When you send them back 

to school, give your children 

the gift of a lifetime...

teach them 

to read

literacy 

begins at

home
Dear Parents:

You are your child’s first and most important teacher. When you 

send them back to school, give your children the gift of a lifetime...

teach them to read.

The National Institute for Literacy has developed the Shining Stars 

booklet series for parents of children in preschool through grade 

three who are getting ready or learning to read. To order free 

copies: write to EdPubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398 

or call 1 (800) 228-8813 or e-mail: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. 

These and other booklets on reading instruction can also be 

downloaded. Visit http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications.html.

Paid for by the National Institute for Literacy.
Checklist for Parents of

toddlers

Here are some ways you can help your child “get ready to read” 

during the ages of 2 and 3.

 I read with my child every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

 I encourage my child to bring his favorite books to me so that we can 

read together.

 I point to pictures and name them out loud, and encourage my child 

to point to pictures while we read.

 I watch to see if my child sometimes makes eye contact with me when 

I read aloud. That tells me she is paying attention to me and the story.

 I talk with my child throughout the day about things we are doing and 

things that are happening around us.

 I try to be patient when my child wants to read the same book over 

and over again.

 I encourage my child to “play” with books—pick them up, flip them 

from front to back, and turn the pages.

 Sometimes I listen when my child “pretends” to read a book—he 

holds the book, goes from page to page, and says words, even though 

they’re not the words on the page.

 I give my child paper and crayons so she can scribble, make pictures, 

and pretend to write.
Checklist for Parents of

preschoolers

Here are some ways you can help your child “get ready to read” 

during the ages of 4 and 5.

 I help my child hear and say the first sound in words (like “b” in boat), 

and notice when different words start with the same sound (like 

“boat” and “book”).

 I help my child hear words that rhyme (like moose, goose, and caboose).

 I introduce new words to my child, like “bow” and “stern,” which 

mean the front of a boat and the back of a boat.

 I talk with my child about the letters of the alphabet and notice them 

in books, like “c” for canoe.

 I point out signs and labels that have letters, like street signs and foods 

in the grocery store.

 I encourage my child to find the joy and fun in reading. Usually, I let 

my child choose the books we read.

 I let my child pretend to read parts of the book when we read together.

 I talk with my child about stories and make connections to things that 

happen in our own lives.

 I ask “what,” “where,” and “how” questions when I read with my 

child to help her follow along and understand the stories.

 I help my child write notes or make books (like an alphabet book), 

even if his writing only looks like scribbles or marks.
Checklist for Parents of 

kindergarteners

These skills usually develop when a child is in kindergarten. 

Talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions.

 My child listens carefully to books read aloud.

 My child knows the shapes and names for the letters of the alphabet 

and writes many uppercase and lowercase letters on his own.

 My child knows that spoken words are made of separate sounds.

 My child recognizes and makes rhymes, can tell when words begin 

with the same sound, and can put together, or blend, spoken sounds.

 My child can sound out some letters.

 My child knows that the order of letters in a written word stands for 

the order of sounds in a spoken word.

 My child knows some common words such as a, the, I, and you, on sight.

 My child knows how to hold a book, and follows print from left to 

right and from top to bottom of a page when she is read to.

 My child asks and answers questions about stories and uses what she 

already knows to understand a story.

 My child knows the parts of a book and understands that authors 

write words and text and illustrators create pictures.

 My child knows that in most books the main message is in the print, 

not the pictures.

 My child predicts what will happen in a story and retells or acts out 

stories.

 My child knows the difference between “made up” fiction and “real” 

nonfiction books and the difference between stories and poems.

 My child uses what he knows about letters and sounds to write words.

 My child writes some letters and words as they are said to her

and begins to spell some words correctly.

 My child writes his own first and last

name and the first names of some

friends and family.

 My child plays with words and uses

new words in her own speech.

 My child knows and uses words that

are important to school work, such

as the names for colors, shapes, 

and numbers.

 My child knows and uses words from

daily life, such as street names and

the names for community workers—

teacher, mail carrier, etc.
Checklist for Parents of

first graders

These skills usually develop during first grade. 

Talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions.

 My child knows all the letters of the alphabet.

 My child knows the difference between letters and words, and knows 

there are spaces between words in print.

 My child knows that written words represent speech and can show 

how words are represented by letters arranged in a specific order.

 My child knows some punctuation marks and where sentences and 

paragraphs begin and end.

 My child is beginning to understand and explain why people read.

 My child can put together (blend) and break apart the sounds of most 

one-syllable words and can count the number of syllables in a word.

 My child can sound out words he doesn’t know, and recognize some 

irregularly spelled words, such as have, said, you, and are.

 My child reads first grade books aloud, and can tell when she cannot 

understand what she is reading.

 My child reads and understands simple written instructions.

 My child uses what he already knows to enrich what he is reading.

 My child predicts what will happen next in a story

 My child asks questions (how, why, what if?) about books she is 

reading and can describe what she has learned from a book.

 My child uses invented spelling in his writing and also understands 

that there is a correct way to spell words.

 My child uses simple punctuation marks and capital letters.

 My child writes for different purposes—stories, explanations, lists, 

letters—and reads and revises her writing.

 My child uses language with more control, speaks in complete 

sentences, and uses more formal language at school than at home 

and with friends.

 My child is curious about words and uses new words when he 

speaks and writes.

 My child is beginning to see that some words mean the same thing 

(synonyms) and some mean the opposite (antonyms).

 My child is learning that words play different roles in sentences—

that nouns name things and verbs show action, for example.
Checklist for Parents of 

second graders

These skills usually develop during grades two and three. 

Talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions.

 My child reads and understands second grade fiction and nonfiction, 

and compares and connects information from different sources.

 My child reads for specific purposes and specific questions, and 

explores topics of interest on her own.

 My child answers “how,” “why,” and “what-if” questions, and recalls 

information, main ideas, and details after reading.

 My child interprets information from diagrams, charts, and graphs.

 My child takes part in creative responses to stories, such as dramatizations and oral presentations.

 My child pays attention to how words are spelled and correctly spells 

words he has studied.

 My child spells a word the way it sounds if she doesn’t know its spelling.

 My child writes for many different purposes and writes different types 

of compositions (for example, stories, reports, and letters).

 My child makes thoughtful choices about what to include in his writing.

 My child takes part in writing conferences, revises and edits what she 

has written, and attends to the mechanics of writing (spelling, capitalization, and punctuation) in her final versions.

 My child learns new words and shares them at school and at home.

 My child uses clues from the context and his knowledge of word parts 

(roots, prefixes, suffixes) to figure out what words mean.

 My child is increasing his vocabulary with synonyms and antonyms.

 My child uses parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) 

correctly.

 My child learns new words through independent reading.
Checklist for Parents of 

third graders

These skills usually develop during grades two and three. 

Talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions.

 My child uses what he knows of phonics and word parts (prefixes, 

roots, suffixes) to sound out unfamiliar words.

 My child reads third grade level texts (stories, non-fiction, magazine 

articles, computer screens) with fluency and comprehension.

 My child explores topics of interest and reads longer stories and 

chapter books independently.

 My child can explain the major points in fiction and non-fiction books.

 My child identifies and discusses words or phrases she does not 

understand.

 My child asks “how,” “why,” and “what if” questions and discusses 

the themes or messages of stories.

 My child uses information he has gathered and his own reasoning to 

judge explanations and opinions and distinguishes cause from effect, 

fact from opinion, and main ideas from supporting details.

 My child understands and reads graphs and charts.

 My child uses context to gain meaning from what she reads.

 My child correctly spells words he has studied.

 My child gathers information from a variety of sources,

including books, articles, and computers, and uses it

in his writing.

 My child reviews her own written work for 

errors and works with teachers and classmates

to edit and revise her work to make it clearer.

 My child is starting to use metaphors and

other literary forms in his writing.

 My child discusses her writing with other

children and responds helpfully to their 

writing.

 My child develops his vocabulary and

knowledge through independent

reading.

 My child builds her 

vocabulary through 

synonyms and antonyms.

 My child uses parts of

speech (nouns, verbs,

adjectives, adverbs) 

correctly.