Why We Don’t Rush Kids to Read (And Why It Works)

You’ve seen the posts: “My five-year-old is already reading chapter books.”“My toddler knows all their sight words.”

It can mess with your head. Even when you try not to let it. If your child isn’t reading yet, or isn’t showing much interest in letters, it can feel like they’re already falling behind.

But in Montessori, we look at reading readiness differently.

We know that early reading doesn't always lead to deep, confident literacy. What really lasts is joy, comprehension, and a sense of internal motivation, and that doesn’t come from racing through milestones.

In a Montessori environment, children build reading skills from the ground up, in a way that respects how their brain and body naturally develop.

Here’s what that looks like:

• We start with sound, not sight. Children learn to hear, isolate, and pronounce letter sounds before ever being asked to identify them on a page. This builds true phonemic awareness—the foundation of all reading.

• We use the whole body. Instead of flashcards or memorization drills, children trace sandpaper letters with their fingers, say the sounds aloud, and explore language through movement, storytelling, and hands-on materials. They feel the shape of language before they’re asked to decode it.

• We introduce writing first. Using moveable alphabets, children begin spelling out their thoughts before they read anyone else's. When reading does emerge, it comes with meaning and intention—not just decoding, but understanding.

• We honor their timing. There’s no pressure to perform, no sticker charts, no race to be first. Instead, we support the moment they become internally ready. And when it clicks, it clicks deeply.

This process may look slower from the outside. But Montessori children aren’t just learning to read. They’re becoming readers. Readers who enjoy it. Readers who understand what they read. Readers who don’t burn out early.

So if your child takes their time, you don’t need to panic. They’re not behind. They’re becoming ready. And when that moment comes, when they read something out loud, smile, and get it?

You’ll know exactly why the wait was worth it.