How old were you when you learned how to read?

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I was 5 in 1st grade and learned traditionally and quickly. We were only taught the alphabet before then. (mid 70's)

My mom said I could read street signs at three - so probably four.

I was seven, when I've learned how to read, in Grade 1.

I haven't fully learnt how to read or write.

I could finally get by (children’s books) at 5-6 with a great amount of effort; me a really slow learner when we aren't "interested" in said subject.

My mom says I was two or three (I forget which she said), but it's possible I was memorizing and reciting the books moreso than actually reading them. I was definitely able to read well before I started school, though.

3ish. first read street signs then kids' books then adults' books by age 5 or 6.

6 or 7 maybe? I remember being behind.

Now reading and writing is the biggest part of my livelihood! I may even have to learn how to do it in German one of these days.

I think I was two. I remember being able to recite things from picture books - such as the model number of a car called Gumdrop (who was an Austin-Clifton Heavy-12-4, Vintage 1926 ), although whether that was memory rather than reading, I can't say.

Sometime when I was about 2-3 years old. I started with very simple kids books and street signs, but wasn't aware of there being an alphabet- I just memorised each word that was read out to me as a "pictogram". Later I learned to break the words down into their component syllables and letters, and began to read properly. I think I was probably about 3 or 4 at that point. I had read a few of of Roald Dahl's books by the time I started school, which suprised my teacher, but mostly I remember reading non-fiction. I had some of the "Time Life" series of science books and a book about medicine that I think was called "The Human Body" that I was very fond of when I was about 5.

I learned to read in the first grade. I was told I could read at a fifth grade level. I believe my love of books probably started soon after birth. My mother read to me all the time and I loved it. My favorite story was about a Siamese cat. My love of cats started early, too.

There is a difference between "sight reading" and real reading. Some of the descriptions here describe the former. Sight reading is when you memorize words like pictures. They say that babies as young as 6 months can recognize brand names. So, it wouldn't suprise me if a toddler can "read" a word like Sesame Street, Po, or a street sign. My son was sight reading at 3 but didn't learn how to traditionally read until almost 7 (first grade). I think it temporarily set him back because they were "reading" in Kindergarten and he had already memorized so many words, he didn't have to truly read them.
My son doesn't enjoy reading at home, but prefers to be read to. To get him more involved, I read the "wrong" words so he corrects me.

I had a bad education in my primary school years and missed a few years of essential learning. I can't remember ever being taught to read or write and since I have a good childhood memory I presume I never did.

I was never tought nouns, pronouns, adjectives and yet I never really needed to know them in order to link words into a readable sentance.
I still don't know what they are or how they are related and I don't really need to know them since I can manage to write without them.

Even today, this empty esential block of knowledge can fail me in job entry exams, just becuase I don't know what they mean doesn't mean I can't spell and link words together. I can managed along fine without them since writing is a natural form of communication that doesn't need to be catergorised as action words, pathetic....


However I do recall being a very good at spelling, particularly complicated words. I knew this strength exceeded my math skills and I adapated my approach to writing by adding fancy words that although I knew how to spell, I didn't know what the words meant.

I remember reading magazines, books, signs that I had a particular interest of and then using the fancy words from them to use in my conversations: scenario, supplementary, etc
I'm still slightly p

I don't even remember learning to read. I was well ahead of everyone else at first school. I can kinda remember learning to write, though.