Many parents invariably shake their heads when this question is posed to them. I also belonged to this camp, a naysayer when it came to early reading for kids....until my daughter proved me wrong when she was 2+ years old!

When she was 2, I picked up a book by Glenn Doman on "How to Give Your Baby Encyclopedic Knowledge". Suffice to say, after reading his book, I made a 180 degrees about-turn in my earlier opinion regarding babies reading at an early age. Based on Glenn's extensive research, babies love to learn and the younger they are, the easier they will pick up new information! Now this coming from a man who had practically dedicated his entire life to learning about babies' brain developments, a man who had travelled and literally camped with babies in over 107 under-developed and developed countries to study the babies' neurological developments......surely there must be some truth in his words?

(Note: Glenn Doman is the founder of The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, a non-profit educational organization based in Philadelphia. The Institutes is renowned in the field of children's brain development)

Thus began our exciting journey to teach my daughter to read! To be honest, whilst I was very enthusiastic about it all, I didn't have a clue how to start the process! I decided my best bet would be to read Glenn's book on "How to Teach Your Baby to Read". It is a very good book, with a step-by-step blueprint on how to teach your child to read. The only problem was, I had to have hundreds and hundreds of flashcards on hand! Now, whilst I am all for teaching my daughter to read, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find the time, nor the commitment required to produce the flashcards from scratch.

So I turned to Google, and was really glad that I found both online and offline versions of readymade flashcards, some of which were free and some were payable. I also found a fantastic reading program, which I would say, played a very important role in my daughter's ability to read just a few months after we embarked on our reading journey! In addition, I had also supplemented her learning experience with flashcards, online learning websites and reading to her a variety of books.

I was really happy and elated when my daughter first started to read single words like "pink", "yellow", "green" when she was only 2+ years old! Today at 4+ years old, she enjoys a wide variety of books, including Tintin, The Magic Tree House, science magazines, and the list goes on. She can sit for one to three hours reading quietly on her own (which gives me time for cooking and other household chores!) Her view of the world has widened considerably with her ability to read. So, in response to the question "Can babies and toddlers learn to read?", my answer would be a resounding "Yes! If they are given the opportunity to learn and the correct stimulation!"

By sharing my story, I hope that other parents would not underestimate the ability of their young children, and would take advantage of the crucial window for learning, between ages 0 to 5. That is the age when they can absorb information like a sponge, and with less effort too! But remember, the entire reading/learning process should be a fun time for both of you. Do drop me a line if you would like to exchange ideas or share about your own reading journeys, I would be most delighted to hear from you. Enjoy your reading journey!