Learning to Read

Between kindergarten and the end of second grade, your child is in an important and exciting period for learning to read. And while there’s no rush to read independently in kindergarten, by the time your child is heading off to third grade, they’ll begin to go from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

So these are the years to build the fundamentals. In school, they should be getting explicit instruction in phonics, which means they’ll be learning how to connect letters to sounds and then put sounds together to make words. They should also have lots of opportunities to listen to high-quality books read aloud, read books of their choosing at their current reading level, and read in the context of learning other content, too (such as texts for social studies or science lessons). At home, you can support their learning by making reading a regular, everyday part of your lives. Learn more about what parents need to know about reading instruction.

First, don’t panic. If you notice that your child isn’t progressing toward independent reading, it’s a good time to ask their teacher’s opinion. It’s possible your child just needs more time and practice. It’s also possible that they need extra support, particularly with phonics. That’s a great conversation to have with your child’s teacher sooner rather than later, because they can help figure out what’s going on.

Finally, if you have concerns that you feel aren’t being adequately addressed in school, you always have the right to ask for additional support and/or an evaluation for your child. Learn more about getting your child assessed for learning differences.