Reading Milestones Preschool Through Second Grade

There’s no exact age when a child should start reading, but there are milestones, based on decades of research, that serve as guidelines.

Around ages three and four, a child usually

• recognizes environmental print
• understands print is read in stories
• rhymes simple words
• understands letters have names
• recites the alphabet
• identifies at least ten letters

By the end of kindergarten, a child can usually

• identify names of upper and lower case letters
• identify the sounds of most letters
• begin to isolate and sound out letters in a three letter word (like ‘cat’ or ‘mop’)
• recognize a handful of high frequency words with automaticity

By the end of first grade, a child can usually

• sound out one syllable words
• recognize around 100 of the most frequent high frequency words
• read simple sentences
• answer basic questions about what they’ve read

By the end of second grade, a child can usually

• sound out multisyllabic words
• read independently, with interest and purpose
• recognize over 200 common sight words
• self-correct errors
• re-read for clarification
• recall facts and details from the text

The specific timing of these milestones depends on a child’s

• age
• school’s curriculum and approach to literacy development
• experience with and exposure to print, at home and at school

If your first grader is not sounding out words or beginning to read simple sentences, it’s time to talk to their teacher and seek out additional resources and support.

If your second grader is not yet reading books with simple sentences, or is consistently resistant to reading at home, it’s time to talk to their teacher and seek out additional resources and support.