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.
• Locate words that he/she knows in text.

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.