Understanding the Stages of a Child's Literacy Development

 Work done by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell (1999) and Loretta Caravette (2011) has focused on the stages of a child’s literacy development.  These stages include: 1) Early Literacy, 2) The Emergent Reader, 3) The Early Reader, 4) The Transitional Reader, 5) The Self-Extending Reader, and 6) The Advanced Reader. 

Early Literacy

At this stage, during a child’s early years (2-5 years old), parents are integral to early literacy foundation.  This stage is initiative by parents reading aloud to their children and involving their children in as much written and spoken language as possible.  According to Caravette (2011), research shows that “reading to a child from an early age influenced performance in school for the better.”  During this stage in their development, children begin to develop “vocabulary, sound structure, the meaning of print, the structure of stories, and language” (Caravette 2011).  Children are also beginning to learn the alphabet and the corresponding letter names and sounds.

The Emergent Reader

Students are typically in this stage of development during their year in kindergarten.  Teachers and parents utilize picture or story books and continue reading to children aloud.  Children begin to develop key literacy skills for the future.  Children begin to match spoken words with written words and learn to read from left to right on the page.  Students are still learning the alphabet, and the letter names, shapes, and sounds.  Teachers begin to teach students to write the alphabet and children begin to recognize upper and lowercase letters.

The Early Reader

Students often reach this stage in their literacy development in first grade.  Students continue to understand the alphabet and “symbol-sounds relationships” (Caravette 2011; Fountas & Pinnell 1999).  Students at this stage typically develop a set of high frequency words that they begin to use dominantly.  In addition, students generally develop greater writing skills and learn different kinds of texts including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

The Transitional Reader

Students generally enter this stage of literacy development during the second grade.  At this point students are becoming more fluent readers and begin reading for meaning (Caravette 2011).  Students develop their skills in the use of “meaning, grammar, letter cues, and phonics” to read more fully (Caravette 2011).  Students at this stage have mastered a greater number of high frequency words and rely less on pictures when reading.  Students begin to move away from picture books and towards books with more text.  Tools such as the dictionary and thesaurus are introduced during this stage.

The Self-Extending Reader

Typically by third grade, students are beginning to enter this stage of literacy development.  Students are “moving from learning to read to reading to learn” (Caravette 2011).  Students utilize reading in all of their other subjects and rely on reading to understand various content and applications.  Students have a large core of high frequency words and can utilize their reading strategies to learn and understand unknown or new words.  Students begin to understand the various purposes for reading and transition into a focus on chapter books.  Students at this stage begin to connect with characters and enjoy reading books with diverse groups of characters.

The Advanced Reader

Students generally enter this final stage of literacy development in the fourth grade.  Students continue to learn and develop all of the previously mentioned learning and reading strategies and will continue to utilize these skills throughout the rest of their life.  Students read a wide variety of texts for meaning and understanding.

While children and students develop as readers, it is possible for them to possess aspects of two different stages at once.  Teachers and parents need to work on understanding where each child is in their development to best aid students in achieving full literacy.  The various sociopolitical and historical influences on literacy and illiteracy, previously mentioned in the blog, can impact students at any stage of their literacy development.  Understanding how these influences affect literacy development can aid parents and teachers in helping all children become advanced readers.

6. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell G.S.  (1999). Matching books to readers, Using leveled books in guided reading, K-3.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Press.

7.  Caravette, L.  (2011). “Portrait of the reader as a young child”.  Children & librarians: The journal of the association for library service to children, 9(2), pp. 52-57.