Third grade reading proficiency doesn’t begin in second grade. Or even in school. Meet 24 month old Marlo - and let’s talk a bit about the amazing language and literacy learning he’s already displaying. 🧵

First let’s talk about what may be the most amazing part of this video - and yet one that without context you might be left wondering about as you listen to him read aloud.

At age 2, Marlo is tri-lingual. His first language is French, followed by English and Portuguese. What you hear as he recites Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See is a toddler mixing some sounds and words from all three languages - and still developing as a speaker of each.

Isn’t that remarkable?

Language development, which begins in utero, is the predecessor to reading and writing - and critical to reading fluency and comprehension. Just imagine the rich, multi-lingual vocabulary Marlo is developing.

What else do we know about Marlo, from this video alone? We know that his family and caregivers have immersed him in literacy from a very early age.

While perhaps not yet interacting with the text itself, it’s clear that he’s had sufficient exposure not only to books - but to this book in particular - to understand its familiar, repetitive pattern. And to know that it’s pages contain meaning.

He’s likewise familiar with multiple concepts of print. While still in diapers, he understands how books work. He holds the text upright and advances from left to right.

In short, Marlo is an emergent reader, demonstrating remarkable language and literacy knowledge some three years before even setting foot in a kindergarten classroom.

Just wait to see what he’ll be doing by the time he gets there.

And yet our public policy around early literacy is heavily focused on intervention in the primary grades, with many states designing aggressive and costly interventions on behalf of children who have not had the same early advantages as Marlo.

Imagine how we might diminish that need - and cost - by better supporting language and literacy during the years in which it actually develops. Then imagine the learning benefits to children themselves.

On Tuesday, March 7, @Hunt_Institute’s Early Efforts web series will unpack the case for Literacy from Day One with an amazing expert panel including @nellkduke @LoriMasseur and @DrDinaCastro. You can register now at

What else do you notice about Marlo as an emergent reader?

Special thanks to @ameliadgvl for this amazing video of her genius grandbaby.