FWIW,
My Daughter was reading pre-K.
I attribute this to two things. My wife, her mother, talked non stop and was fairly articulate. Her Non-stop chatter, personally drove me mad, but it went a long way exposing our Infant/toddler to language. Second, we read together every day.
When she was three or four I spent $400 on the “Hooked on Phonics” package. I broke open the box and quickly discovered that my daughter was well beyond all their lessons.
We NEVER engaged in “Baby Talk”.
Kids and people in general learn in different ways. Some are auditory and some are more visual.
There is a need to open our young minds to being more Objective.
After all;
What are Words For; if no one listens anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IasCZL072fQ
My kids are all different. And exposure to adults and reading has been different. But two cracked the code, one learned from instruction in school, and one is on her way. I see her sounding out, and I see she has memorized words and signs and such.
By the way, and this will make you smile, I have learned not to chatter in the car. When I drive my mom, who has Alzheimer’s, around, she doesn’t have much frontal lobe / executive functioning, so she chatters on and on about superficial things she sees like people’s tail lights or wheels. Or the colors of the cars around us. Endlessly. Many times I want to slam into the center divider or off a cliff. I actually called my ex and my brother and apologized to them for any and all car chattering I ever did. CURED. It is the absolute worst!