Your child is participating in Scholastic Reading Counts!, a reading achievement program with a library of thousands of best-loved titles.  The more your child reads, the more your child can achieve.  This year each grade level has set a goal for their students.  Supporting reading at home will help your child become a lifelong reader.  Visiting the library, setting aside reading time and discussing the books you child reads will foster reading success.

Students in Kindergarten typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Decoding	recognize and name letters of the alphabet
Phonemic Awareness	associate sound and letters
Reading Habits	start to read signs, labels and sight words
Print Concepts	understand concepts of print, such as reading left to right
Comprehension	understand and talk about stories
Students in 1st grade typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Decoding	use decoding/phonic skills to read words
Reading Strategies	relate knowledge and experience to books
Literary Elements	understand character
Comprehension	understand fiction and nonfiction book reads
Voabulary	build a reading vocabulary of high-frequency words
Students in 2nd grade typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Decoding	use decoding and sounds to read unfamiliar words
Reading Strategies	ask questions to clarify understanding (what, when, how, why)
Literary Elements	understand character, setting and plot
Comprehension	understand fiction and nonfiction book reads
Vocabulary	expand reading and writing vocabulary
Students in 3rd grade typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Word Attack	use phonics and word-analysis skills to figure out unknown words
Genre	identify different forms of literature (fables, biography, poetry)
Literary Elements	understand character, setting, plot
Comprehension	read details and make inferences
Vocabulary	expand vocabulary by reading extensively
Students in 4th grade typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Word Attack	use phonics, word study and context to identify unknown words
Genre	adjust reading in response to genre and purpose
Literary Elements	understand and compare character, setting and point of view
Comprehension	find main idea and ask questions
Vocabulary	expand vocabulary by reading extensively
Students in 5th grade typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Word Attack	use phonics, word study and context to identify unknown words
Critical Thinking	read critically and distinguish between fact and opinion
Literary Elements	understand the relationship between and among elements
Comprehension	reread, summarize or ask questions while reading a variety of texts
Vocabulary	expand vocabulary by reading extensively
Students in 6th - 8th grade typically demonstrate the following competencies:
Word Attack	use multiple strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words
Critical Thinking	summarize text and read critically
Literary Elements	understand character, point of view, theme and author's style
Comprehension	create mental pictures, draw conclusions and make inferences
Vocabulary	expand vocabulary by reading extensively