All children progress through a series of stages as they develop reading skills in English. Every child is unique and will progress at their own pace, so it’s important to be patient and supportive as they learn and grow.
Here is a summary of the stages your child will move through on their journey towards fluent reading in English.
Remember that the ages are approximate. Each child will progress according to many factors, including their age and level of English.
• Pre-literate stage (ages 3-4): children learn about the sounds of language, build vocabulary, and begin to understand the relationship between spoken and written words.
• Early emergent literate stage (ages 4-5): children learn to read simple words and recognize some sight words, and they begin to understand the structure of a book.
• Emergent literate stage (ages 5-6): children become more confident and accurate readers, and they begin to develop comprehension skills.
• Early fluent stage (ages 6-7): children become more fluent readers and begin to read more challenging texts.
• Fluent stage (ages 7 and up): children become proficient readers and are able to read and understand a wide range of texts.