| Most western countries start primary school | | | | age six. |
| education at age six. That is the age at which we | | | | Teaching younger children demands a personal touch. |
| believe most children can start learning to read. | | | | It requires patience, imagination, creativity and |
| However, some children arrive at primary school | | | | perseverance. This is a skill that parents need to |
| already able to read. This does not happen by | | | | develop as they work with their child. However, |
| chance. Invariably, these children’s parents have | | | | there is no doubt that with time and effort, parents |
| made an effort to teach them. | | | | can give their children a head start in literacy |
| If these children can learn to read before they even | | | | development before they start primary school. |
| start primary school, why do we wait until six years | | | | Research has shown that children start developing |
| old before children start learning at school? The | | | | the cognitive visual skills to identify the complex |
| answer is that education authorities have to make a | | | | shapes of letters from as early as age two. A few |
| practical decision. Younger children need more care | | | | children read their first words by age three and some |
| and attention. It takes more resources to teach | | | | can read simple sentences by age four. These |
| younger children and it costs more money. Most | | | | children are advanced but this is usually due to the |
| children are ready to start learning to read before | | | | effort their parents put in to teaching them. Almost |
| age six but a few are not ready. The education | | | | all children can learn the alphabet and to read a few |
| authorities choose this age because it is when almost | | | | words before age six. It is just a question of how |
| all children are ready to start learning to read. It is an | | | | much effort and time parents are willing to spend |
| age when children are becoming more independently | | | | teaching their child. |
| capable and able to learn in a classroom environment. | | | | A head start in literacy skills is an advantage children |
| The education authorities decide that six years old is | | | | can carry into the rest of their lives. It makes their |
| a suitable age to start teaching children to read. It is | | | | early schooling experience more positive and boosts |
| a practical decision and the right one. That does not | | | | their self-esteem. Contrastingly, children who start |
| mean that children cannot start learning to read | | | | primary school and find they are already bottom of |
| before this age. It just means that if parents want | | | | the class can develop negative attitudes to schooling |
| their child to have a head start in literacy skills then it | | | | that impact their educational development for years |
| is their responsibility to teach. All children develop at | | | | to come. One of the greatest gifts a parent can |
| their own pace but generally, it is possible teach | | | | ever give their child is a sound early base in reading |
| children to read or at least lay the foundations before | | | | and writing. |