Becoming a Reader

Every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to another. Bit by bit, the child builds the knowledge that is necessary for being a reader. Over their first 6 years, most children:

Talk and listen.

Listen to stories read aloud.

Pretend to read.

Learn how to handle books.

Learn about print and how it works.

Identify letters by name and shape.

Identify separate sounds in spoken language.

Write with scribbles and drawing.

Connect single letters with the sounds they make.

Connect what they already know to what they hear read.

Predict what comes next in stories and poems.

Connect combinations of letters with sounds.

Recognize simple words in print.

Sum up what a story is about.

Write individual letters of the alphabet.

Write words.

Write simple sentences.

Read simple books.

Write to communicate.

Read simple books.

Children can take more than one of these steps at the same time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea of how your child will progress toward reading. (For more details, see Typical Language Accomplishments for Children, Birth to Age 6.)

By Barbara J. Feldman

Barbara J. Feldman is a syndicated columnist and the publisher of Surf Net Parents, Surfnetkids.com and 51+ other family-friendly sites. She has been creating websites since 1996, and loves teaching others how to solve WordPress problems.