When do kids learn to read? Here's when you should be concerned.

Every parent of multiple children will tell you that each child does things at their own pace and in their own way. For instance, one child might love baseball and excel at throwing one while another isn't interested in the sport or never seems to get the hang of it. One child might also talk a lot earlier than another child - or crawl, sit up, walk, or ride a bike sooner, too. 

No matter which milestone you're measuring, it's important to remember that all children develop and learn different tasks at different speeds. This applies to reading as well. "We've taught children how to read for 40 years in our schools and one thing I've learned is that if we have 25 students in a classroom, all 25 of them will be learning at a different pace," says John Lant, educational director of the Learning Dynamics preschools based in Utah and Arizona. 

When do kids learn to read? 

While some children certainly read sooner or later or more proficiently than other children, there are some general benchmarks to consider. For one, Lant says that many children learn to recognize and sound out letters as early as ages 4 and 5. "That's when phonetic learning usually begins," he says. 

But children are usually ages 6 to 7, or attending first grade, before they are decoding those sounds or blending them together to really start reading, says Timothy Shanahan, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, Chicago and the former director of reading for Chicago Public Schools.

Once that is mastered, reading independently and fluidly occur - which most U.S. Department of Education reading programs say should be happening by the time a child turns 8 or is entering third grade. 

Some educators push back on this benchmark, however, because there are often much earlier signs that a child is struggling to read, says Wiley Blevins, an educator and author of multiple reading programs. "The longer we wait to intervene, the bigger the problem," he says. 

Why do some kids learn to read earlier than others? 

Independent of learning disorders or other factors that may be hindering learning, there are a few central factors that help explain why some children show a stronger aptitude or love of reading than other kids. 

One factor has to do with the child’s own abilities such as their natural intelligence, verbal aptitude, attention span, personal interests, and motivation to read, says Shanahan. "The other factor has to do with the child's environment," he explains. Some such factors include availability of reading materials, the quality of teaching done at school, and whether a reading program is emphasizing the right things or being taught the right way. 

For instance, Lant says reading programs that don't properly teach decoding (sounding out different letters) and blending those sounds together aren't as effective. He also says that many educators fail to try a multifaceted approach to teaching - which is important to reach kids who learn in less conventional ways.

The timing of when a child learns to read is also impacted by the reading that is or isn't done in the home, since that's where many kids first develop a love of books and reading, explains Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist, parenting expert, and author of "Good Inside." Home is also where parents can teach and model "frustration tolerance," Kennedy adds, "which is helpful not only in learning to read but in every academic endeavor."

She explains that this can be taught by not rescuing a child every time they struggle and to instead help them solve problems themselves and to be OK with the discomfort associated with doing hard things.

When to worry about a child not reading

Despite efforts like these by parents or educators, some children will still struggle to read. "If children are not making comparable gains to their peers in kindergarten and first grade, parents should be concerned," says Shanahan. He echoes Blevins in saying that noticeable lags that are caught early on are more likely to be fixed before a child gets too far behind. 

Parents and teachers paying attention may notice issues such as poor spelling, reading avoidance, or difficulty reading that can be signs that a child needs additional help. Other times, signs of learning disorders such as ADHD or dyslexia may be noticed - disorders that can be diagnosed and treated with the help of a mental health professional.

For parents teaching reading at home, "the point shouldn’t be to get kids to read earlier but to encourage an interest in reading and supporting the development of the kinds of skills that reading requires," says Shanahan. For instance, he says that parents should read to their children from an early age and should model interest in learning and reading. "They should also encourage language development through talking with their children and encouraging them to elaborate on what they have to say," he adds.

"The focus prior to entering school should be on building knowledge and vocabulary," echoes Blevins. "Point out letters and connect them to their sounds and model how you write words by thinking about the individual sounds in them and the letters you write when you hear those sounds," he advises. "These and other activities will create an awareness of and curiosity about reading."