“How do I know if my child is on track with reading?”
When your child is in PreK, kindergarten, first, or second grade, it can feel like everyone around you has an opinion about what reading should look like. Some children pick up letters quickly. Some memorize entire books and feel like little reading rockstars. Others take longer to connect sounds to print. And as a parent, it is completely natural to wonder:
“Is my child where they should be?”
Early reading development is a journey with many different starting points, speeds, and pathways. There are, however, a few signs that help parents understand whether their child is building a strong foundation.
1. They are building awareness of sounds, not just letters
Letter names matter, but reading begins with phonological awareness. This is the ability to hear, play with, and manipulate sounds.
If your child can:
identify rhyming words
hear the first sound in a word
clap syllables
blend sounds like /m/ /a/ /p/ into “map”
Then they are moving in the right direction. This is the heart of early reading development and it is far more important than memorizing words.
2. They are learning letter sounds with confidence
Some children pick up all their sounds by age 4. Others do not fully master them until early first grade. Both are normal.
What matters most is:
consistent exposure
multi-sensory practice such as saying, touching, tracing, and moving
opportunities to connect sounds to real reading activities
This is one reason I created the Rockstar Leaders Letter Sounds Workbook. It teaches letter sounds in a research-backed order that helps children build skills step by step, instead of learning letters randomly. Families often share that this makes reading feel more intuitive and less overwhelming for their child.
Confidence matters more than speed.
3. They are beginning to connect sounds into actual reading
Once children know many letter sounds, they start to:
blend sounds together
read simple words like “sun,” “fit,” and “cat”
notice patterns such as “at,” “in,” and “op”
decode more instead of guessing
Decoding is a milestone that grows from strong foundational skills, not from rushing.
4. They are willing to try and are not shutting down
A big sign that a child is on track is their willingness to participate.
If a child avoids reading, becomes overwhelmed easily, or says things like “I am bad at this,” it usually means they need more support, structure, or confidence-building.
Once a child feels successful and supported, progress often happens quickly. At Rockstar Leaders, we see this shift all the time.
5. They are showing growth, even if it feels slow
Every child grows at their own pace. What you want to see is steady improvement over time, such as:
stronger letter-sound knowledge
more accurate blending
increasing independence
less guessing
improved stamina for reading
It does not need to be fast. It simply needs to move forward.
So how do you really know if your child is on track?
You know by looking for signs of skill development, confidence, and steady progress. Early reading is a delicate mix of readiness, instruction, exposure, and emotional safety.
If you still feel unsure, that is completely normal. Early literacy is complex and many families want reassurance. This is why we offer PreK and Kindergarten Readiness Literacy Screeners and foundational tutoring sessions. These tools give families clear, specific information about where a child is and what they are ready for next.
A small amount of clarity can bring a lot of peace and can make a big difference in building a confident young reader.
If you would like to learn more about your child’s reading development or explore our workbook and tutoring options, you can visit rockstarleaders.org/tutoring.
