Expected Reading and Writing Skills for Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade
Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
We all want our children to have strong reading, writing, and spelling skills. But how do you know if your young child is on track with their literacy?
A significant amount of early literacy growth happens in the preschool years through the start of grade school. Let’s take a look at the key literacy skills that kids typically have at age 4, in kindergarten, and once they’re in first grade. We’ll also explain what to do if you think your child could be struggling with reading and writing.
Literacy skills for 4-year-olds
Most 4-year-olds are in preschool and gearing up to start kindergarten. Although they probably aren’t fully reading and writing yet, there are lots of things you can do to help them prepare. Here are some early literacy skills to watch for in your 4-year-old:
Enjoys stories and books. Listening to stories and books helps lay the foundation for reading and writing. Read books with your child daily, or tell them stories of your own. These can be real stories, maybe from your own childhood. Or they can be made-up stories using your imagination.
Understands the basics of books and print. One reason it’s so important to read together is because kids have to learn that written words carry meaning. This is a prerequisite to learning to read. Your child will begin to understand that you are reading the words of the story from the page. They’ll also learn things that might seem obvious to us, such as how to hold a book right side up, or where the front and back covers are.
Recognizes some letters. By age 4, kids are typically able to identify at least 10 letters in the alphabet. These 10 letters should include the ones in their own name.
Begins to rhyme. You will likely see your 4-year-old beginning to rhyme. So if you say, “What rhymes with hat?,” your child should be able to come up with a word that rhymes.
Tries to start writing. At this age kids should start trying to write, even if the letters aren’t formed correctly. They may begin writing some letters or words, like their name, that look close to correct. They also should be showing a general interest in attempting to write.
Literacy skills for 5-year-olds and kindergarteners
Once a child turns 5, and especially once they start kindergarten, you should see a huge growth in their reading and writing skills. Here are some literacy skills to watch for in your kindergartener:
Understanding book orientation. Understanding that text is read from left-to-right and top-to-bottom is one specific skill to look for. This will help your child as they follow along with reading and begin to pick up familiar words.
Identifying uppercase and lowercase letters. Kids typically learn uppercase letters first. But during kindergarten, kids should learn to identify all letters in uppercase and lowercase.
Identifying all letters and their corresponding sounds. Kindergarten students should be able to name every letter and the sound that goes along with it.
Matching spoken words to words in the book. When listening to a story read to them, 5-year-olds can typically tell which word on the page corresponds to the word that’s being said. They should be able to do this with some of the words, not necessarily all of them.
Identifying sounds in words. A phonological awareness skill you should see is the ability to identify sounds in words, especially the beginning sounds. So your kindergartener should be able to understand that bat begins with /b/ or mine begins with /m/. They may be able to identify the middle and ending sounds in words, too.
Reading sight words. Sight words are words that are memorized and read quickly just by looking at them. These are words that come up often in text. Common examples are the, a, is, my, I, or, was, you, and are.
Writing uppercase and lowercase letters. Your child’s writing may not be clear or legible, but that’s OK.
Writing familiar words. Five-year-olds should be able to write their own name and even some other names or words they hear often.
Trying to spell and write new things. Kids this age should also attempt to spell new words, even if they’re not correct. They may even try to write stories of their own.
Literacy skills for first graders
In first grade, kids focus more on their reading and writing skills. Ideally, they should have a strong literacy foundation from kindergarten and be ready to do more challenging tasks. Below are some of the literacy skills you should be seeing in your first grader:
Growing reading comprehension. First graders can typically read and listen to simple stories, then recall details about the characters or setting.
Understanding syllables. Kids this age should be able to count syllables in a word.
Blending and decoding words. First grade students should be able to blend the sounds of a short, single-syllable word together, as well as decode them and break them apart into their individual sounds.
Beginning to read harder words. First graders begin reading words with long vowel sounds (day, do, etc.) and with a silent “e” at the end (like, take, etc.)
Increasing sight words. In first grade, kids may have about 100 sight words in their reading repertoire.
Can self-correct their reading. Kids this age should be able to identify when they make a mistake while reading and be able to fix it.
Can read unfamiliar words. First graders can use spelling and letter-sound knowledge to read new words.
Can write complete sentences. They should also begin to understand how to use capital letters and punctuation correctly.
Improving spelling. First graders can typically spell three- and four-letter words correctly.
What to do if your child has trouble with reading or writing
As you can see, there is an incredible amount of growth that happens throughout these early years of childhood. Kids who are having trouble with reading or writing should get support as soon as possible. There are several things you can do.
1 Talk with your child’s teacher
It’s important to explain what you’re noticing and get the teacher’s input. Together with your child’s teacher, you can track which letters your child is able to identify and potentially read, and which ones are challenging.
2 Talk to your child’s pediatrician
They may have recommendations or referrals for supportive therapies.
3 Reach out to a speech-language pathologist, school psychologist, or reading specialist
They can give your child a reading evaluation. Research has shown early intervention to be very effective in treating and preventing reading disorders. So if your child is having trouble with reading, don’t wait to get them evaluated! A reading specialist or speech therapist can provide support for kids who are having trouble.
Reading specialists are teachers who specialize in reading. In many cases, reading specialists work in schools and see children in groups. They support students in the school setting and can collaborate with their classroom teachers, as well.
Speech therapy is another source of reading support for kids. A speech therapist can help your child build their phonological processing skills. This is the ability to identify and understand sounds in our language in order to process spoken and written words. These skills play a large role in reading and writing.
Don’t hesitate to get support for your child. It’s better to ask questions now than to wait. Kids with reading and writing difficulties can make incredible progress when given the right tools!
