Every child progresses at their own pace. The “typical” first grader “ends the school year as an independent reader, with improved phonics and reading comprehension skills,” according to U.S. News and World Report, which adds that “first graders should [ideally] be able to read at least 150 high-frequency words by the end of the year.” There are plenty of rising second graders — and third graders, and so on — who struggle with reading, however, and many schools have reading-interventionist programs in place to help children become confidently literate.