“[In] a developmental theory, literacy is not a single skill that simply gets better ...

Being literate
is very different for the skilled first grader, fourth grader, high school student, and adult, and the
effects of school experiences can be quite different at different points in a child’s development.”
— Catherine Snow, et al, 1991, pg 9

Five Stages of Reading Development

Literacy is not something that just happens. One does not wake up literate nor does one become
literate in the same way that one learns to walk. It is not intuited from the environment nor is it
simply a matter of physical maturation. Literacy learning requires instruction and practice, and this
learning occurs across discrete stages.

 the emerging pre-reader (typically between 6 months to 6 years old);

“The emergent pre-reader sits on ‘beloved laps,’ samples and learns from a full range of multiple
sounds, words, concepts, images, stories, exposure to print, literacy materials, and just plain talk
during the first five years of life. The major insight in this period is that reading never just happens
to anyone. Emerging reading arises out of years of perceptions, increasing conceptual and social
development, and cumulative exposures to oral and written language.” (Wolf, 2008, p 115
 the novice reader (typically between 6 to 7 years old);
In this stage, the child is learning the relationships between letters and sounds and between printed
and spoken words. The child starts to read simple text containing high frequency words and
phonically regular words, and uses emerging skills and insights to “sound out” new one-syllable
words. There is direct instruction in letter-sound relations (phonics). The child is being read to on a
level above what a child can read independently to develop more advanced language patterns,
vocabulary and concepts. In late Stage 2, most children can understand up to 4000 or more words
when heard but can read about 600
Orthography

“Orthographic development consists of learning the entirety of these visual conventions for
depicting a particular language, with its repertoire of common letter patterns and of seemingly
irregular usages ... Children learn orthographic conventions one step at a time.” (Wolf, pp 120)

Semantics (vocabulary)

“For some children, knowledge of a word’s meaning pushes their halting decoding into the real
thing.” (Wolf, pp 122)

 the decoding reader (typically between 7 - 9 years old);

In this stage, the child is reading simple, familiar stories and selections with increasing fluency. This
is done by consolidating the basic decoding elements, sight vocabulary, and meaning in the reading
of familiar stories and selections. There is direct instruction in advanced decoding skills as well as
wide reading of familiar, interesting materials. The child is still being read to at levels above their
own independent reading level to develop language, vocabulary and concepts. In late Stage 3,
about 3000 words can be read and understood and about 9000 are known when heard. Listening is
still more effective than reading
Sight words’ add important elements to the achievements
 Fluent word recognition is significantly propelled by both vocabulary and grammatical knowledge.
children tacitly learn a great deal about what’s inside a word -- that is, the stems, roots, prefixes and
suffixes that make up the morphemes of our language
Fluency is not a matter of speed; it is a matter of being able to utilise all the special knowledge a
child has about a word -- its letters, letter patterns, meanings, grammatical functions, roots and
endings -- fast enough to have time to think and comprehend.
A child in this phase of development also needs to know simply that he or she must read a word,
sentence, or paragraph a second time to understand it correctly
 the fluent, comprehending reader (typically between 9 - 15 years old); and
y this stage, reading is used to learn new ideas in order to gain new knowledge, to experience new
feelings, to learn new attitudes, and to explore issues from one or more perspectives. Reading
includes the study of textbooks, reference works, trade books, newspapers, and magazines that
contain new ideas and values, unfamiliar vocabulary and syntax. There is a systematic study of
word meaning, and learners are guided to react to texts through discussions, answering questions,
generating questions, writing, and more. At beginning of Stage 4, listening comprehension of the
same material is still more effective than reading comprehension. By the end of Stage 4, reading and
listening are about equal for those who read very well, reading may be more efficient.
the expert reader (typically from 16 years and older).
By this stage, the learner is reading widely from a broad range of complex materials, both
expository and narrative, with a variety of viewpoints. Learners are reading widely across the
disciplines, include the physical, biological and social sciences as well as the humanities, politics
and current affairs. Reading comprehension is better than listening comprehension of materials of
difficult content and readability. Learners are regularly asked to plan writing and synthesise
information into cohesive, coherent texts.
How we attend to a text changes over time as we learn to read ... more discriminatingly, more
sensitively, more associatively.” (Wolf, pp 156