A text—whether it is on a sign or in a book—is central to
reading. The texts in school can be thought of as a diet for
beginning and struggling readers. To get a good start in reading
(or restart, in the case of struggling readers), texts need to
give students core and critical information about written
language. TextProject is the premiere site for information on
appropriate texts for beginning and struggling readers. What
should kindergartners be able to read? Many educators and
parents are asking this question in response to the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS). In many states, the CCSS represent the
first standards where kindergartners are expected to be reading
conventionally. The foundational standard states that
kindergartners should be able to “read emergent-reader texts
with purpose and understanding.” (p. 16). The kindergarten texts
given to illustrate Standard 10 (p. 32) include ones with
readability levels of second grade. The expectation of the CCSS
is that children should be able to read conve