I taught my kids to read before they could speak using flash cards in the fashion outlined in the book teach your baby to read. They could all correctly identify over 50 words by about 18 months. I've heard the technique doesn't work so well for older kids but it's absolutely incredible how well it works for babies.
I always tried to make the lessons as much fun as possible and kept them short leaving them wanting more. After we played the game we'd put them to bed with Mozart or Bach playing while they slept. I also made a "word board" that I'd scribble random stuff on from one of those erasable marker notice boards and wrote a heap of words including their names and algebraic equations on the back in permanent ink too. They loved that game, they never knew what to expect when I'd turn it around after writing or drawing on it.
Then when they got to pre-school I taught them algebra on the word board and one of those magnetic scribble boards we had kicking around so they could be introduced to numerical abstractions. Kids are like sponges and they will absorb anything if it's presented in a fun way.
Now they are doing exceptionally well at school and it's very easy for them so there are no motivational issues, they just enjoy learning so much. Now they teach me stuff.
Hi @khufu, the fun learning was a very clever strategy to use on your babies. I love the way you made it an exciting game. Interacting with you little ones is an important factor, they would have loved having one on one with you and their mum, great for attachment and relationships building as well as for developing cognitive, language, social and emotional skills. Thanks for sharing.