Celebrate Every Step

Subtle Signs Your Little Reader Is Making Big Progress

Watching your child learn to read can be exciting and a little nerve-racking. As parents, you want to see growth and should celebrate every literacy milestone, but how do you know if your little one is actually progressing? Every learner advances at a different pace, but there are some common signs to look out for that indicate your child is starting to advance.

They Sound It Out

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This is an essential skill when it comes to reading. If your child can rhyme, sound out words they may not know yet, or pick out similar sounds in different words, it’s a sign they are developing this core ability as well as improving their decoding skills.

They Don’t Pause Over Words

Reading fluency refers to the accuracy, speed, and expressiveness with which a child reads. This is something that only comes with time as they continue to practice reading out loud. Watch your little one as they read and notice if they pause, sound choppy, or seem to be focusing extra hard. Fluent readers can recognize words instantly, no longer needing to use decoding to figure out the words. If they are speaking expressly for different feelings, it means they recognize the words and actually understand their meaning at the same time.

They Use More Words

As your child experiences more words, they will build a larger vocabulary to work with. As their vocabulary expands, they will develop a deeper understanding of the context and meaning of what they read. If your child stops to ask questions about what they have read or can use context clues to figure out unknown words, these are common clues that their vocabulary is improving. Pay attention to the words they use to speak and describe their own feelings. If they are using more descriptive phrases, engaging more with the material, and finding more fun in word play or silly stories, they are advancing.

Reading growth does not always happen in big leaps. Sometimes the most meaningful progress shows up in the small, steady signs that your child is becoming more confident, more fluent, and more engaged.

— The Reading Ranch