You do not need a formal assessment to get a good picture of your child's reading. Three ten-minute checks — sounds, decoding, understanding — will tell you where they are and where to start helping.
Check 1: sounds
Point at letters in a book, out of order, and ask for the sound (not the name). A child ready to blend knows most single sounds instantly. Hesitation on many letters means this is the place to start — whatever their grade.
Check 2: decoding
Ask them to read a few made-up words: 'zib', 'mep', 'flost'. Nonsense words can only be sounded out, so they reveal true decoding without memory or guessing. Confident nonsense-word reading means phonics is solid.
Check 3: understanding
Have them read a short page silently, then ask what happened and why a character did something. Reading the words but missing the meaning points to comprehension and vocabulary work — more read-alouds, more talk.
Whatever the checks show, start practice at that level, not their grade label. Our grade pages — from Grade R to the Reading Booster for Grades 4–6 — let you begin wherever your child actually is.
Key takeaways
- Three quick checks — sounds, nonsense words, retelling — reveal a child's true level.
- Nonsense words expose decoding skill without guessing or memory.
- Start practice at your child's real level, not their grade label.
References & further reading
- 2030 Reading Panel — the state of reading in South Africa
- Funda Wande — teaching reading for meaning in South Africa
External sources open in a new tab. Saving Grace Education Group is not affiliated with these organisations.