Ages and Stages: Reading MIlestones

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

Infancy (Up to Age 1)

Kids 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 to 3)

Kids usually begin to:

•  answer questions about and identify objects in books
•  name familiar pictures
•  use pointing to identify named objects
•  pretend to read books
•  finish the 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
•  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)

Kids 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)

Kids 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 Grades (Ages 6 to 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

Second and Third Grades (Ages 7 to 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 simple words
•  write notes, like phone messages
• and e-mail
•  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 to 13)

Kids usually begin to:

•  explore and understand different kinds of texts
•  understand and explore expository, narrative and persuasive texts
•  read to extract specific information, such as from a science book
•  identify parts of speech and devices, such as similes and
• metaphors
•  correctly identify major elements of stories
•  read and write on a specific topic for fun, and understand what style is needed
•  analyze texts for meaning