For once, I agree with your conclusion. I am not aware of any evidence showing this may be harmful, so in the end, I think it is up to the parents and the kid.<p>However, how do you know that &quot;having more skills is good under virtually all circumstances&quot; when toddlers are concerned? I have no reason to assume that learning to read at a very young age is harmful (which is why I&#x27;m not against it), but I can easily imagine ways that it <i>could</i> be harmful (or beneficial). But making a definitive ruling either way requires knowledge that neither I nor you possess. So I say &quot;go ahead if that&#x27;s what you want&quot; just because I&#x27;d rather not recommend against something unless it is shown to be bad. But you seem to make a big assumption about developmental psychology that you have absolutely no basis to make.