We were not born to read and write.  We have to be taught.  Talking and hearing words and sounds at a very young age - at birth) are crucial in developing those phonemes (sounds) needed to connect with written language later. Humans' original communication tradition is speaking to others to communicate.   More factors come with being able to read and write that are more complex than just the ease of speaking to communicate.

Being Reading Ready:

Home Environment is Crucial!   Children need books in their homes.  Children need to be exposed to lots of language, spoken and written.  This is helpful when parents start reading early to their youngest children.  These critical years are vital to brain development.

How does the brain go from sounds to words?  The young brain can absorb tons of sounds and language at a young age.  By 6 months of age, a child's brain can hear every consonant and vowel of a language.   If kids are not getting this exposure by 3 years old, they are already 30-40% behind in vocabulary development.   TALK AND COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN!  IT'S CRUCIAL!