Here are some terms you will hear associated with reading:
.  Phonemic awareness: This is the ability to hear and say sounds within words. You can hear and say sounds without looking at any letters. You can do this with your eyes closed.
.  Phonics: This refers to matching sounds with letters.  Sometimes we ask children to "sound out " the word. That means to look at the each letter, think about the sound it makes and then say the sound. Sounding out is one strategy a child can use to solve a word. Using picture clues is another for early readers.
.  Fluency: This refers to reading text accurately and quickly and with expression.  Listening to stories read aloud is a way your child can hear what good fluency sounds like.
.  Vocabulary:  This refers to the words we say in conversation, in books as well as words heard.  The more words your child knows the better they will be ready to understand what is read to them and will be better able to communicate with others.
.  Comprehension:  This refers to the ability to understand what we hear and what we read.