For me, reading was weirdly constructed
When I first entered first grade, I was in a school that was using an experimental phonics system. (This must have been circa 1968.) Phonics was taught, but with a special character set. Halfway through first grade, my parents moved and I was jolted into another school system in which my teacher took at look at my spelling test and probably internally said "OMG" but publically said "Let's give him some time". :=)
Nevermind the other experimental program I was in when I was in 4th grade, by that time I was placed in the 6th grade reading class.
Before then, at home, I was reading from Cat in the Hat and so forth, but I'm not sure if I was really reading, or if I was just memorizing the words from when my parents read it to me.
Hell, given that I don't remember much before I was 6 or 7 years old, I don't really remember any given time when I couldn't read. There really was no one brilliant defining moment in time that I can declare as to being able to read. As far as I can remember, I've been able to read all my life.
Whatever experimental programs I may have gone through, and I damn the 60's and the teacher's unions and whoever else decided to throw the dice with kids like me, I wish everyone could have my experience: not really knowing when they learned to read.
