Children who stand at the threshold of reading alone express interest in the stories adults read to them. They do not fidget or become overly distracted while the adult reads, and they may enjoy talking about the story afterwards. If your child fits this description you might notice that he enjoys handling his books and looking through them.
The way your child handles his books may reveal his reading readiness. As he looks through a book, he remembers the pictures and events. You might notice that he turns the pages in sequence while pretending to read, with his eyes scanning the pages top to bottom and left to right. He usually tells the story in proper order.
As your child continues on the path towards reading on his own he now recognizes his own name in print. He expresses interest in reading some of the words he sees in his books as well as words he sees printed on billboards, signs, store windows and elsewhere. His accumulation of identifiable words continues to grow.
Your burgeoning reader may now know how to write his name. He may simulate the act of writing and may be able to print some letters. He uses correct reading form, beginning at the top of the page and writing left to right.