When should my child be reading?

It is an excellent question and one I was asked twice today.

There is no good reason why a child would naturally be reading at any specific age. They read when they are mature enough and motivated enough.

Children in the institutional system :) need to read by the time their peers do because they will be obviously out of step with the class if they don't. This is about "fitting in" and class control. This is not about your child's special strengths or what is best for him.

A blossom cannot be pulled open in order to encourage it to bloom. You will simply damage it. It will open in it's own good time.
Facilitating your child's education means understanding where they are and having resources to offer them to take the next step. It doesn't have anything to do with "forcing" the bloom.

Trust your child. They will eventually read. Just probably not on your schedule!