing how I did this to inspire you to do the same with your young children. Reading is typically associated with early childhood brain development and the first three years of life are very important as this is the most active period for establishing connections (synapses) between brain cells (neurons). It is said that the connections formed early in life provide a strong foundation for the connections formed later in life and their formation can only be reinforced by repeated use, otherwise they succumb to “pruning”, which is the brain’s way of eliminating unused connections. Given two-year olds’ brains are amid a rapid proliferation of connections phase, they tend to have twice as many synapses as adults, enabling their brains to learn faster. It is at this age that intense activity takes place in the developing brain, which provides the perfect opportunity to lay the proper groundwork for reading words by leveraging phonological and phonemic awareness.

The reading program: 

I decided to give it a go and during the covid lockdown in August 2021, I bit the bullet and bought the Children Learning reading program to help me teach my children how to read. I wanted to prove that it did not work so I could get my money back (yes, they have a 60-day money back guarantee!). I read the instructions and got to work. The Children Learning reading program requires you to teach your children every day for 5 minutes. It is noteworthy to point out that repetition, consistency, patience, and perseverance are key, because it’s the repetition that provides your child the opportunity to practice and master the skill and builds those neural connection pathways I discussed earlier. Repetition is therefore the necessary building block that strengthens the connections formed in the brain. Consistency, patience, and perseverance are equally important because nothing worthwhile happens instantly! I found that developing a daily routine for learning to read taught my young toddlers’ regularity and predictability and it became part of their daily activities.

The Results!

I couldn’t believe that after four (4) months of doing this Children Learning reading program, my now 2.9-year-old children are reading decodable readers! Here is a video clip of both my son and daughter, both 2.9 years old, reading at kindergarten level! You can hear them segment and blend when they are unsure of how to say the word. This Children Learning reading program has changed my life, and theirs, by teaching my children the fundamental skills required to read! My children know all their letters, respective letter sounds, and their diagraphs and they learnt it all in four (4) months, which proves that this age is the best age to teach your little ones how to read!

Exposure:

Exposure to reading programs, letters and books is key at this age, as it sets the stage for their future literacy, but as holding their attention is fleeting at this age, you need to make the learning process fun. Turn each lesson into a game or involve your little ones in the process. For example, get them involved in decorating the paper that you will use to write the letters/digraphs on. Little ones will enjoy the learning process when it’s fun, but if they enjoy it a little too much, put a time limit on the lesson and then pack it away. If your little one begs for more, tell them you will play the game tomorrow, because you know what they say: ‘Restriction generates yearning. You want what you cannot have!’ and that’s exactly what I found with my little ones. I would wake up to them begging me to read, because I made the learning process fun. 

Reading aids:

There are so many reading aids you can buy, a lot of which you can find using the good ole' google search, i.e., decodable readers, flip charts, digraph posters, cards or you can make your own if you have the time. You just need a word processor or a marker, paper/cardboard and, in some cases, a laminator. 

Reading level and future success:

My children just turned 3 years-of-age and are reading at kindergarten level. By the time they are 5-6 years-of-age, when their peers will be learning phonics, my children will have had 3 years of reading practice and no doubt, reading at a level 2 or 3 years above their age. It is said that the number of words a child knows when they start kindergarten is a predictor of their future success in school and in life. I was amazed at just how quickly my children picked up the Children learning reading program. In fact, if it weren't for the Children learning reading program, I would not have known exactly how to teach my young children to read and I wouldn't have known anything about the young mind and just how much of a sponge it really was, soaking up huge amounts of information, absorbing everything ever so effortlessly, continuously, and indiscriminately!

Children Learning Reading program:

If you want to teach your 2-year-old+ to read, look no further than this Children Learning reading program. The author/creator of the Children Learning reading program is readily available to answer your questions and I am contactable if you need any guidance as I have first-hand experience of what worked when I taught my 2.5 year old toddlers to read, so please feel free to email me! 

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