Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Start your reading log and finish your first 7 books
4–6 weeks (first 7 books)
Every book your child finishes goes into a simple reading log. Each entry needs three things: the title of the book, the date they finished it, and your initials (as parent, carer, or teacher) to confirm it was read. A drawn star or smiley face to show how much they liked it is optional and welcome — there are no wrong answers there. The first goal is 7 books. Picture books, early-reader chapter books, audiobooks, and graphic novels all count.
Proof required
Share the reading log showing 7 finished books, each with the title, date finished, and a parent or teacher's initials. A photo of a handwritten log or a typed list both work.
What gets checked
- 7 distinct books are logged with titles and finish dates — entries without a title cannot be verified as distinct books; 'a book' is not a log entry
- Each entry has a parent's, carer's, or teacher's initials confirming the book was read — self-reported completion without an adult confirmation is not sufficient for K-5
- The 7 books are distinct — the same book read 7 times does not meet the standard; 7 different books is the goal, regardless of length or format
Common mistakes
- Logging books that were only partially read — a book that was started but not finished should not enter the log; the finish date is the signal of completion
- Rushing through very short books purely to reach the count — the purpose of reading 20 books is to build a reading habit and love of books, not to collect checkboxes; books should be chosen because they are genuinely interesting to the reader
Resources
Foundationstart here
What a verifier looks for
- Count the log entries: 7 distinct book titles with finish dates and adult initials
- Ask the parent or teacher whether they personally confirmed each book was finished before initialling — the confirmation should be per-book, not a retrospective sign-off on the whole list
- Ask the reader what their favourite of the 7 was and what happened in it — a genuine reader will have a preference and a story to tell
Continue through books 8–15 and keep the log going
10–14 weeks (books 8–15)
Keep using the same reading log from M1 — same format: title, finish date, and adult initials for each book. Add books 8 through 15, making 15 finished books total. The pace does not have to be the same as M1; some books take longer than others. If your child is now reading longer chapter books, that counts just as much as shorter picture books.
Proof required
Share the reading log now showing at least 15 books in total (books 1–15), each with a title, finish date, and adult initials. A continuation of the M1 log works perfectly.
What gets checked
- The log now shows at least 15 books in total — it should be a continuous log from M1, not a new list; books 1–7 from M1 should still be present
- Each new entry (books 8–15) has adult initials confirming the book was finished — the confirmation requirement does not lapse in M2
- 8 additional distinct books are present — they should be different from books 1–7 and from each other
Common mistakes
- Restarting the log at book 1 rather than continuing from M1 — the log should show all 15 books as a continuous reading record; a new log that begins at 1 does not show the full progression
- Stopping regular reading when M1 is done and then logging 8 books in one burst — entries where books 8–15 all share the same finish date are unlikely to be genuine; the dates should reflect actual reading pace
Resources
What a verifier looks for
- Check that the M1 books (1–7) are still present in the log — a new list that starts from book 1 again is a different log, not a continuation
- Verify that books 8–15 each have adult initials on individual entries, not a single bulk sign-off at the end of the list
- Ask the reader if any of the 8 new books were their favourite so far — a child reading across 15 books usually has a view on this
Finish all 20 books and share what you loved about a favourite
4–8 weeks (books 16–20 and reflection)
Complete the final 5 books to reach 20 in total. When all 20 are in the log, ask your child to choose one favourite and explain in 2–3 sentences why they liked it most. They can write it, dictate it to you, or record it — any format is fine. Sharing what you loved about a book with someone else is the final step: reading for yourself and reading to tell others about it are two different experiences, and both are worth developing.
Proof required
Share the complete reading log showing all 20 books with titles, finish dates, and adult initials. Also share: the title of the favourite book and a 2–3 sentence explanation of why it was the favourite (written, typed, or transcribed from speech).
What gets checked
- The complete log shows 20 distinct books with finish dates and adult initials on each entry — both the total count and the per-book adult confirmation are required
- The favourite-book explanation names the book by title and gives a specific reason — 'it was good' is not specific; 'I liked the part where the rabbit builds a house in the rain because I didn't think it would work' is specific
- The explanation is in the child's own words — dictation transcribed by a parent counts; a parent's summary of what the child liked does not
Common mistakes
- Filling in the final 5 entries without confirming each book was actually read — a log with entries all dated on the same day was not read across the year; the adult-initials requirement per book exists precisely for this
- Choosing the 'correct' favourite rather than the child's actual favourite — the explanation has no wrong answer; its purpose is to encourage the child to have and express a genuine opinion about what they read
Resources
What a verifier looks for
- Count the complete log: 20 distinct book titles with finish dates and adult initials on each entry
- Check that the favourite-book explanation is 2–3 sentences in the child's own words — ask the parent or teacher to confirm the words are the child's
- Ask the child (or parent, for very young readers) what the book was about in one sentence — a child who genuinely read it will have a sentence; a child who did not will struggle to produce one
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