Literacy

Comprehension

You want to know if a kid’s on track? Watch for these magic moments:

They’ll snag a story you read to them and flip it into their own version, sprinkling in those shiny new words they just learned—sometimes with a wild twist only a kid could dream up.

They’re not just along for the ride; they’ll call out what’s about to go down in a story. “Wait for it… the dragon’s totally gonna sneeze fire.” Psychic powers? Maybe.

Whether they’re talking about fairy tales, rhymes, or just goofing around playing make-believe, they’ll throw around that new vocabulary like confetti. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn’t—but hey, that’s where the fun happens.

Word Reading

Here’s what kids on track with reading usually pull off:

They can say a sound for every letter in the alphabet—and at least ten of those oddball combos like “ch” or “sh.”

When they see a word, they don’t just guess. They actually sound it out and blend those sounds together, just like their teachers showed them.

Hand them a simple sentence or a beginner book? They’ll read it out loud, using what they know. And hey, even those funny exception words (you know, the ones that break all the rules)? They’ll manage a few of those, too.

Writing

Kids who are on track with writing?
You’ll notice they can write letters you actually recognize—sure, not every single one is perfect, but you get the idea.

They’ll listen to the sounds in words and pick out letters that fit, so you might see “frend” for “friend,” and honestly, that’s pretty cute.

When they put together a sentence or a little phrase, you can read it without having to guess what they meant. It’s awesome to see them figuring it all out!