Why do Waldorf schools teach reading later?
There is evidence that normal, healthy children who learn to read relatively late are not disadvantaged by this, but rather are able quickly to catch up with, and may overtake children who have learned to read early. Additionally, they are not likely to develop the “tiredness toward reading” that many children taught to read at a very early age experience later on. Instead there is lively interest in reading and learning that continues into adulthood. Early imposed formal instruction in reading can be a handicap in later years, when enthusiasm toward reading and learning may begin to falter. Some children will, out of themselves, want to learn to read at an early age, and this is completely natural. This interest can and should be met, as long as it comes in fact from the child.
