Although the focus in the early grades is often on teaching young children how to read, the ultimate goal of reading is to understand the text--whether to learn new information or simply enjoy a story. Building the groundwork needed for this understanding starts right from the beginning of life--and it's essential from the beginning of school. What kind of instruction should you be looking for in your child's classroom? During the primary grades (kindergarten through second grade), teaching children to sound out words is a necessary focus of instruction. Teachers should intentionally and carefully help children understand the relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. As children practice sounding out words in the texts they are reading, their ability to read words grows. Their understanding grows too because being able to quickly recognize words makes it easier to focus on the meaning of the texts. But teaching children how to sound out words is not enough to help them become skilled readers. It is important that early instruction also focuses on "language comprehension," especially understanding written language when it is read aloud. This article discusses what language comprehension includes, why it matters, and suggestions for how K-2 instruction can address language comprehension.