Stages of Reading Development

 
Emergent Stage
Fountas & Pinnell Levels A-C
DRA Levels A-3
Approximate Grade Levels K-1

In the emergent stage of reading development, the student will display many of the following
behaviors:

 Begin to be aware that print carries a message

 Know some sounds and names of the letters of the alphabet
 Start to display directional movement (Left to right; top to bottom; return sweep)
 Begin to establish one to one correspondence by finger pointing
 Locate some known words
 Depend heavily on picture clues
 Recognize the difference between a letter and a word
 Begin to use pattern and repetition of text to read
 Use some letter sounds (beginning / ending)
 Begin to use known, high frequency words to monitor reading
 Respond to texts by linking meaning with their own experience

Early / Developing Stage

Fountas & Pinnell Levels D-G
DRA Levels 4-12
Approximate Grade Levels K-1
In the early/developing stage of reading development, the student will display many of the
following behaviors:

 Have good control of early reading strategies (directionality; one to one word matching;
locating known words)
 Rely less on pictures and use more information from print
 Begin to build a core of high-frequency words known automatically
 Read familiar text with some phrasing and fluency
 Start to attend to punctuation while reading
 Read using more than one source of information
 Begin to monitor own reading and self correct
 Use phonetic clues to decode (initial-final sounds; simple chunks)
 Begin to engage in discussions about what is read

Transitional / Nearly Fluent Stage

Fountas & Pinnell Levels H-M
DRA Levels 14-28
 Approximate Grade Levels 1-2

In the transitional/near fluent stage of reading development, the student will display many of the
following behaviors:

 Use multiple sources of information (meaning; language structure; visual/graphophonic)

and a variety of strategies (check; monitor; search; predict; confirm; self correct) to
problem solve while reading
 Make predictions and confirm or revise them while reading
 Recognize the importance of monitoring reading for understanding
 Use familar parts of words (beginning, middle, end) to problem-solve unknown words
 Know a large core of high frequency words automatically
 Read many punctuation marks appropriately
 Read most texts with phrasing and fluency
 Begin to read a greater variety of longer and more complex texts (fictional and
informational)
 Attend more to story structure and literary language
 Engage in discussions about what is read
 Begin to identify details from the text to support ideas in discussions

Fluent Stage

Stages of Development
Early Emergent Readers (Levels aa-C)
Aspiring readers are just beginning to grasp the basic concepts of book and print. They are
acquiring a command of the alphabet with the ability to recognize and name upper- and
lowercase letters. They are also developing many phonological awareness skills, such as
recognizing phonemes, syllables, and rhyme.

Early Emergent readers are beginning to learn sound/symbol relationships--starting with

consonants and short vowels--and are able to read CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, as
well as a number of high-frequency words.

Books at this level have:

 Strong picture support

 Carefully controlled text
 Repetitive patterns
 Controlled, repeated vocabulary
 Natural language
  Large print
 Wide letter spacing
 Familiar concepts
 Limited text on a page

Emergent Readers (Levels D-J)

Readers at this stage have developed an understanding of the alphabet, phonological awareness,
and early phonics. They have command of a significant number of high-frequency words.

Emergent readers are developing a much better grasp of comprehension strategies and word-
attack skills. They can recognize different types of text, particularly fiction and nonfiction, and
recognize that reading has a variety of purposes.

Books at this stage have:

 Increasingly more lines of print per page

 More complex sentence structure
 Less dependency on repetitive pattern and pictures
 Familiar topics but greater depth

Early Fluent Readers (Levels K-P)

At this stage, reading is more automatic, with more energy devoted to comprehension than word
attack. Readers are approaching independence in comprehending text.

These readers are experiencing a greater variety of text and are able to recognize different styles
and genres. Independence often varies with the type of text being read.

Books at this stage have:

 More pages
 Longer sentences
 More text per page
 Richer vocabulary
 Greater variation in sentence pattern
 Less reliance on pictures
 More formal and descriptive language
Fluent Readers (Levels Q-Z)
Readers have successfully moved from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Their reading is
automatic and is done with expression and proper pauses. Their energy is devoted to
understanding, and they have good command and use of the various comprehension strategies.

These readers read a wide range of text types and do so independently. They will continue to
refine and develop their reading skills as they encounter more difficult reading materials. But for
the most part, they are capable of improving their reading skills and selection of materials
independently through increased practice.

Books at this stage have:

 More text
 Less familiar, more varied topics
 Challenging vocabulary
 More complex sentences
 Varied writing styles
 More description

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.
 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.

STAGES OF READING DEVELOPMENT

REVISE:

Reading is an active process

reading the lines, reading between the lines, and reading beyond the lines

reading the lines = the of decoding the words in order to construct the author's basic message.

reading between the lines, = the act of making inferences and understanding the author's implied
message.

reading beyond the lines = the judging of the significance of the author's message and applying it
to other areas of background and knowledge.

Phonics and the ability to apply decoding principles is a part of reading.

  Stage 0 is the prereading stage when children gain control over language, pretend to read.
Their experiences develop this stage which lasts until about age six.

 Stage 1 EARLY EMERGENT READERS


 is the initial reading or decoding stage or emergent readers
 the child begins to associate sounds and symbols.
 . In other words, he is learning to read, learning to decode and to make sense of
writing.
 Reading is not smooth and may not even be easy to listen to.
 grasp the basic concepts of book and print.
 They are acquiring a command of the alphabet with the ability to recognize and name
upper- and lowercase letters.
 They are also developing many phonological awareness skills, such as recognizing phonemes,
syllables, and rhyme.
  Early Emergent readers are beginning to learn sound/symbol relationships.
 Strong picture support
 Carefully controlled text and repetitive patterns
 Controlled, repeated vocabulary
 Large print and wide letter spacing
 Familiar concepts and limited text on a page

Lecture 2 – start from here!!!

STAGE 2 = EARLY FLUENT READERS

 reading is more automatic, with more energy devoted to comprehension than word attack.
 Readers are approaching independence in comprehending text. 
 These readers are experiencing a greater variety of text and are able to recognize
different styles and genres.
 longer sentences
 richer vocabulary
 Greater variation in sentence pattern
 less reliance on pictures
STAGES OF INSTRUCTION

The Pre-reading Stage

 purpose for reading.

 anticipate the content
 previewing headings
 surveying pictures
 reading introductions and summaries

Layout features are also non-verbal signals. For example:

a title printed at the top of a page to indicate the subject

heading: matter that is going to be discussed in a particular chapter,
column or section.

title: tells you what the text is about.

presents you with a brief summary, an introduction or

subheading:
explanation.

photographs: pictures related to an article or a text.

captions: comments on pictures related to a text

division into each paragraph is a unity and deals with one particular idea. See
paragraphs: also the section on paragraphs below.

figures,
graphs, bar to visualize facts and figures presented in the text.
charts, etc:

 1. Skimming and scanning

Before starting to read a text in detail, the reader should take a moment to preview the text. Read
quickly, without pausing to study the details. This is called skim reading or skimming. The reader
should understand:

 for which audience the text was written (general public, professionals, laymen,…)
 what type of text it is (report, informal letter, formal letter, article, advertisement, …)
  what the purpose of the author is (to describe, to inform, to explain, to instruct, to
persuade)
 the general contents of the text

After having skimmed the text, the reader can study the text in more detail, reading more slowly
and carefully and looking for specific information that he is interested in. This is called scanning.

2 The structure of the text

Most texts start with a title and sometimes a subtitle. After that, the introduction and the body
followed by a conclusion or summary.

An important aspect of reading is prediction. The better the reader can predict what he or she is
going to read, the faster and more effective he or she will read. The prediction process begins with
the title.

The introduction mostly informs the reader about what he can expect .

The body consists of paragraphs. Each paragraph deals with one aspect of the subject matter.
Paragraphs are linked in a logical way.

The conclusion puts the subject matter in the right perspective

4. The structure of paragraphs

A typical paragraph consists of three parts.

The first sentence contains the topic sentence, which is the heart of the paragraph.

The topic sentence (also called thesis sentence or key sentence) contains the new aspect of the
subject of the text.

The second part of the paragraph contains sentences which develop the aspect. These sentences
may contain arguments, explanations, details, examples, and other supporting evidence. The last
sentence of a paragraph is often a summary of the paragraph or a linking sentence to the next
paragraph.

5. Punctuation

Punctuation is partly based on grammar. For example, commas are often used to separate clauses.
If the reader understands the meaning and usage of punctuation marks, it will be easier to
understand the grammatical structures.
Punctuation marks also show how the author wants the reader to interpret a piece of text. For
example, if the author puts something in brackets, the part of the sentence should be interpreted
as an addition to the sentence.  

     During Reading Strategies =

 verification = verify their anticipations.

 comprehension of details look for the specific information
 visualizing
 Paraphrasing
 elaborating

The Post-reading Stage

 also known as the reflective stage

 "look back" and think
 to focus on overall idea
 Summarization
 Self questioning

STAGE 3 FLUENT READERS

 Readers have successfully moved from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

 Their reading is automatic and is done with expression and proper pauses.
 Their energy is devoted to understanding, and they have good command and use of the
various comprehension strategies. 

These readers read a wide range of text types and do so independently.

 More text and less familiar, more varied topics

 Challenging vocabulary and more complex sentences
 Varied writing styles and more description

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