For decades, parents have been told that learning to read by age five is essential — and if a child isn't there yet, panic sets in. But that timeline was never based on child development research. It came from systemic pressure: benchmarks, testing, and the assumption that starting earlier means more time to intervene.

Multiple studies comparing early readers to later readers show no long-term academic advantage for kids who start formal reading instruction earlier. Children who begin later catch up, show similar comprehension and fluency, and experience no lasting academic harm. There is no single "right" age to learn to read — but there is a right sequence of skills that has to come first.

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