The Stages of Reading Development

There is more to reading than meets the eye! It is more than naming words; it is a process that develops over time and is characterized by specific reading behaviors.  As students become proficient readers, they progress through different stages: emergent, early, transitional and extending.  Following is a description of the characteristics of each stage and a few suggestions on how to support your child at each stage. 

The earliest stage of reading is referred to as the emergent stage. As an emergent reader, the child will:   

·        Rely on the pictures to gather information about the story’s meaning.

·        Understand that the actual message comes from the printed text.

·        Realize that the reader has to move from left to right across the text.

·        Point to words as they develop one-to-one matching.

·        Locate words that s/he knows in text.

·        Begin to develop phonemic awareness-- an understanding that words are composed of a series of sounds. 

How can I help my emergent reader?

·        Read aloud to your child every day!

·        Point to each word as you read.

·        Talk about the pictures and the story.

·        Let your child hold the book and turn the pages.

·        Read books that are predictable and have repetition, and encourage your child to join in with you.

·        Read rhyming books such as Mother Goose, Dr. Seuss etc.  

As a child progresses from the emergent stage of reading to the early stage, the child:     

·        May still rely on pictures to gather information about the story’s meaning.

·        Does not need to point to words unless a problem is encountered. 

·        Is developing a larger sight word vocabulary. 

·        Begins to notice errors and attempts to correct them.

·        Is beginning to use more than one reading strategy.

·        Begins to attend to punctuation and use expression while reading. 

How can I help my early reader?

·        Continue to read aloud to your child every day!

·        Discuss the pictures and the story.

·        Listen to your child read books that they can read successfully.

·        Encourage your child to read with expression.

As a child progresses from the early stage of reading to the transitional  stage, the child:     

·        Relies less on pictures to gather information about the story’s meaning.

·        Begins to use multiple strategies to problem solve unknown words.

·        Is more consistent with noticing and correcting errors.

·        Begins to increase vocabulary which allows them to focus more on meaning.

·        Attends to punctuation and reads with phrasing and expression.

·        Begins to engage in silent reading. 

How can I help my transitional reader?

·        Continue to read aloud to your child every day and engage in discussion as you read.

·        Encourage your child to choose books they can read successfully.

·        Encourage your child to read silently for longer periods of time.

·        Engage your child in conversation about what they have read.

As a child progresses from the transitional stage of reading to the extending stage, the child:     

·        Selects a variety of “just-right” texts for varying purposes.

·        Uses multiple strategies to problem solve unknown words quickly.

·        Self-corrects all significant errors quickly.

·        Reads a variety of genres such as fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, poetry, etc.

·        Reads orally with expression and at an appropriate rate.

·        Reads silently most of the time.

How can I help my extending reader?

·        Make sure your child has access to a wide variety of reading materials that they can read successfully.

·        Encourage your child to read silently on a daily basis.

·        Engage your child in conversation about what they have read.

·        Make sure that your child has a library card and uses it regularly.

·        Read aloud the first few chapters of a book to get your child started; this is where the characters are introduced, the plot is set up, and the setting is described. 

·        Be aware that reading level and listening level are different; read more advanced books to your child to instill motivation and a love of books

HAPPY READING!

.  

Disclaimer: School District 63 is not responsible for the content of any external site, and the inclusion of a link to any site does not constitute an endorsement by the District. The content of these pages may not be reproduced without written permission. Email webmaster@cassd63.org with comments.    Last modified 07/29/08