Traditionally these are some signs that your child may be ready to start reading:
- They show an interest in understanding the printed word
- They can recognize familiar words and letters
- They have a good understanding of phonemic awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in words)
- They are able to sound out simple words and read them aloud with some accuracy
- They have a good attention span and can focus on a task for an extended period of time
- They have the desire to learn and try new things
However, Sarah Shepard, the creator of the Reading Head Start program suggests that children do NOT need to have any knowledge of even the alphabet to be able to start the reading process. She even suggests that the program can work for children that have shown no previous interest in reading.