From Speaking to Reading...
a Giant Leap?
Wolf has pointed out that reading depends on the brain's ability to integrate its visual, auditory, linguistic and conceptual centers. Yet, merely learning to speak one's native language depends on all of this, too.
True, it does not involve visually processing text, but it does involve visually interpreting the world around us (which is arguably more challenging) - and integrating this with auditory, linguistic and conceptual thought processes.
The more you consider it, the more of a miracle it is that babies understand as much spoken language as they do, with many demonstrating clear understanding of a range of words and gestures before their first birthday.
Kailing promises that to make the leap from speaking to reading requires nothing more than "some simple techniques that consistently correlate the spoken language your child is naturally absorbing with the written language that is almost entirely analogous in structure." Just as (according to Doman) parents kid themselves that they are the ones teaching their child to speak, when really the child is learning all by herself, Kailing believes that early reading acquisition is largely a child-led process:
Native reading frees your child to acquire reading on his or her own initiative, in a natural and unforced manner. It absolutely does not mean somehow pushing your child to read. In fact, you are not really teaching them to read at all. Instead, what you are doing is organizing their environment so that reading comes naturally, just like walking and talking.