This year, it has been especially hard for many parents to gauge how their children are doing in school. Strict social distancing rules have meant that there are no classroom visits to see your child in action, and many students haven’t stepped foot in a classroom themselves in over a year. You may be wondering just how your child is doing compared to how she or he should be doing at a given age and grade level.

One of the most important skills for students to keep up with is reading. Hopefully your child reads at home, and/or you read to or with them. Still, it can be hard to know where their skills lie. Here is a grade-level breakdown of skills students are expected to master by the end of each grade. These skills will vary from state to state, and even from school to school, so use this chart as a guideline as opposed to a rule.

Grade Level Skills and Benchmarks in Reading

Don't Panic

It’s important to keep in mind that virtually every child this year has experienced some sort of academic backsliding. Of course, the degree of regression will vary greatly from student to student. So if your child’s progress has stalled this year, don’t panic. They are by no means alone, and they will get back on track. It just might take a little extra work and perseverance…plus a healthy mix of tough love and empathy on your part!