While some children leave Kindergarten already reading proficiently, others don’t become true readers until First Grade. If your child is not already a confident reader, he should have these pre-reading skills in order to become a successful reader in First Grade:
- Recognizes all uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as the sounds they make.
- Can tell whether a pair of words have the same beginning or ending sound
- Can identify rhyming words
- Knows at least 25 Sight Words and can read them automatically (Check with your child’s Kindergarten teacher for a list of words)
- Can sound out short three-letter words such as “cat” or “man” by blending the sounds together
The best way to help your child become a reader is to read to him and with him! Make reading together an important part of your routine, whether it is at bedtime, in the morning, or throughout the day. Reread familiar books and incorporate new ones.
As you read, talk about the characters and what they are doing. Ask your child questions, such as “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think they did that?” Making reading interesting and fun will help build excitement around reading.
