Learning to read is an important step in the life of a child and in that of his parents. It is a pleasant moment to live.
I still remember when my daughter started to recognize the letters (I created games to learn the alphabet and to learn the sounds) on book covers and on store signs.
Learning to read for a child is not a difficult task, it is quite the opposite. Children take great pleasure in learning letters, sounds, syllables and reading their first words.

The key, in my opinion, is to find the right moment and follow the rhythm of the child. There's no point in pushing if he doesn't want to. And it will not give results.
When we are interested in learning to read in children, we inevitably hear about several reading methods:

- The syllabic or combinatorial method;

- The pure method;

- The mixed method; 

In addition to these, methods from learning methods such as Montessori pedagogy for example. You may also have heard of the Alpha method.

Here, I will not go into details. There are enough articles on the Internet that present and explain each of these methods of learning to read.

Just know that there is no one method that is better than another and that there is no faster method. A method can be quick for one child and not for the other, it all depends on the child and more particularly on his desire and his motivation.

For my part, I chose the syllabic method with which I taught myself to read when I was a child and it turned out very well for my child.

From what age can a child start to read?

Just as there is no one method of reading that is better than another, there is no age for learning to read. It all depends on the child.

A child can very well take an interest in reading at 3 years old as he can start reading his first words at 6 years old.

As you will have understood, what is important is the child's desire and motivation for reading. It is this moment that we must try to pinpoint; when the child asks questions about the letters of the alphabet and/or asks what is written on the page of a book or in any inscription.

By being attentive to your child's questions and curiosity, you can offer him to learn to read when you think it's the right time for him.

A good way to get a child interested in reading is to have them listen to audio books. Indeed, a study shows that listening to audio books increases the desire to learn to read in children.

Also know (I'm sure you already know) that children imitate their parents. If your child sees you reading, he will want to read too.

Also, if you are in the habit of reading books and stories to him, naturally this will arouse his curiosity and make him want to read.

How to choose a book to teach a child to read?
Here, I will offer you the criteria to take into account when choosing books for your child. They are three in number here:

Prefer books adapted to the level of the child. To avoid demotivating your child with overly complicated words, choose books with simple words.

You can start with books that only contain sentences with words of 2 syllables for example (game to count the syllables). Small Montessori books are great for this.

Choose short, simple and attractive stories. You know your child better than anyone. You know what he likes. Depending on his tastes, choose stories that he will like.

To start, choose very short books so that the child does not get discouraged and want to go to the end of the story. When the child finishes a book alone, he increases his capital of confidence and this makes him want to read even more.

Colorful books with lots of illustrations will appeal to your child more.

I noticed that the illustrations help a lot the child who begins to read. This allows him to maintain his attention longer and it makes learning much more fun.