So many people have asked me how on earth I taught my 28 month old toddler to read so early, that I thought maybe I should write my first article.  Here goes.....

Read to your child.
My son loves stories.  I read to him a little bit

Lessons.
I buy the little lesson books at the dollar store and we would sit down for 15 minutes at a time doing the lessons.  I hold the pencil with him (he sits on my lap), and we draw out the letters.  He loves these lessons, as he gets cuddle time with mommy and he gets to be a big boy with the pencil.
Always make sure you leave them wanting more though..... I always cut the lessons off after about 15 minutes or so, so he won't get bored, and he is always excited for the next lesson.

Flashcards.
Again, the dollar store is great for flashcards.  DC will sit on my lap when we play this game too.  Cuddle time, learning time and relaxing time all rolled up into one.

Letters.
Since my son was 12 months old, I've bought him letters to play with.  Foam letters, plastic letters, wooden letters, when he got older, the magnet letters.  He loves playing with them, and whenever he brought them up to me asking "whassat mommy?", I would tell him the letter, and what the letter 'says'.  Then ask him to repeat what the letter says, until he would just tell me himself what the letters say.  M says mmmm!

After a while, I noticed him putting the letters together himself and sounding them out, so I put together some simple words and helped him sound out the letters.  He was so excited when he realized he was reading actual words! 

It doesn't take long, as we'll only 'play' like that for 15 minutes at a time, maybe two or three times a day and only when he wants to.  I always ask him if he wants to do his lessons.  I never want it to feel like a chore for him.

Lastly, praise, praise and more praise; the best way to teach any child.  Now my little boy loves books almost as much as he loves cars.