Skills Kindergartners Need to Begin Reading
By: Jennifer Hale

Throughout the school year your kindergartner is learning skills that will prepare her to read.  Not only is she able to identify the letters of words and sounds of the letters, but she can identify the characters in a story, settings and important events.  She will probably even be able to recognize the sequence of events in a story, their cause and effect, as well as to anticipate the possible outcome of the story.  Remember each child is different, but don't hesitate to speak with your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns about her literacy skills.   

During kindergarten your child will probably develop the ability to do the following:

• Recognize the shapes and names of all upper- and lower-case letters
• Identify beginning and ending sounds
• Identify short vowel sounds
• Know that books are read from left to right and from top to bottom of the page 
• Match consonant sounds to their appropriate letters
• Recognize and produce rhyming words
• Read one-syllable words such as cat, you, the 
• Recognize that words are separated by spaces
• Read and explain her own writing and drawings
• Identify common signs and logos
• Use pictures to make predictions about content
• Discuss characters in a story
• Listen carefully to books read aloud
• Recognize and write her own name as well as a few others