The best time to introduce reading readiness is when your child is an infant and absorbing language. Just reading books and talking to your preschool children helps them understand vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure and the overall patterns of language.

We found that introducing the sounds of the alphabet and the moveable alphabet worked best at ages 3 1/2 to 4. Children who learn much earlier than this may get burned out before they have the maturity to read more advanced material. Young children, especially boys, who can read at a very young age, don’t always comprehend what they are reading. The worst thing we can do is force self-reading on children who are too young.

Miss Homfray shows in this video how to introduce the moveable alphabet activity to your child.
She also explains why Montessori schools don’t use lined paper for beginning writers. Students touch the sandpaper letters and write them unrestrained.