Developmental Reading Stages

Jean Chall (1983) proposed a five-stage development described below. Each child will move through the next
stages when he or she is developmentally ready.
Stage 0 through Stage 2 are the “learning to read” stages of development. These are the stages where the
reader acquires reading skills. Stage 3 through Stage 5 are stages where the child id “reading to learn”. This is where the
child is reading on his own to acquire information or new knowledge.

Stage Descriptive Title Age Range Description

Stage 0 Reading Readiness/Pre (Birth-Age 6)  This stage is

Reading characterized by
learning to
recognize the
alphabet,
imitation
reading,
experimentation
with letters and
learning sounds
associated with
letters.
 The children
increase their
conceptual
knowledge and
begin to
develop an
understanding
of the world
around them.
 The children
need to have
many learner-
centered
activities that
encourage them
to experiment
with language
and to have an
opportunity to
make the
connection
between their
non-visual
information and
the visual
information of
the text.
  The children
Stage 1 Initial Reading or (Age 6-7, Grades 1-2) begin gluing to
Decoding print and
sounding out
words. Even
words that were
easily
recognized in
stage 0 may
now be sounded
out by the stage
1 readers.
 Children in this
stage utilize
their knowledge
of consonants
and vowels to
blend together
simple words.
 The ability to
use consonants
and vowels to
blend together
simple words is
an integral part
of beginning
reading. Some
children may
need to go
through this
stage of
sounding out
longer than
others.
 Over time and
with guidance,
the children at
this stage will
eventually move
to reading
whole words.
 Patience is
extremely
important while
children are
moving from
stage 1 to stage
2.

Stage 2 Fluency (Age 7-8, Grades 2-3)  Children

consider this to
be the “real”
 reading stage.
They are now
fairly good at
reading and
spelling and are
ready to read
without
sounding
everything out.
 In this stage, it
helps to have
children reread
books
frequently
because this
allows them to
concentrate on
meaning and
also helps to
build their
fluency while
reading.
 The learners in
this stage need
the opportunity
to hone the
skills of reading
comfortable
text and in
comfortable
reading
situations.

Stage 3 Reading for Learning (Age 9-13, Grades 4-  Readers at this

the New Stage Second Year) stage have
mastered the
code and fin it
easy to sound
out unfamiliar
words and read
with fluency.
 Learners are
now ready to
begin the study
of subject
matter and the
use of
informational
text. Readers
need to bring
prior knowledge
to their reading.
  The learners in
this stage
acquire facts.
 The readers in
this stage must
use reading as a
tool for
acquiring new
knowledge.

Stage 4 Multiple Viewpoints (Highschool; Ages 14-  Readers are

Stage 18) instructed in
reading/study
skills and
reading
strategies for
success.
 The successful
stage 3 readers
grow in their
ability to
analyze what
they read and
react critically to
the different
viewpoints they
encounter.
 Stage 4 readers
are able to deal
with layers of
facts and
concepts and
have the ability
to add and
delete schema
previously
learned. This is
imperative as
the learners
now interact
with more
complex texts
that share
different views
and concepts.

Stage 5 Construction and (College; Ages 18 and  Adult readers

Reconstruction Stage up) are taught
literacy that
stresses
acquisition of
 skills useful to
them and the
ability to apply
those skills.
 Stage 5 readers
know what not
to read, as well
as what to read.
 Learners now
have the ability
to synthesize
critically the
works of others
and are able to
form their own
educated stance
on the subject.

Stages of the Reading Process

Flynt, Cooter and Cooter (2007) suggest the following stages of the reading process.

Stages of the Reading Process Description

Stages of the Reading Process
#1: Making Early Connections - Describing Pictures
The child is unable to read stories. Instead, he is at the
stage where he can describe pictures but is unable to make
much of a story by looking at the pictures.
The characteristics of a child in the first stages of the
reading process include:
1. Able to describe pictures in books;
2. Sense of story is limited;
3. Able to follow verbal directions;
4. Oral vocabulary is appropriate for grade level or
age;
5. Attention span is appropriate for grade level or
age;
6. Responds appropriately to questions; and
7. Able to make connections between pictures

Stages of the Reading Process
#2: Forming a Story by Connecting Pictures
The child has started to learn more about story
structure and can move beyond just describing the
pictures she sees. In this reading stage the child is (1) able
to describe an oral story based on pictures on several
pages in a book and (2) only able to use childlike, or
“storyteller” language to tell the story, rather than book
language (such as using phrases like “once upon a time.”)
 Stages of the Reading Process
#3: Transitional Picture Reading
Stages of the Reading Process
#4: Advance Picture Reading
Stages of the Reading Process
#5: Early Print Reading
Stages of the Reading Process
#6: Early Strategic Reading
Stages of the Reading Process
#7: Moderate Strategic Reading
The child at this reading stage is still only able to tell
stories based on pictures but is (1) able to understand how
the pictures connect to the story and (2) beginning to mix
storyteller language with book language.
The child has finally grasped the difference between
storytelling and book language. A child in this reading
stage is (1) able to describe an oral story based on pictures
on several pages in a book and (2) able to tell a story using
book language.
A child at this level is beginning to understand the
purpose of print and is beginning to read it. Characteristics
include: (1) able to tell a story using pictures (2)
understands that print moves from left to right and from
top to bottom and (3) Can use book language to make up
part of the story, but is able to read a few words.
The child is capable of reading, but might make several
miscues when reading material that is otherwise
appropriate for his/her grade level. If a child is developing
typically, he should be in stage 6 by age 5 or 6.
Characteristics of a child at this stage include: (1) uses
context clues to guess at unknown words and the guesses
make sense, (2) recognizes beginning sounds in words and
is able to use them to guess at unknown words, (3) tries
sounding out words, and (4) recognizes word parts, such
as root words and affixes.
A child who has reached the last of the stages of
reading, who has developed typically, should be in stage 7
by age 7 and beyond. At this stage the child is reading
appropriately for her grade level. Children at this stage
will: (1) use context clues and word parts to decode
unknown words, (2) self-correct when making miscues, (3)
be able to retell the story, and (4) show an understanding
of vowel sounds.
Prepared by:
Daryl Hannah Acenas