> Half the argument against teaching certain things at young ages seems to derive from a mistaken belief that "THIS is fun, THAT is work". Kids aren't born thinking certain things are fun or not fun. If you make arithmetic, reading or anything else a game, little kids will have fun doing it. If you force them to sit down and play with blocks in a certain prescribed manner for four hours a day, they'll think of that as work, and they'll hate it. Give me a break. My parents taught me to read at an adult level before I started school, and I never thought I was being forced into anything or losing my childhood. It was fun.

I agree. The best time to learn is from 0 to 6 (in 15 seconds) - don't waste it!

The majority of neural pathways are in place by then, all other learning is stuck with trying to manipulate those paths. That's why when you are born you have the potential to make all the sounds of all the human languages but by 6 you are stuck with only those vocal sounds you have regularly heard - those pathways have been strengthened the remaining weakened until they are of no use. That's why it so hard to get those foriegn language sounds just right - I knew about this stuff a long time age so am only too happy to be updated and corrected, it interests me.

I never taught myself to read and nobody has yet been able to teach me to spell but I did teach myself to spreggle when I was 3. Unfortunately nobody else communicates this way so it hasn't been of much use.

Pupils are in the eye of the behoder!

Puck