I just wanted to throw my DH's story into the mix, he went to an airy-fairy-arty-farty Steiner school and didn't learn to read or write at all until he was 12 yes 12. He was way too busy playing in the dirt and doing that funny dancing that they do. He was read to as a child and he did do the most beautiful and colourful drawings. And he went on to do very well in the HSC and at uni and reads all the time now (actually, a little too much, not enough help with the housework for my liking ).

Meh, everyone's different, and it's impossible to get a good idea of the full story from a tiny snippet of information. I'm sure most of DH's family thought my PIL were mad but DH turned out alright in the end (IMHO of course ).