How helpful are older siblings?

Yes I do. I taught both of my sisters how to read before they were in school. I am 18 months older than one and 4 years older than the other. The extra attention given to younger siblings is extramly benificial. THink about it: They hear more words becuase they have more people talking to them, they can also learn by observing their older siblings. If you have your older child read to the younger one they will both benifit from it.

I definitely think that the older ones influence the younger ones. Just wait until the older child starts teaching your younger one bad habits. That is when it gets interesting.

Each of my children have gotten progressivly smarter, and I think it's because of the older ones. Each of my kids love to read, and they'll read to the smaller ones all the time. All they do at home is talk to each other, read to each other, play together... etc... and when they do this they're always learning something. Even if it's just small stuff. The other day my daughter said something to the affect of USA is above Canada which is above Mexico... well my oldest corrected her and told her how it really was. So she got a little geography lesson without even realizing it.

I definitely think that some of the younger siblings can learn from the older ones in some cases but not in all. Some children just learn more quickly than others. I have seen that to be the case also.

I think they do. they look up to them and want to be like them. My sister was 12 years older then me so we took on different roles. In a lot of ways it was like have a second mom around. She's always been great to me and gone above and beyond what a sister should do. She helped raise me and buy me things she'd even spend her weekends as a teenager traveling with me to tournaments where we both would compete in judo. She's my ultimate idol and I still look up to her more then ever.

I have heard that older siblings teach younger siblings, but I do not know if I can verify that from personal experience.