Listening and Learning
From kindergarten through third grade, a child's ability to read grows by leaps
and bounds. Although teachers provide lots of help, parents continue to play a very
important role in their child's reading development.
Kids who are first learning to read get more information from listening to books
read aloud than from reading them independently. This is especially true for vocabulary
development — kids will learn much more about what words mean by hearing books
read aloud and discussing new words with their parents than from reading on their
own.
As your child's reading skills improve, he or she will begin to read independently.
This doesn’t mean, however, that you should stop reading to your child. Reading
aloud together can help build vocabulary, improve reading skills, and foster a sense
of closeness between you and your child. Encourage discussion about characters and
share your reactions to books to help reinforce the connection between what you read
and everyday life.
Your Growing Reader
Here's how reading usually progresses from kindergarten to third grade:
Kindergarten. This is the time when most kids begin learning to
read. By the end of the school year they will probably know most letters and their
sounds, be able to match words with the same beginning or ending sounds, and
read/write several simple words. They might be able to read simple text as well.
First grade. In this year, most kids learn to read many more words.
They sound out words with a variety of phonics patterns, recognize a growing list
of words by sight, and connect meaning to the words and sentences they read. Most
first-graders can read simple books independently by the end of the school year.
Second and third grade. Kids in second and third grade continue
to learn more phonics patterns and sight words for reading and spelling, read aloud
more expressively and fluently, use reading to discover more about the world around
them, and perhaps show a preference for specific authors and types of books. You'll
likely start to see a shift as your child begins to focus his/her energy on learning
new information from text. Ideally, children at this age have learned how to read,
and are now reading to learn.
If you have concerns about your child's reading level at any time, talk to your
child's teacher, school counselor, and doctor. Kids who are not making good reading
progress might have a reading disability, such as dyslexia. With the right educational
help, most kids can become readers, but identifying the problem and addressing it
early will bring about the best results.