Every parent of multiple children knows that each child develops at their own pace and in their own way. For example, one child might have a natural talent for baseball, while another shows little interest in the sport or struggles with it. Similarly, one child may start talking, crawling, walking, or riding a bike earlier than their sibling. 


No matter what milestone you’re observing, it’s essential to remember that all children grow and learn at their own speeds. This is especially true for reading. "In my 40 years of teaching children to read, I've seen that if there are 25 students in a classroom, each one of them will learn at a different pace," says John Lant, educational director of Learning Dynamics preschools in Utah and Arizona.




While some children may read earlier, later, or with varying degrees of proficiency, there are general benchmarks to keep in mind. According to Lant, many children start to recognize and sound out letters around ages 4 and 5. "This is typically when phonetic learning begins," he notes.


However, most children are between ages 6 and 7, typically in first grade, before they begin decoding sounds and blending them to read. Timothy Shanahan, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and former director of reading for Chicago Public Schools, emphasizes this timeline. 

Once children master these skills, they can read independently and fluently—an ability that most U.S. Department of Education reading programs expect by age 8 or when entering third grade.

Independent of learning disorders or other factors that may impede progress, several key elements can explain why some children exhibit a greater aptitude or passion for reading than others.


One important factor is the child's individual abilities, including their natural intelligence, verbal skills, attention span, personal interests, and motivation to read, according to Shanahan. Another crucial factor is the child's environment, which encompasses the availability of reading materials, the quality of instruction at school, and whether the reading program effectively emphasizes essential skills and concepts.


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For example, Lant points out that reading programs that inadequately teach decoding (sounding out letters) and blending those sounds together tend to be less effective. He also notes that many educators overlook a multifaceted approach to teaching, which is vital for reaching children who may learn in unconventional ways.


The timing of when a child learns to read is further influenced by the reading experiences they have at home, where many children first develop a love for books. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist, parenting expert, and author of Good Inside, explains that home is also where parents can teach and model "frustration tolerance." This skill is beneficial not only for learning to read but for all academic pursuits. 


Kennedy suggests that this can be achieved by refraining from rescuing a child every time they encounter difficulties, instead encouraging them to solve problems independently and become comfortable with the discomfort that comes with tackling challenging tasks.