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When can kids start reading


Reading Milestones (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Reviewed by: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Nemours BrightStart!

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This is a general outline of the milestones on the road to reading success. 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. Getting help early is key for helping kids who struggle to read.

Parents and teachers can find resources for children as early as pre-kindergarten. Quality childcare centers, pre-kindergarten programs, and homes full of language and book reading can build an environment for reading milestones to happen.

Infancy (Up to Age 1)

Kids usually begin to:

  • learn that gestures and sounds communicate meaning
  • respond when spoken to
  • direct their attention to a person or object
  • understand 50 words or more
  • reach for books and turn the pages with help
  • respond to stories and pictures by vocalizing and patting the pictures

Toddlers (Ages 1–3)

Kids 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)

Kids usually begin to:

  • explore books independently
  • listen to longer books that are read aloud
  • retell a familiar story
  • sing the alphabet song with prompting and cues
  • make symbols that resemble writing
  • recognize the first letter in their name
  • learn that writing is different from drawing a picture
  • imitate the action of reading a book aloud

Late Preschool (Age 4)

Kids usually begin to:

  • recognize familiar signs and labels, especially on signs and containers
  • recognize words that rhyme
  • name some of the letters of the alphabet (a good goal to strive for is 15–18 uppercase letters)
  • recognize the letters in their names
  • write their names
  • name beginning letters or sounds of words
  • match some letters to their sounds
  • develop awareness of syllables
  • use familiar letters to try writing words
  • understand that print is read from left to right, top to bottom
  • retell stories that have been read to them

Kindergarten (Age 5)

Kids usually begin to:

  • produce words that rhyme
  • match some spoken and written words
  • write some letters, numbers, and words
  • recognize some familiar words in print
  • predict what will happen next in a story
  • identify initial, final, and medial (middle) sounds in short words
  • identify and manipulate increasingly smaller sounds in speech
  • understand concrete definitions of some words
  • read simple words in isolation (the word with definition) and in context (using the word in a sentence)
  • retell the main idea, identify details (who, what, when, where, why, how), and arrange story events in sequence

First and Second Grade (Ages 6–7)

Kids 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
  • write by organizing details into a logical sequence with a beginning, middle, and end

Second and Third Grade (Ages 7–8)

Kids 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 many words
  • write notes, like phone messages and email
  • understand humor in text
  • use new words, phrases, or figures of speech that they've heard
  • revise their own writing to create and illustrate stories

Fourth Through Eighth Grade (Ages 9–13)

Kids 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
  • understand relations between objects
  • 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: Cynthia M. Zettler-Greeley, PhD

Date reviewed: May 2022

When Do Kids Start Reading?

A lot of caregivers want to know: “When do kids start reading?” Of course, there is a basic answer, and then some nuance that complicates but clarifies things. An understanding of general times when milestones are hit can be equally helpful and stressful. As tempting as it is to know where your child is “supposed to be,” there is a huge spectrum of times that things click in, and even people professionally familiar with child development can find themselves frantic when it comes to their own children. The timeframe in which kids start reading is no exception.

To understand when kids start reading, you need to know what reading is. A general explanation is the action of reading words correctly, but there is more to reading than that. Reading Rockets, a very respected reading research site, defines reading as “making meaning from print.” This larger definition allows us to pull in the valuable skills of younger children, and involve young kids in the process of building their reading lives.  Below, I’ll directly answer the question “when do kids start reading?” while giving tips for balancing the sometimes difficult journey to building literacy skills with the challenge of making reading an enjoyable and fulfilling pastime.

Making Meaning For Pre-Readers

Can toddlers read? Well, yes. Ages 2–4 are very low stakes times in a child’s reading life, and an excellent time to make reading an enjoyable part of daily life. When sharing stories with young children (might I suggest board books?), you can help them make meaning by discussing the illustrations.

Asking questions aloud and answering them for yourself (“Where did the kid go? Oh! They’re behind the tree!”) can help your child understand what is happening in the story. This also teaches them to evaluate a story as it’s being told. Predictions, character identification, and story part recall are a huge part of early elementary literacy. Practicing these skills as a young child can go a long way. This is also a great place to plug in social emotional education. Point out characters with sad and happy faces and connect the emotion to story events. Even one small comment each time you read a story adds to the richness of your child’s reading life, and very soon you’ll see them copying these habits while they look at books.

The Mechanics of it All

This is where things get real in the reading world, and often where struggles can pop up. Being able to read is a combination of knowing how to use phonics to decode certain words (cat being the sounds /c//a//t/) and having sight words (“the” doesn’t follow sound rules) memorized. A phonics-based approach to reading will have students learning sounds, then putting the sounds into words, then putting the words into sentences. I’ve written before sharing tips to help beginning readers.

The tricky thing about this part of a reading journey is that people spend years going to school to understand the process of phonics education. Simply being able to read is not enough to know which words a beginning reader will be able to sound out, which words have phonics components they haven’t learned yet, and which words simply don’t follow phonics rules at all. To add to the confusion, some readers are able to decode (unlock words) very quickly without relying too much on phonics rules and others heavily rely on phonics instruction to make reading work. It’s different for every reader and far from simple. I again refer to Reading Rockets: it is generally an awesome resource for caregivers and educators, but also has information about why kids struggle and ideas for helping readers at different stages in this process.

Becoming Fluent

Reading fluently is the next step in the reading journey. Fluency measures speed, accuracy, and expression. A huge component of building fluency is repeated readings: having beginning readers read the same thing over and over, building confidence and becoming familiar with the text. Speed and accuracy will improve as the student feels confident in the actual words. Expression comes as the student understands what is happening in the text.

Being read to improves expression and general fluency so much. This brings us back to the “making meaning” definition of reading. You might be able to decode a word or say a sentence, but without understanding what is happening (the skill of comprehension, which is all of reading instruction after 3rd grade), you won’t understand what kind of expression to use when reading it aloud. Listening to audiobooks has been huge in my household. Even when my children struggle with different mechanics of reading, I am shocked at how much expression they pour into what they read, until I remember this skill has been modeled for them constantly as they grew up. 

So, When Do Kids Start Reading?

Generally, kids start decoding and understanding the written word between the ages of 4 and 7, or between kindergarten and second grade. However, there are SO MANY reasons that reading skills might develop on a different timeline. The work families can do to support a love of reading starts much earlier and can be influenced long after that range. Valid advice no matter where your reader is: foster a positive association with reading by looking for pleasure reading titles and reading to and with them.

Hopefully this was helpful. Learning to read and support beginning readers is not a simple process by any means. My biggest piece of advice is to bring it back to relationships. No matter the age or stage, if reading together is becoming stressful, take a break and read one of their favorites aloud. A positive association with reading will take a student a long way. 

You might also be interested in:

  • What is the Best Way to Teach Reading? A Literacy Professor Weighs In
  • Reading Tips for Parents To Help Beginning Readers
  • 50 Of The Best Books For Beginning Readers

At what age should a child be able to read

The ability to read is one of the basic human social skills. Without it, it is impossible to receive and transmit information, therefore this skill should be developed in every person. Modern parents strive to teach their child to read as early as possible, so that by the time they start learning, they already have some knowledge base. So when should a child start doing this?

Content:

  • When we start
  • Learning too early - why it is harmful
  • What the experts say
  • Is it possible to instill a love of reading
  • Choosing a teaching method
  • Are there any disadvantages of teaching reading at home
    • Some important details When we start

    Experts do not have a common opinion about the early teaching of children to read, and neither do parents. Someone thinks that a child should get basic reading skills even before entering school: this will make it easier to adapt to the educational process. Others are sure that a teacher in the 1st grade should teach a child to read, since an unnecessarily early start to school is harmful for children: let them enjoy their childhood for now.

    Learning too early - why it is harmful

    The development of a child's cognitive abilities follows certain patterns, certain stages, it is undesirable to change or accelerate it, and often it is completely impossible. Until the age of five, children think figuratively - in pictures, and it is difficult for them to perceive information in the form of letters, numbers or other signs. And even having understood the general principle of reading, little students read, but they cannot understand the essence of what is written.

    Learning to read early can lead to health problems:

    • excessive brain tension;
    • abnormal blood flow to the cerebral hemispheres;
    • eye strain.

    Intensive classes can unbalance the development of different types of thinking in a child: the emphasis will be placed on the logical, and the figurative will be “abandoned”. Yes, the child will become better at remembering, speaking, analyzing, thinking logically, but the development of the right hemisphere will be slowed down, and it is responsible for no less important dreams, emotions, understanding of music and color. The emotional development of the baby will be somewhat retarded, and at an older age this may respond with serious problems in the form of:

    • lack of ability to empathize with others;
    • difficulties with correct understanding of one's emotions;
    • inability to determine one's strengths and weaknesses;
    • difficulties in understanding one's own and social values;
    • isolation and uncertainty.

    It is known that many geeks are developed from early childhood, but most often, growing up, they do not have happiness and are poorly adapted to the realities of the world around them. Therefore, it is more important to raise a socially adapted person from a child than to teach him to read too early.

    What the experts say

    Psychologists, psychophysiologists and other experts recommend starting to teach a preschooler to read not earlier than he is 5 years old, but he must be ready to learn. They say about it:

  • intelligible correct speech without speech defects;
  • correct listening comprehension of the text;
  • the ability to explain the meaning of a word;
  • the ability to build coherent logical sentences;
  • the ability to briefly retell the plot of a cartoon or fairy tale, describe your day;
  • the ability to concentrate on an activity, such as needlework.

    • A healthy five-year-old child usually has all of these skills. And at this age it is time to get acquainted with letters and sounds, then by the time of admission to grade 1, the child will master reading at a sufficient level.

    Is it possible to instill a love for reading

    It is not enough to teach a child to read - he still needs to instill a love for this occupation. View your favorite books and read them, study the illustrations, get acquainted with the adventures of the characters. It is important that older family members show the child that reading is an amazing learning opportunity, and not a hateful duty. It will be useful if the child saw people with books in his close circle, then, imitating them, he himself will want to plunge into the world of literature.

    The first reading lessons should be conducted in the format of a game: in this way the material will be absorbed by the child easier and better, the child will not have time to lose concentration during the lesson, and avoid stressful experiences.

    Choosing a teaching method

    Today there are many methods to teach a child to read, it is important to choose the one that suits your child.

    Perhaps the most popular method is classes in the classical alphabet (the alphabet itself can be developed by any author). The kid quickly remembers the letter, as it will now be associated with a certain picture. Later, you can move on to another well-known book - the primer and study reading by syllables from it.

    Many techniques are based on the use of cubes or tablets. They are convenient and interesting, but are often criticized by school teachers. It is believed that such training misses a very important component - basic familiarity with the alphabet.

    The most famous of these techniques:

    • Zaitsev's cubes - the emphasis is on making syllables from individual letters and words from syllables, understanding vowels, voiceless and voiced, hard and soft consonants.
    • Chaplygin cubes - learning not only allows you to compose syllables and words, but also develops fine motor skills, and this will have a beneficial effect on the overall development of the child;
    • Glenn Doman's flashcards - learning is based on the use of visual memory: syllables and words are printed on cards, and the child memorizes their spelling;
    • "Skladushki" by Voskobovich - 21 cards with syllables, from which you can build houses with whole words.

    The Montessori method is another well-known teaching option. Toddlers first master the letter, then move on to getting to know the letters, and then learn to read the syllables.

    Are there any disadvantages of teaching reading at home

    Lack of consistency is the main problem of independent lessons on teaching reading. In addition, at home, parents usually miss such an important part of the lesson as the sound analysis of the word, and the child may also have difficulty breaking down words into syllables. It is not easy to correct this mistake later, therefore it is better to immediately entrust a professional teacher to teach the child to read and write. It can be either a private tutor or a teacher of preparatory courses before the first grade - such classes are held today in literally every school.

    A few important details

    If you decide to teach your child to read at home, it is important to follow a few rules. All studies should be built on the principle “From simple to complex”, that is, you first need to learn letters and sounds, then you can start to compose them into syllables and only then move on to whole words. Put the learned material into practice: look for familiar letters on signs while walking, write them in the sand or snow, mold them from plasticine, lay them out of beads.

    For classes, you need to equip a corner with a comfortable chair and table or desk, with the right lighting. The first lessons should not last longer than 10-15 minutes; the student should not be overtired. After finishing them, you should put things in order in the workplace, put away books and study supplies.

    Lessons should be regular, but it is not a good idea to have a class if the student is overweight or in a bad mood. For each educational achievement, the child must be praised.

    Rating: 5/5 - 1 votes

    When to start reading books to your child

    If you are a storehouse of folk wisdom, then, of course, you can do without a book for now. Otherwise, books will be a great help to you. Fairy tales, poems, fables, stories, counting rhymes, nursery rhymes - there is everything in the books. Children are very receptive to rhyme, poetry will appeal to almost any kid. But you can even read novels to him, children not only like to hear the voice of loved ones, loving people, they need it.

    Intending to make a child friends with a book seriously, you should take into account both the general stages of development of children and the individual characteristics of your baby. To help you figure out at what age to start reading books, we offer a small cheat sheet by age.

    Age 3 - 6 months

    The baby begins to crawl, study objects, babble. Read to him or tell him, that is the question? Tell me! At this stage, the best book for him is you. Tell what you remember by heart, fairy tales familiar from childhood, favorite poems. Learn new ones: nursery rhymes, songs, boring tales (a hit for all time is a fairy tale about a white bull, but there are actually a lot of them).

    Children love repetition (you will have time to make sure of this). And, for the future, if the baby asks, do not refuse to read the tale of the chicken Ryaba for the five hundredth time, do not be angry with him. Repetitions help children learn not only new words, but also speech turns, phrase construction.

    You can read a book before going to bed, and during the day tell: while you are going for a walk, play with your little one, dress or bathe him. He will respond, answer you (even if for now only boo-boo and ha-ha), and you address him by name. It is a good idea to insert the name of your baby, on occasion, into rhymes (for example, the gate creaks and creaks, and our Petya / Olya sleeps and sleeps).

    As for the interaction with the book, then, let's be honest: at this age, children most of all like to nibble on them. Therefore, it is better to buy a rattle or a teether for a baby, but for yourself - a good collection of baby rhymes, it will come in handy for you.

    Age 6 – 9 months

    The kid takes the first steps, plays with other children, actively interacts with objects, repeats syllables and simple words after adults. It's time to introduce him to the book! But we must understand that at first the book will be more of a toy. There is no need to be afraid of this, it is useful and correct.

    You will still have time to introduce your child to the masterpieces of world literature, and now you are starting to teach him to use a book as you teach him to use a spoon or other everyday item. While playing, children learn the simplest actions - turn pages, understand where to look, where the beginning and where the end of the book is.

    Many excellent children's books are now being published:
    • ⚫ soft touch books,
    • ⚫ bathing books,
    • ⚫ transformers with moving valves,
    • ⚫ folding pictures.

    Looking at illustrations, repeating words after you, touching textured inserts, your baby develops fine motor skills, coordination, sensory abilities and communication skills. And, of course, learns to love the book, because it brings so much joy!

    Age 9 – 12 months

    This age can be described in two words - all by yourself! The kid tries to walk without support, sit, eat on his own, pronounce the first words, initiate communication with his parents, listen with pleasure as his mother (or father) reads to him, examines the pictures. It is with looking at the pictures that the meaningful interaction of the child with the book begins. The book is not just an object, but a source of information about the real world and the world of imagination, and he learns to discover these worlds for himself.

    Sit with your baby in an embrace so that it is convenient for you to hold and read a book, and for him to watch. Pictures are better to choose bright, but as simple as possible, with the image of one or two characters or objects. Colorfully designed fairy tales, illustrated dictionaries of the first words will do. Parents will also have to try: memorized rhymes are no longer enough, it's time to improvise. Choose a book with illustrations, according to which you yourself can tell a story, for a start it’s quite simple - who is shown in the picture? What are you wearing? What is he doing? What does he say?

    Be ready to read expressively, in faces, depicting characters, croak and meow, squeak and growl - this will help the baby to distinguish and better remember the characters, and, of course, he will like it! Try it, you will like it too. Sometimes it is also useful for serious, adult people to fool around. But, of course, for reading before bed, it is better to choose something rhythmic, read or hum in a calm manner.

    Age from one to two

    By the age of one and a half, a kid usually already utters short phrases, dances, sings along, begins to draw (goodbye, wallpaper!), Recognizes images in pictures, understands a short story or a fairy tale. Pictures are still very important, they help very young children build a plot sequence for themselves, but this is the beginning of real, real reading. Sit your child on your lap (so it will be easier for him to concentrate), and start reading!

    When rereading your favorite fairy tale, pause so that the baby can finish the phrase, insert a familiar word, but if it doesn’t work out yet, it doesn’t matter - tell me, offer to repeat after you. The same with pictures. Ask who is pictured, what they are doing, or ask them to show you where a certain character is drawn.

    This is an important stage of development, your little listener slowly becomes an interlocutor. But, if it is difficult for him to sit still, do not force him. At this age, children have a lot to do: they learn new movements, learn to jump, like to sculpt, assemble a designer (by the way, the development of fine motor skills is directly related to the development of speech).

    From the age of one, children begin to form their own taste. Perhaps your child just doesn't like a certain book. In this case, give him the opportunity to choose for himself (for this, a shelf with children's books should be in a place accessible to the child).

    Two to three years of age

    The child independently performs the main actions, actively communicates with adults, with other children, he develops self-esteem (most often he evaluates himself as “good” - and you can’t argue!), He not only listens with pleasure to poems, fairy tales, stories, but already and tells himself.

    Teremok, Gingerbread Man, Chicken Ryaba - a great choice for this age. You can also start reading children's encyclopedias, stories about animals, long poems. Showing the baby pictures, ask them to tell what is drawn there, this contributes to the development of speech and imagination. Discuss the heroes of the fairy tale, their actions (for example, where did the Bear go, is he good or bad). And, if you are not reading a fairy tale for the first time, offer to continue it from some point to train memory and attention.

    But these are all pretty general guidelines. We hope that they will be useful, but you should not take them as an unconditional guide to action. You need to focus solely on the abilities and needs of your child. It happens that even at three months, a baby listens to fairy tales with bated breath, but if your one-year-old is still trying to nibble on a book and likes to play patties more, do not force him to sit and listen. Everything has its turn. There is no need to turn reading together into a heavy duty, either for yourself or for the child. Your little one has a long road of knowledge ahead, let him walk it with joy. Even the stern samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo, in his treatise Hidden in the Leaves, strongly recommended not to punish children under four years old - so that the baby, not knowing fear, would grow up inquisitive and courageous.

    Where to start reading?

    Little white fish.


    Age recommendation 1+.

    A series of books by Belgian author Guido Van Genechten about the adventures of a small white fish and its friends: red crab, blue whale, green turtle and many others. The illustrations are bright, colorful characters are easier to recognize and remember. The paper is thick enough not to tear or wrinkle, so the books are suitable for younger children as well. Simple but captivating stories are sure to please both your baby and you.

    Bunny Styopa and a pot.


    Age recommendation 2+.

    An excellent series of educational help books from Andrian Hayman. The illustrations are large and colorful, the book is in a convenient format, on thick cardboard. The text will help to explain to the child in a fun and intelligible way how to dress, use the potty, go to the doctor. The books in the series will also be useful for older children, and kids who are still too early to potty will surely love pictures with the cutest bunny Styopa.

    Crocodile, I have to go - I'm leaving in the morning!


    Age recommendation 3+.

    A funny book in verse by Sally Hopgood about a sluggish baby turtle who decides to leave the zoo, but first to say goodbye to all his friends. Wonderful illustrations that will introduce your baby to animals: there is a crocodile, and an antelope, and a snail, and a cat. The lyrics are simple, funny and easy to memorize.

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