I cannot remember when I learned to read. I'm told that I was taught by my grandmother over the summer just after I turned three, and that my first book was a pictures-with-a-few-words book titled "Kit Cat." I don't actually remember any of this. My earliest memories of reading are of reading the first of Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain" series and "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" at age 5 (or so). Followed shortly by an "All-about" book on the U.S. space program.
I also share with an earlier poster those fond memories of the SRA reading series in grade-school. We had those from grades 2-5. I tested off their reading scale by 2nd grade, so the SRA system meant that I only had to finish off the silver and gold levels each year—which took about a week—and then I could read
whatever I wanted during that period for the entire rest of the year!!!!
That was a wonderful way for reading class to work. It beat the pants off of the "See spot run" stuff we had in my 1st-grade class.
Xenophon