Kindergarten Reading Skills

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kindergarten reading skills

Table of Contents

An Informed Parent

One out of every five children is affected by dyslexia. If your child struggles with reading, research has shown that early diagnosis and evidence-based intervention are key to bridging the gap. Below is an in-depth checklist of kindergarten reading skills pulled from the book Overcoming Dyslexia, by Dr. Sally Shaywitz. Another great reference for parents is our guide to signs of dyslexia in kindergarten. These articles will provide you with a wealth of knowledge to ensure your child is on track to becoming a skilled reader!

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Beginning Kindergarten Reading Skills: Age 5-5.5

  • Count the number of syllables in spoken words

Example: How many syllables are in the word rainbow? dinosaur? 

  • Compare if two words rhyme: 

Example: Do cat and hat rhyme? What about dog and tree?

  • Produce rhymes for one-syllable words

Example: What word rhymes with mat?

End of Kindergarten: Age 5.5-6

  • Identify 2 out of 3 words that start with the same sounds

Example: What word starts with the same sound as cat? Dog, nose, or kite?

What word begins with a different sound? Cat, dog, or kite?

  • Identify 2 out of 3 words that end with the same sounds

Example: What word ends with the same sound as kite? Rat, dog, or tree?

What word ends with a different sound? Kite, rat, or dog?

  • Count the number of phonemes in 2 phoneme words

Example: How many sounds are there in the word hi? Too? Shoe?

  • Produce the first sound in words

Example: What is the first sound you hear in the word nose?

  • Blend sounds together to make a word

Example: What word do these sounds make when you put them together? 

(sh)(oo)? Shoe. (h)(i)? Hi. (t)(oo)? Two.

  • Begin to decode small CVC words

CVC stands for consonant, vowel, consonant. Children should be able to decode words on this level.

Example: hat, rip, mop, pet, lip, etc.

  • Read 50+ sight words

Example: the, it, my, is, etc. 

  • Use invented spelling 

Example: Spells the word heart as hrt, or please as plez

  • Identify all letters of the alphabet- uppercase and lowercase 
  • Writes many uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Writes their first and last name
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Next Steps

How is your child progressing on their reading journey? If you suspect that your child is struggling to meet the milestones listed above, set up a meeting with their teacher. Use our list of questions to ask a kindergarten teacher to help guide you. The sooner you can get ahead of any reading troubles, the better chance your child will have at bridging the reading gap. Setting up a meeting with the teacher is essential to understanding what kind of support is available.

Do you have any questions about your child’s literacy journey? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us via our connect page. We would love to help you support your child the best we can!