Learning to read is a journey, and every child moves through it at their own pace. While books play a big role, reading skills develop naturally through everyday experiences. Understanding your child’s reading level can help you find the right activities to support their growth. Below, we break down four key stages of reading development and offer guidance on what to look for in your child, along with activities from this website to support them at each stage.
1. Pre-Reading (Exposure & Recognition)
What to Look For:
Recognizing environmental print (like store signs and food labels)
Showing interest in books and stories
Identifying some letters or familiar words (like their name)
Enjoying rhymes and wordplay
How to Support:
Use picture-word labels around the house to build word recognition.
Play rhyming games and sing songs to develop phonemic awareness.
Read aloud daily, pointing to words as you read.
Encourage storytelling through pictures and conversation.
2. Emergent Reading (Early Word Recognition)
What to Look For:
Recognizing common sight words (like "the," "in," "you")
Pretending to read by using pictures and memory
Showing an understanding that print carries meaning
Attempting to match letters to sounds
How to Support:
Introduce simple labels with high-frequency words.
Encourage repetitive books with predictable patterns.
Play word-matching games to reinforce sight words.
Provide books with simple, familiar sentence structures.
3. Early Reading (Decoding & Fluency Building)
What to Look For:
Sounding out words using phonics
Recognizing more sight words automatically
Reading simple sentences with some fluency
Beginning to self-correct mistakes
How to Support:
Use labels with short, structured sentences (e.g., "Put your socks in here.")
Encourage reading aloud with support and praise for their efforts.
Offer books with simple sentence structures and controlled vocabulary.
Play games that involve reading short phrases or sentences in context.
4. Fluent Reading (Comprehension & Independence)
What to Look For:
Reading longer sentences smoothly and with expression
Understanding the meaning of what they read
Asking questions about the story or making connections to their life
Reading independently and choosing their own books
How to Support:
Use labels with more detailed instructions to encourage reading comprehension (e.g., "Please put your socks in the top drawer so they stay neat.")
Have discussions about books, asking open-ended questions like, "What do you think will happen next?"
Encourage independent reading time with books at their level.
Explore more advanced activities on this website that support comprehension and storytelling.
Every child moves through these stages in their own way, and progress may not always be linear. The key is to provide meaningful opportunities to engage with print in a way that feels natural and fun. By integrating reading into daily life, you help your child develop a lifelong love for words and stories. Explore the activities on this site to find the best ways to support your child wherever they are on their reading journey!
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