Children picking up written language by exposure.

[Space60]

I have read that a difference between spoken and written language is that children pick up spoken language by exposure, but have to be taught written language. However, don't children with hyperlexia pick up written language by exposure? I'd say they do to some degree. They can often read at an early age.

[Rounin Ryuuji]

My process of developing a literary style involved a great deal of reading and imitation of the style of writing of what I read. This process was not necessarily deliberate, and probably began while I was a child. I would often use age-unusual words as a child, often picking them up from film or text (I was very good at figuring out meanings from context clues — I learnt the word "sustain" from one of the Land Before Time films when I was about six and started using it; this was my first exposure to the word). I could also recognise some words by sight from having been read to. I had to learn spoken language first, but parts of how I use and understand written language were acquired from exposure, and not from being explicitly taught it.

[Ares Land]

I have read that a difference between spoken and written language is that children pick up spoken language by exposure, but have to be taught written language. However, don't children with hyperlexia pick up written language by exposure? I'd say they do to some degree. They can often read at an early age.

Yep, it's not uncommon. I know several people who learned to read by themselves, more or less. (More or less because adults tend to offer correction and generally help along.) I'd add that kids will learn most anything by exposure. A shopkeeper's kids I once knew could handle change as a toddler.

I'd still say it doesn't feel as automatic and instinctive as kids learning to speak.

[Travis B.]

I remember being given things teaching how to read and write as a little kid (I specifically remember realizing that orthographic "o" had multiple different pronunciations), but I also remember being able to read The Butter Battle Book (my favorite book as a little kid) as far back as I can remember.