What Every First Grader Should Know Before Moving to Second Grade (A Parent-Friendly Guide)

Written By Abby Reams

As the school year comes to a close, many parents start to wonder:
“Is my child ready for second grade?”

It’s a great question—and an important one.

First grade is a critical year for building the foundation of reading, writing, and math. The skills children develop now directly impact how easily they will learn in the years ahead. The good news? There are a few key areas you can look at to get a clear picture of your child’s readiness.

Let’s break it down.

Literacy Skills (MOST Critical)

1. Phonological Awareness (Foundation Skill)

Students should be able to:

  • Segment and blend phonemes in 3–5 sound words

  • Add/delete/substitute sounds (e.g., cat → hat)

  • Work with onset-rime and full phoneme manipulation

This is one of the strongest predictors of reading success

2. Phonics & Decoding

Students should:

  • Know all letter-sound correspondences (including digraphs)

  • Decode:

    • CVC words (cat, sit)

    • CVCC/CCVC (stop, plan)

    • Common long vowel patterns (CVCe, vowel teams intro)

  • Begin decoding simple two-syllable words

3. High-Frequency Word Recognition

  • Automatically read 100+ high-frequency words

  • Minimal sounding out for common words

This supports orthographic mapping + fluency

4. Oral Reading Fluency

  • Read grade-level text with:

    • Accuracy (95%+)

    • Emerging rate and expression

  • Typical benchmark:
    40–60 WCPM by end of 1st grade (range varies)

5. Reading Comprehension

Students should:

  • Retell stories (beginning, middle, end)

  • Answer who, what, where, when, why

  • Make simple inferences

  • Identify main idea and key details

Writing Skills

1. Sentence Writing

  • Write complete sentences with:

    • Capitalization

    • End punctuation

  • Use phonetic spelling for unfamiliar words

2. Spelling

  • Spell:

    • Short vowel words

    • Common sight words

  • Show understanding of:

    • Beginning/middle/ending sounds

3. Composition

  • Write:

    • Simple narratives (2–5 sentences)

    • Basic informational pieces

Language Skills

  • Follow 2–3 step directions

  • Use complete sentences orally

  • Demonstrate growing vocabulary

  • Participate in conversations and discussions

Abby Reams
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Understanding Dyslexia