text: when is a child considered to be ready to begin learning how to read? i'm not talking about maturity or age. i'm referring to specific skills or understandings a child needs in order to make sense of written language. they have to be able to match symbols, categorize objects, match beginning letters to pictures (i.e. sounding out letters), find patterns, distinguish letters from numerals and shapes and also be starting to put letters together to form words. when i see a child accomplish these goals, i send them home with their first reading book. i teach 4/5's pre-k.