Is Your Child Ready for Real Books?
A simple 5-minute check you can do at home — no materials, no teaching experience needed. By the end, you will know whether your child is ready to start reading, and exactly where to begin.
What is inside
- Check 1: the first letter sounds children meet in real books
- Check 2: short words your child tries to read out loud
- Check 3: the bigger patterns that come next
- A results page that turns your answers into a clear starting point
- A first-week plan for whichever result you get
Free instant download. We will email you the check and a few short tips for using your result. No spam, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
This check is a starting-point guide for home use, not a formal assessment. It is the same check members use inside the Decodable Readers Vault for Parents to find their child's first book.
Frequently asked questions
What if my child cannot do any of it?
Then the check did its job — it showed you the starting point. For most young children that is letter sounds, and page 6 of the booklet shows you a gentle way to begin.
Does my child need to know letter names first?
No. This check listens for letter sounds — the sound each letter makes — because that is what reading uses. Letter names can come along at their own pace.
What do I need to do the check?
Just the booklet and about five quiet minutes with your child. Nothing to print out separately, nothing to prepare, and please do not practice it first — you want to see what your child can do on their own.
What happens after we know where to start?
The results page gives you a first-week plan. If your child is ready for books, it also points you to a free starter pack with the first book inside it.