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This is a general outline of the milestones on the road to reading and the ages at which most kids reach them.

Keep in mind that kids develop at different paces and spend varying amounts of time at each stage. If you have concerns, talk to your child’s doctor, teacher, or the reading specialist at school. Early intervention is key in helping kids who are struggling to read.

Infancy (Up to Age 1)
Children usually begin to:
imitate sounds they hear in language
respond when spoken to
look at pictures
reach for books and turn the pages with help
respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)
Children usually begin to:
answer questions about and identify objects in books — such as “Where’s the cow?” or “What does the cow say?”
name familiar pictures
use pointing to identify named objects
pretend to read books
finish sentences in books they know well
scribble on paper
know names of books and identify them by the picture on the cover
turn pages of board books
have a favorite book and request it to be read often

Early Preschool (Age 3)
Children usually begin to:
explore books independently
listen to longer books that are read aloud
retell a familiar story
recite the alphabet
begin to sing the alphabet with prompting and cues
make continuous symbols that resemble writing
imitate the action of reading a book aloud

Late Preschool (Age 4)
Children usually begin to:
recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers
make up rhymes or silly phrases
recognize and write some of the letters of the alphabet
read and write their names
name letters or sounds that begin words
match some letters to their sounds
use familiar letters to try writing words

Kindergarten (Age 5)
Children usually begin to:
understand rhyming and play rhyming games
match some spoken and written words
understand that print is read from left to right, top to bottom
write some letters and numbers
recognize some familiar words
predict what will happen next in a story
retell stories that have been read to them

First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)
Children usually begin to:
read familiar stories
sound out or decode unfamiliar words
use pictures and context to figure out unfamiliar words
use some common punctuation and capitalization in writing
self-correct when they make a mistake while reading aloud
show comprehension of a story through drawings

Second and Third Grade (Ages 7–8)
Children usually begin to:
read longer books independently
read aloud with proper emphasis and expression
use context and pictures to help identify unfamiliar words
understand the concept of paragraphs and begin to apply it in writing
correctly use punctuation
correctly spell simple words
write notes, like phone messages and email
enjoy games like word searches
use new words, phrases, or figures of speech that they’ve heard
revise their own writing

Fourth Through Eighth Grade (Ages 9–13)
Children usually begin to:
explore and understand different kinds of texts, like biographies, poetry, and fiction
understand and explore expository, narrative, and persuasive text
read to extract specific information, such as from a science book
identify parts of speech and devices like similes and metaphors
correctly identify major elements of stories, like time, place, plot, problem, and resolution
read and write on a specific topic for fun, and understand what style is needed
analyze texts for meaning

Reviewed by: Gail S. Diederich, MS