1. It took ~6 months to teach my 2-year-old toddler to read using phonics. More parents should try this! Here's why:
2. The technical term for reading early is hyperlexia. When in otherwise normal children, scientific research says early reading strongly helps cognitive development.
3. Small advantages compound. This is why UK Nobel Prize winners are 2x as likely to be born in September. It's not the genes - just the small headstart of being developmentally a bit ahead is very potent academically.
@erikphoel Early reading is probably positively correlated with IQ but it seems less clear what the benefits are of coaching a kid to learn to read a few years earlier than he naturally might. In my experience it takes 4-5 year olds a week to learn to read when they are ready to
@erikphoel Every single study I've seen in this area has said the opposite. I want to see their sources.