Myth 4: Babies should be playing, not learning to read!
Nothing is more fun for a baby than learning! So, provided you are teaching your baby in the right way, it would be safe to say that he does not know the difference between learning to read and playing.
At the same time, however, it should be noted that teaching your baby to read will not take up much time of each day. It will not cut into time your baby would otherwise spend engaged in free, unstructured play. No one is suggesting that reading lessons replace the time your child spends messing around, experimenting, and playing in a random, haphazard fashion.
How short is lesson time? To begin with, around 5 minutes or shorter is appropriate - but it all depends on how long your baby's attention is maintained. As you increase the time you spend on reading, take your cue from your child. If you have her attention after 5 minutes, then try extending the lesson by another minute or two. Keep increasing gradually, up to a maximum of 20 minutes. If you lose your child's attention, stop immediately. Be consistent: spending a few minutes every day is far better than trying to give an extended lesson once a week. As your child gets older, you may find that she asks for her lessons two or three times per day!