How do you know if your child is where they need to be in kindergarten? We’re going to do a deep dive on reading in Kindergarten — what it looks like, where your kid should be and how your son or daughter can improve.
As a former reading teacher, I’ve had the joy of watching children light up with excitement as they discover the magic of books, talk about their favorite astories and eagerly look forward to the next book. But before they reach that point, early reading often looks different from what you might expect. Many children start their reading journey by mimicking what’s been read to them or using pictures to tell the story. Believe it or not, this means they’ve already begun learning to read!
Kindergarteners and Reading Levels: Making Sense of it All
A reading level is a measure of a child’s ability to read and comprehend text, helping parents and teachers match children with books that are appropriate for their skill level. Reading levels ensure that children are reading material that is neither too easy nor too challenging, promoting growth without causing frustration. Several systems are used to determine reading levels, including the Accelerated Reader (AR), Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), Lexile Framework and Guided Reading (Fountas & Pinnell).
Each system evaluates factors such as word difficulty, sentence length, and comprehension to assign a reading level. These levels are used by educators to guide instruction and group students according to their reading abilities. They are also helpful for parents selecting books at home that fit their child’s skill level.
Reading levels are important because they build confidence, improve fluency, and ensure children are being appropriately challenged. When children read books at their level, they can better understand the material, which enhances their overall reading development.
However, it’s important not to rely solely on reading levels. Children should be encouraged to explore books that interest them, even if those books are above or below their assessed level. Interests and background knowledge also play a role in comprehension. To support your child’s reading journey, offer a range of books, focus on their interests, and make reading an enjoyable activity at home.
What Reading Level is Appropriate for Kindergarteners?
Every kid is different, but here are general guidelines for the Accelerated Reader (AR), Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), Lexile, and Fountas & Pinnell systems that we mentioned above:
- Accelerated Reader (AR): Between 0.1 and 1.0 on the AR scale by the end of the year
- Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA): Between levels 3 and 6 by the end of the year
- Lexile Framework: Between BR (Beginning Reader) and 300L.
- Fountas & Pinnell (Guided Reading Levels): Books labeled as A to D by the end of the year
While these standards differ in their categorization, this all boils down to your child being able to read books that feature simple storylines and short sentences with simple structures by the end of their kindergarten year.
These ranges provide a flexible guideline, but it’s important to remember that reading development varies from child to child. It’s more important to focus on encouraging a love for reading and making sure the material is engaging and at the right level for each child.
Kindergarten Reading Strategies: Helping Your Young Reader Move Forward
The best reader in kindergarten won’t always be the best reader in first grade. That’s good news for you if you are looking to improve your child’s reading ability. Like any other learned skill, reading can be improved upon!
There are some proven methods that will help you, and these can even be fun for you and your child to do together. These are based on evidence and the experiences of reading teachers like myself:
- Create a Reading Routine: Set aside 15-20 minutes daily for reading. A consistent routine encourages the habit of reading, which is essential for growth.
- Read Aloud: Reading aloud introduces your child to new vocabulary and sentence structures. Make it engaging by using expressive voices and asking open-ended questions about the story.
- Practice Phonemic Awareness and Phonics: Play sound games, use magnetic letters, and focus on word families to help your child recognize sounds and decode words.
- Introduce Sight Words: Practice common sight words with flashcards, spot them in books, and create a “sight word wall” at home to reinforce learning.
- Encourage Storytelling and Writing: Help your child create their own stories through prompts and simple writing activities. Storytelling boosts creativity and strengthens their understanding of language.
- Model a Love for Reading: Show your child that reading is enjoyable by reading your own books, sharing excitement about stories, and visiting the library regularly.
- Be Patient and Encouraging: Celebrate your child’s reading milestones and avoid putting pressure on them. Patience and positive reinforcement are key to building confidence.
These strategies not only improve reading skills but also foster a love of books. By making reading enjoyable and accessible, you’ll support your child’s literacy journey and help them become a confident reader.
Kindergarten Reading Level Books
Let’s look at a few specific books that correspond to some Kindergarten-appropriate reading levels. Many kids will progress through these levels as they move through their kindergarten year.
Remember that there are four main reading level systems, but we don’t need to get too hung up on that right now. What matters is the distinction between these categories of books. For our purposes, we’ll use the Fountas & Pinnell system to distinguish between categories.
Fountas & Pinnell Level A: These books are designed for early emergent readers and feature simple, repetitive text with one or two words per page. These books focus on topics your kindergartener already knows well and have plenty of pictures to serve as context clues for your child. These books help young readers build foundational skills like recognizing sight words and understanding basic concepts of print.
Examples:
- Do You Want To Be My Friend? by Eric Carle
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
- The Foot Book, by Dr. Seuss
Fountas & Pinnell Level B: These books introduce slightly more words and complex sentence structures than Level A books. The writing is still simple and predictable, with familiar topics, but now includes 2-4 words per page and slightly more varied sentence patterns. These books still have plenty of pictures, but they introduce more sight words, helping children gradually improve their decoding and comprehension skills.
Examples:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
- I See a Cat, by Paul Meisel
- Mrs. Wishy-Washy, by Joy Cowly
Fountas & Pinnell Level C: These books feature slightly longer sentences (4-6 words) with more varied sentence patterns and vocabulary. While there are still a few pictures, children must use their decoding skills and word recognition abilities to understand the text. These books introduce longer, more structured storylines, helping readers build fluency and comprehension as they progress toward more independent reading.
Examples:
- Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, by James Dean and Eric Litwin
- Go, Dog, Go!, by P.D. Eastman
- Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina
Fountas & Pinnell Level D: Level D books feature longer, more complex sentences (6-8 words) and more varied language, requiring children to focus on comprehension rather than repetition. These books include tougher vocabulary and fewer pictures, encouraging your child to sounds words out and use context clues. Storylines become more developed with clear beginnings, middles and ends, helping children further build their reading fluency and comprehension.
Examples:
- The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
- Frog and Toad Are Friends, by Arnold Lobel
- Amelia Bedelia, by Peggy Parish
Kindergarten Reading Level: Why It Matters
A lot of research has been done to investigate the relationship between kindergarten and early elementary reading levels and later academich achievement. It’s probably not surprising that there’s a strong connection between how kids do at this early phase and how they do later in school.
One important study was conducted by the National Institute for Literacy, entitled Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel” found that students who enter first grade as proficient readers are much more likely than students who lag behind at that mark to excel later in school.
Research from the Anne E. Casey Foundation has also found that one in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade will go on to drop out of high school.
So what does this mean for your kindergartener? This stuff is important, but there are proven methods to turn things around if your child isn’t proficient by the end of kindergarten. You’re wise to take this seriously, but there’s also good reason for optimism. Plenty of students substantially improve their reading skills in first and second grade, and with proper support at home and a caring team of teachers, students who are lagging behind a bit in kindergarten can be excelling in third grade.
Kindergarten Reading Levels: A Final Look
Kids vary, and your kid may not be at the same level as other kids. Fortunately, there are set standards that can help you understand the level your child is reading at and what specific skills are needed to move to the next level.
Selecting the right books for your child is a key part of the process, and using proven techniques like sight words and reading routines will help your kid get to the next level. Best of all, these techniques are fun, and reading together is a great family activity!
