In the last 50 years, experts have posed different theories on what is the right age to start reading.  Some say to start when a child is two or three.  Others say to wait until age eight. 

There is no "perfect" answer, but there are practical considerations --

Which school system is your child in?
Does your child have any challenges or special needs?

Schools set the rules

In the U.S. public school system, children are expected to know the alphabet and have rudimentary reading skills before entering first grade.  By the end of third grade, children are expected to be able to read text books on their own.  This means that children in the U.S. public school system need to start learning to read at age 4 or earlier.

School systems in other countries have their own curricula and guidelines as to what age children need to learn to read.

Parents who are homeschooling their children, on the other hand, have more freedom to decide when to introduce reading to a child.

Challenges and special needs

Some children have physical or mental factors that make reading difficult -- vision problems, hearing problems, dyslexia, delayed development, and other challenges can make it agony for a child to learn how to read.

If one delays teaching Johnny how to read until he is eight, only to find that Johnny has dyslexia that will require two years of special education, then Johnny is now at risk of being four or five years behind other children by the time he finally gets a "grip" on how to read.

So the earlier that physical problems and special needs are identified, the better -- the right solution/intervention can literally save a child's education and self esteem. 

Our recommendation

We recommend starting at age four -- or earlier if the child is expressing interest.

This way, a child is prepared for whichever school system he/she will be entering, and you have time to identify any challenges or special needs.