You can use the Get Ready to Read! screening tool online. This 20-question tool for 4-year-olds is quick and easy-to-use. It was developed by some of the country's top reading researchers and was designed to show where a child is on the path to developing pre-reading skills. Read the instructions and click through the screening tool with the child. At the end of the tool, you'll see the child's score and links to activities that can help improve and strengthen pre-reading skills.

It is best to screen the child first in the fall a year before entering kindergarten, and again before kindergarten starts. However, you can get useful information about a child's skills anytime during the 4-year-old year. Don't use the tool more than three times a year. Kids develop new skills gradually, and it's not designed to measure small changes.

Get Ready to Read! screening tool instructions in English

Get Ready to Read! screening tool instructions in Spanish

Take the Get Ready to Read! screening tool

For information about how the tool was developed, go to the background research page. If you have questions about the screening tool, you may find the answer on the frequently asked question page. You can also e-mail your questions to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .