Phases of Reading

Development

By Hannah Darrow
Background: How does reading
develop?
● Although students in the same grade may be the same age, this does
not mean their reading levels are the same
● Each student may be at a different stage
● Teachers must understand these different stages well so they know
how to best support each student in their reading abilities
● There are five stages researchers have come up with:
1. Awareness and Exploration
2. Experimental Reading and Writing
3. Early Reading and Writing
4. Transitional Reading and Writing
5. Independent and Productive Reading and Writing
Birth → Preschool Years Phase One: Awareness and
Exploration
● Children will begin to show interest in print
● Stories will become more interesting to them, start realizing
that there are meanings behind them
● Demonstrating Logographic knowledge during this time, they
start to identify labels and signs
● They begin to become aware that there are words
everywhere (environmental print)
● They will begin to realize that others use words/reading
everyday, and this will spark their interest in learning more
● “Pretend-read” may occur, as well as scribbling and writing
● Children may be able to identify some letters and sounds
Phase One Strategies

1. Reread stories that have predictable text: Get children familiar with
certain words, repetitive exposure can help learning
2. Be engaged in conversations with your child: Listen to what they have to
say, point out names of places and things, fully engage in conversations
when possible “Hey look, here’s the cereal grandma had at her house!”
3. Encourage children to talk about their past experiences: Have them
describe ideas and events that have meaning in their personal lives “Yes,
they did have yummy food! What did you order again?”
4. Go to the library or bookstore often: The more children are exposed to
books, the more prone they are to be interested in reading. Create this
habit early on!
5. Give children artistic tools: Markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, etc.
Believe it or not - this is helping their development
Entering Kindergarten
Phase Two: Experimental Reading
and Writing
● Children start experimenting with oral and written
language
● Children start learning basic concepts (reading left to
right and top to bottom)
● Children enjoy being read to
● Recognize letters and letter-sounds
● Rhyming, begin to write letters
Phase Two Strategies

1. Keep engaging in conversations!: It is important during these early phases to

keep engaging in conversations with your child. Whether it’s about their day at
school, their favorite toys, or their sibling… keep it up.
2. Be an encouragement: During this phase, children may start getting frustrated,
as they are just starting the reading process. Make sure you are being positive
to help them persevere.
3. Play games that instruct: Start familiarizing children with instruction and
language awareness, play games like Simon Says where they have to pay close
attention to language.
4. Have children get involved with reading/writing activities: Use everyday
activities to reinforce children’s reading skills (make a recipe together, have
them try and read it to you, read it back to them)
5. Read to them as much as possible: Start reading stories with more information,
more in depth content
First Grade
Phase Three: Early Reading and
Writing
● Children begin to read simple stories
● Writing wise, they can start writing about things they’ve
experienced personally
● Children start learning how to predict, comprehension
strategies
● Starting to identify specific words
● Can read more fluently, recognize certain words
● Start using punctuation and capitalization
● Decoding unfamiliar words
Phase Three Strategies

1. Encourage sharing: After school, ask your child what they did in class
today, who they played with, what they ate for lunch, etc.
2. Writing letters: Have children write letters to loved ones, friends, etc.
3. Continuously introduce new vocabulary: Buy vocab cards from the store,
or simply practice vocab words for the week from school. Use new age
appropriate vocabulary in your conversations with your child.
4. Talk about your favorite books: Whether it’s the book that your child
loved from class, or one you read before bedtime every night, talk about
the plot, characters, and conflicts.
5. Be in contact with your child’s teacher: Check in with your child’s teacher
about your child’s progress in class and compare to home
Second Grade Phase Four: Transitional Reading and
Writing
● Start transitioning from early reading to more complex tasks
● Children start becoming more fluent
● Using cognitive and metacognitive strategies more efficiently
● Children can be involved in more complex reading strategies: word
identification strategies, sight-word recognition, reading fluency,
conventional spelling, etc.
● Can read for longer periods of time
● Spelling starts to improve
Phase Four Strategies
1. Find what your child’s interests are, and find them books to match it: To keep your
child reading, find books that interest them! Although it may not be what the school
assigns, it can help them with their reading skills (that they can then bring with them
to the classroom).
2. Put their writing on the fridge!: To show that you are supportive of their efforts in
writing/reading, display their work where everyone can see it. This can be a huge
motivator.
3. Teach revising/editing: Tell your child of the importance of rereading your work
when done, before turning it in. Get them used to checking for spelling errors,
punctuation, etc.
4. Ask questions that spark critical thinking skills: During this phase, it’s important
that children are starting to think more in depth. Ask your child age appropriate
questions that will make them think just a little more complex.
5. Read yourself!: To normalize reading in your home, you’ll have to read too! Whether
it’s on your own in the living room, or reading a bedtime story, your child will notice
the positive light that reading is put in.
Third Grade Phase Five: Independent and
Productive Reading and Writing
● Make more critical connections with text
● Edit their own writing
● This is the stage where children are almost “set free” to
become a lifelong independent reader and writer
● Children now spend their years refining their abilities,
and they continue to develop, just at a more steady pace
● They use their reading and writing skills in many different
ways
Phase Five Strategies

1. Continue to take your child to libraries/bookstores: Keep their love for

reading alive (or try and spark it) by taking your child to rent/buy books
that interest them, and making this a tradition.
2. Keep encouraging writing: Have your child write down a grocery list for
you, ask them to write a birthday card for their friend, etc.
3. Ask about the main ideas of a story: After reading a book, see if your child
can point out the main ideas (possibly symbolism, deeper meanings)
4. Talk about the importance of spelling: It’s important your child is learning
that spelling matters!
5. Find ways to document their progress!: Whether it’s a chart of all the
books they read that summer on the fridge, or an ice cream for every 10
books they read, get creative with it!
 Sources
“Preschool Awareness and Exploration.” Reading Rockets, WETA,
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/goals-preschool-awareness-and-exploration

“Kindergarten Experimental Reading and Writing.” Reading Rockets, WETA,

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/goals-kindergarten-experimental-reading-and-writing-0

“First Grade Early Reading and Writing.” Reading Rockets, WETA

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/goals-first-grade-early-reading-and-writing-0

“Second Grade Transitional Reading and Writing.” Reading Rockets, WETA,

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/goals-second-grade-transitional-reading-and-writing-0

“Third Grade Independent and Productive Reading and Writing.” Reading Rockets, WETA,
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/goals-third-grade-independent-and-productive-reading-and-writing-0

Scholastic Parents. “The Guide to 3rd Grade: Reading and Writing.” Scholastic, 13 August 2020,
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/school-success-guides/guide-to-3rd-grade.html#:~:text=To%20build%20read
ing%20skills%2C%20your%203rd%20grader%3A&text=Reads%20grade%2Dlevel%20text%20with,different%20parts%20of%20
a%20text.

“Transitional Readers.” Reading Horizons, https://www.readinghorizons.com/literacy-articles/early-literacy/transitional-readers/

Vacca, Jo Anne L., Vacca, Richard T., Gove, Mary, K. Burkey, Linda C., Lenhart, Lisa A., Mckeon, Christine A., Reading & Learning to
Read, Pearson, 2015.