Developmental screening is a routine service provided for children. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement on developmental screening: “Early identification of developmental disorders is critical to the well-being of children and their families.” And while many parents are familiar with developmental screenings for hearing or vision, they may not be aware of the importance of screening for other issues — like reading readiness.

Reading readiness screening tools — like the Nemours Children’s Reading BrightStart! Preschool Reading Screener for children ages 3–5 — provide a snapshot of a child’s progress in essential pre-reading skills. They can also show how the child’s progress compares to developmental milestones for those skills. Early screening gives parents, health and early childhood professionals the chance to offer additional supports for children who may not be on track for developmental milestones. Providing these supports as early as possible makes it much more likely that children will gain the skills they need to be successful readers.

Remember, reading readiness screening is a snapshot — not a diagnosis.  Think of the information provided by screening like a roadmap for a traveler. On the road to reading, the Preschool Reading Screener can show you where your child is now and can help you chart the best course to reading success.

Out of a maximum possible 31 points, the average score for 3-year-olds is 18; for 4-year-olds, 23; and for 5-year-olds, 26.

Not surprisingly, 3-year-olds earn most of their points on oral language items including skills such as, “continuously understands and uses new words” and “connects own feelings and experiences to stories we read together.”

Three-year-olds know quite a bit about letters, too. For example, 64% of 3-year-olds recognize their own names in print and 82% can name some letters. They also have some beginning knowledge of rhyming and beginning sounds — which are the earliest emerging phonological awareness skills — and beginning writing. Nearly 95 percent of 3-year-olds enjoy drawing and scribbling, and 64% already understand that writing is different than drawing a picture.

For 4-year-olds, the emergence of letter knowledge is especially striking. Whereas 59% of parents report that their 4-year-old says the correct sound as mom or dad points to a letter, 69% of 4-year-olds point correctly to some letters when parents name the letter’s sound, and nearly 88% point to some letters when named by the parent. Importantly, nearly 68% of 4-year-olds are able to identify at least 18 upper case letters, a skill that is vital for being on track for reading success as children move into kindergarten.

More than 90% of 5-year-olds demonstrate strong letter naming skills. For example, 94% of 5-year-olds can sing, say or recite the alphabet; 93% can point correctly to some letters as a parent names them; and 96% can name some letters. Skill with letter sounds is also strong: 86% of 5-year-olds point correctly to some letters as a parent names the letter sound, and 78% say the correct sound as a parent points to the letter. Five-year-olds are also good at identifying two words that rhyme (82%), and 71% can state a word that rhymes with a word said by the parent. Blending words is easier for 5-year-olds than breaking them apart: 65% can blend two words into a compound word, whereas 54% can break compound words apart.

With the recent focus and controversy surrounding what preschool- and early elementary-aged children should be taught and at what pace, this snapshot shows us how America’s preschoolers are actually doing in reading readiness, according to the people who know them best: their parents. With reasonable efforts to expose young children to books, language, drawing and writing, they will develop a solid foundation for future reading success.