To continue with the driving analogy, learner drivers must pass a rigorous test before they are allowed on the road. They then go through practical training and must then pass another test before they are allowed to drive without supervision. We need to be as careful with reading as we are with driving. For example, we are not against training 3 year olds to read provided that they have been individually tested to determine if they have mastered the psychological, physical and mental skills necessary for learning to read. Teaching your child to read before all of these skills have been sufficiently developed can lead to major confusions about language and learning. These confusions are likely to continue to hamper your child's academic progress year after year until they are remedied.

This advice does not only apply to 3 year olds. Many 5 or 6 year olds have not mastered the prerequisite skills needed for learning to read. If your child has been at school for 6 months or more, and you are in any doubt at all about his or her readiness to learn to read, then it is imperative that you have an assessment done as soon as possible so that any problem areas can be rectified quickly. We will then provide you with a program of simple things you can do at home to ensure your child is fully prepared for the complex task of learning to read.