Anecdotal, but my daughter read her first word at 3 years, 8 months. My son just started reading last week at 3 years, 7 months, and much more actively than my daughter.
She was so advanced that we never expected him to keep up, especially since he doesn't get as much one on one time as she did. But now he's even more advanced than she was. I was thinking today that him having her around probably helps.
Exactly. I also try only to do verbs, although occasionally I verb nouns.
Regardless, the counter you check out at is the checkout counter, while the counter you check in at is the check-in counter. So OP does still have a point.