Checklist for Reading Readiness

Learning to read is a significant milestone in a child's education. After all, it's the gateway to the worlds of books and print media. Some parents feel that they need to press their children to begin reading early - there are even programs to "teach" your baby to read (ask me about that later) - but I'd like to offer a checklist of sorts to help you evaluate your child's readiness to read. This is adapted from an article from All About Learning Press.

Print Awareness
__ Your child knows the proper way to hold a book.
__ Your child understands that books are read from front cover to back.
__ Your child understands that words and sentences are read from left to right.
__ Your child knows that words on the page can be read.

Phonological Awareness
__ Your child can rhyme words. If you say bat, your child can find a rhyming word like hat.
__ Your child can identify the separate words in a sentence.
__ Your child can clap syllables. If you say dog, your child knows to clap once. If you say umbrella, your child knows to clap three times.
__ Your child can identify the beginning sound in a word.
__ Your child can identify the ending sound in a word.

Letter Knowledge
__ Your child can recite the alphabet.
__ Your child recognizes the letters in their capital form.
__ Your child recognizes the letters in their lowercase form.
__ Your child points out familiar letters on signs, in stores, or on packages.

Listening Comprehension
__ Your child is able to retell a familiar story in his own words.
__ Your child can answer simple questions about a story.
__ Your child asks questions during read-alouds, such as Why did the elephant laugh?


Motivation to Read
While it can be difficult to determine whether a child is motivated to do something, your knowledge and observations of your child should help you. Motivation is a key factor in success with reading - some children are ready early, while others need more time to build the desire. Early exposure to reading aloud should help build this motivation. The following are all signs that your child is likely motivated to read and has achieved the understanding that reading is fun.
__ Does your child enjoy being read to, at least for short periods of time?
__ Does your child pretend to read or write?
__ Does your child frequently request read-aloud time and show enthusiasm for books?
__ Does your child often ask you what a word says that he sees on a sign or in a book?

Scoring the Checklist
If all or most of the boxes are checked, then I believe it is safe to say that your child is ready to learn to read. If there are some missing checkmarks, you have identified the areas that you should work on with your child.

Be a student of your child - tune in to his readiness rather than setting a schedule that satisfies the cultural "norm" or peer pressure of other parents you know. Working with your child's developmental readiness will lay the groundwork for much less stress in your educational endeavors.

Kelly