1. ____ By this stage the child is beginning to read or already reading chapter books.
2. ____ The child is able to read for extended periods of times - approximately 15-35 minutes silently.
3. ____ The child is becoming much more fluent when reading aloud and usually demonstrates confidence while reading.
4. ____ The child self corrects by using a variety of context clues, decoding and word structure clues, when something doesn't make sense, the child will back up and re-read the passage to ensure meaning. 5. ____ The child should be able to summarize and re-tell stories, describing the 5 w's (what happened.....why did it happen....where did it happen....when it happened....and who was involved.
6. ____ The child is capable of reading independently for longer periods of time. 10 or more minutes.
7. ____ The child is able to follow directions while reading, instructions, recipes etc.
8. ____ The child is able to identify various genres in writing. Examples include non-fiction, fiction, poems, chants, songs etc. and indicates preferences based on reasoning.
9. ____ The child can compare and contrast stories, events in stories and characters in the story.
10.____ The child makes very logical predictions based on some form of evidence from the story.
If you've checked most of the boxes, there's nothing to worry about. However, if the child isn't displaying many of the readiness for reading characteristics, the child may be showing signs of having language delays or a learning disability. Refer to some of the helpful 'Suggested Reading' links on this page to guide you.