Is My Child on Track for Learning to Read? - What to Look for in Preschool Through Kindergarten

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

Guidance for parents and caregivers on how to assess whether children ages three to five are developing skills needed for learning to read. The article outlines key areas to observe: physical development and health, social engagement with others, and language development that supports literacy and broader academic progress. It provides practical questions and milestones for speech clarity, following multi-step directions, using varied complete sentences, storytelling, and early letter and sound awareness.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Is My Child on Track for Learning to Read?

What to Look for in Preschool Through Kindergarten

Physical Development Milestones

Social Engagement With Others

Language Development Questions

Early Literacy Skills for Reading

PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES Is My Child on Track for Learning to Read? What to Look for in Preschool Through Kindergarten By Beth M. Phillips Young children’s development takes place across multiple strands—such as physical skills, like learning to hold a crayon, and social skills, like learning to have back-andforth conversations. All of these strands weave together to support readiness for literacy and other academic learning. Although every child is unique, there are some common things that you as a parent or caregiver can look for within each of these strands when your child is three to five years old. This way, you can seek professional guidance and support if you are concerned about an area of your child’s development. Preparing your child to thrive in preschool, kindergarten, and beyond includes finding out if they are on track in their physical development. Check on your child’s overall health. Then, think specifically about their eyes, ears, hands, and feet! Be sure to work with a doctor, nurse, or other specialist to see whether your child’s vision, hearing, and motor skills are all developing typically. Another important strand of early development is social engagement with others. Your child should be sharing their Beth M. Phillips is a professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems and an associate director of the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University. interests with you by pointing, bringing you things to look at, or initiating a topic of conversation. They also should respond (most of the time, if not always) when you call their attention to something that you find interesting. If this does not sound like the way your child engages with you and others, then it maybe a good idea to schedule a developmental screening for them. To complete this screening, contact your local public school district or locate your state’s specific version of the national Child Find program, which you can learn about at [go.aft.org/7aq. A screening is the first step in identifying devel](go.aft.org/7aq. A screening is the first step in identifying devel)opmental disabilities—and getting the services your child may need. Another great source of guidance and resources is at [autismnavigator.com](autismnavigator.com). The next strand to check on is your child’s language development. Language development is critical for literacy development, especially for being able to understand what you read. Language development is also highly connected to successful progress in other academic areas, such as math and science. Plus, strong communication skills are important for the development of strong social skills. There are some questions you can ask about your child’s language development to see if they are on track in the preschool to kindergarten period. ■ Can people who do not know your child understand their speech? By three years old, most of what your child says should 32 AMERICAN EDUCATOR | FALL 2023 be clear, even to strangers who are not used to hearing your child speak. This does not mean that they pronounce all words and all sounds correctly all the time. It takes many children longer to clearly pronounce some sounds, like /th/, /r/, and /l/ . ■ Can your childfollow two-or three-step directions? Of course, children do not always do everything their families ask them to do, but your child should usually be able to follow a short sequence of directions when you ask them to. For example, they should complete both parts of “put on your shoes and come to the door” in the right order. Not sure what your child can do? Play some games for following directions with your child during routines like getting dressed, having a meal, and getting ready for bed. ■ Does your child speak in complete sentences using a variety of words? By age four, you should hear your child say sentences that include a large variety of nouns (people, places, and things) and verbs (actions). In addition, fou

FAQs

What developmental areas should parents check to see if a child is on track for learning to read?

Parents should look at physical development, overall health (including vision, hearing, and motor skills), social engagement with others, and language development, since language supports literacy and other academics.

At what age should most children have speech that is clear to strangers, and what exceptions are normal?

By age three, most children’s speech should be clear even to strangers, though some children take longer to pronounce certain sounds correctly.

What early language and reading-related milestones can parents look for from preschool to kindergarten?

Parents can ask whether others can understand the child’s speech, whether the child can follow two- or three-step directions, whether the child speaks in complete sentences with varied words by age four, and whether the child knows letter names and sounds and can play with sounds in simple words.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel